An SA-first pioneering solution to convert paper sludge waste into bioethanol was announced at the Sappi Tugela Mill in Mandeni last Wednesday.
Bioethanol is a valuable and versatile base material that commands premium prices in global markets. It has diverse applications in the production of industrial chemicals, bio-based plastics and sustainable aviation fuel.
The fuel can also be used in ethanol cooking stoves as an alternative to paraffin or wood fires.
This ground-breaking initiative addresses the significant challenge posed by paper sludge from pulp and paper mills which cannot be landfilled owing to its moisture content.
The technology can also be applied to food and textile waste, which would be revolutionary for the waste industry.
The huge economic and environmental benefits of the project’s success saw the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA), in collaboration with Stellenbosch University (SU), Sappi Southern Africa and Mpact come together to put the research to the test under real industrial conditions at a demonstration plant at the Tugela mill, co-funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and PAMSA.
The four stages of producing ethanol were outlined.
Representing the culmination of 10 years of process research and chemical engineering, the demonstration plant, housing a 1 000-litre bioreactor and key utilities with the specific aim of fermenting about 100kg of paper sludge per day to ethanol, was designed and built by Stellenbosch University. It will operate for nine months at the Tugela mill with a follow-up project planned at Mpact’s mill in Springs, Gauteng.
“This technology started as a research project and thesis by one of our master’s in engineering students, and today we have a South African first,” said PAMSA executive director, Jane Molony.
This solution will help to reduce the amount of waste disposed in landfills and the associated greenhouse gas emissions.
”We aim to provide a low-risk option for proving the value of waste diversion,” said Prof Eugene van Rensburg of Stellenbosch University.
This new take on repurposing waste is not about sustainable waste management only but will also contribute to a more circular economy as it reduces the negative impact of resource extraction and waste.
“A circular economy entails keeping materials and products in circulation for as long as possible through practices such as re-use of products, recycling and remanufacturing,” said Professor Linda Godfrey of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
“Waste is not unvalued, we have to think about what we can reconvert to make a high-value product,” said Godfrey.
This solution has the potential to contribute to economic growth, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and expand industrial operations resulting in increased manufacturing and job creation.
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