Woodlands Dairy, one of the largest dairy manufacturers in South Africa, has commissioned a second biomass boiler. This is in their drive to increase the use of renewable energy sources, and reduce carbon emissions.
“The first biomass boiler was commissioned in 2016 with the main objective to reduce Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) and electricity usage to generate steam for the plant,” André Adendorff, sustainability manager at Woodlands Dairy, said. “By changing over to a biomass boiler, we reduced our electric-boiler consumption by 40 percent and our HFO consumption by 83 percent. The second biomass boiler will further reduce our HFO usage by approximately 31 percent, and result in an increase in biomass of approximately 10.7 percent.
“The obvious benefit of moving to renewable energy sources for steam generation is the impressive reduction in carbon emissions.”
The boiler, nicknamed Bessie, is producing steam and the team has ironed out standard commissioning issues.
“The aim is to generate a base load of steam to mitigate the risk of disruption to operations when a steam plant fails. If the projected reduction of approximately 31 percent in fossil fuel (HFO) is achieved, the carbon emissions will be reduced by approximately 1046 t/CO2e per annum,” he explained.
The new John Thompson boiler is rated at 12 t/hr, at 24 bar pressure. It boasts a fully automatic control panel, as well as grid collector and stack to manage emissions. It has a dedicated fuel bin, but the two fuel bins can feed either one of the boilers to provide for flexibility. The new furnace can burn bark, which will allow the mill to harvest biomass from within the plantation if required. The boiler will further allow for statutory inspections and maintenance on the first boiler and vice versa.
The biomass fuel, which consists of wet sawdust and chip timber waste, will be sourced from local timber company MTO, which is within a 70km range from the Woodlands Dairy site.
“Sourcing local renewable biomass reduces the emissions caused by transportation of the biomass. It also ensures working opportunities for the local labour force, generating economic growth for the community,” said Adendorff.
The company started its sustainability journey in 2012, and has aligned its initiatives to consider the objectives of the United Nations sustainable development goals.
“These interlinked goals are a blueprint for a peaceful and prosperous future for all, with an emphasis on protecting the environment for future generations. Several renewable energy resource projects, including solar energy, have been implemented at our mega facility in Humansdorp. The objective of these is the replacement of fossil fuels, reduced energy consumption and reduction of carbon emissions. It aligns with our core values,” said Adendorff.
- For further information, click here
