Building Energy participated in the second edition of The European House-Ambrosetti’s “South Africa-Italy Summit.” The event took place on October 1 and 2 in Cape Town.
At the event, the company participated in a session with its MD of Africa, Matteo Brambilla, giving a speech on the company’s Mkuze biomass project. The Mkuze project in the Kwala Zulu Province was awarded to Building Energy in 2013 as part of the third round of South Africa’s REIPPP program. The project is the first and largest biomass plant in Africa with a capacity of 14 MW.
The project, will be developed by Building Energy in partnership with Charl Senekal Trust (CST), South Africa’s main sugar producer. The system will be fuelled by the combustion of sugar cane tops and trash. It will consume 106,000 tons per year of finished product from a plantation of 3,500 hectares.
The energy produced by the plant will supply the South African national grid, partially compensating the current power shortage. Besides reusing waste material which is usually burnt or left on the ground, the plant will also grant social benefits to the local community. The plant is expected online in mid-2017.