LOCAL NEWS: MAY
Under-served learners to benefit from mobile science lab
Dow Southern Africa has funded a mobile science laboratory that is intended to enhance science tuition in underserved schools in and around Secunda, Mpumalanga. The mobile science laboratory was donated to NGO Osizweni, which was established in 1991 as an education and development centre that focuses on rendering support to the teaching and learning of science at school level.
The Dow Mobile Science Laboratory will be one of the centre’s flagship programs that will enhance Osizweni’s education initiatives and extend its offering to a greater number of schools. The donation forms part of Dow’s global Human Element campaign, the basis of which is Dow’s assertion that there is in fact one element missing from the periodic table in which the building blocks of all life and matter is represented i.e. the Human Element (Hu.) “It is only appropriate that we celebrate our 50th anniversary in South Africa on such an appropriate and uplifting note by contributing to a cause that has the advancement of science at heart,” commented Ms. Sazi Lutseke, Managing Director for Dow Southern Africa.“
The need for the Dow Mobile Science Laboratory stems from the fact that many underserved schools continue to produce very poor pass rates, with average symbols obtained in mathematics and the sciences being particularly poor. “Under the current circumstances, one cannot blame the learners for poor pass rates” commented Osizweni’s Dr. Rufus Wesi, “as invariably, these children have had to learn subjects like Chemistry from Grade 8 to Grade 12 without ever having conducted a single experiment in a laboratory environment, due to lack of resources.”
Dow’s support of Osizweni also has its basis in the South African National Research and Development (R&D) Strategy of 2002 which recognises the critical importance of science and technology to the social and economic development of South Africa and that in order for South Africa to be globally competitive, it is necessary to build the human capital required for innovation and research to take place. The R&D Strategy further recognizes that it is imperative that South Africa produces adequate numbers of scientists, engineers and technologists in order for the country to meet its economic and developmental challenges. It is a well-known fact that a major impediment towards progress in this regard is the state of school-level science education in South Africa, characterized by a lack of qualified teachers who can teach science with the necessary competence. Furthermore, a lack of adequate resources required for effective teaching of science exacerbates the high rate of failure amongst science learners.
Osizweni’s programmes are currently implemented in the Gert Sibande Region of the Mpumalanga Province. “We have been tremendously successful in turning ‘F’s into ‘C’s and ‘C’s into ‘A’s”, commented Dr. Rufus Wesi of Osizweni. “In fact, many of the tutors currently engaged by Osizweni to assist in our programmes are former beneficiaries of the NGO and are currently studying towards BSc and similar degrees.”
The mobile science laboratory has been colourfully branded so as to appeal to learners. It is also fitted with all of the apparatus and basic chemicals required to perform the full range of experiments that high school learners need for the physical science curricula. “Dow Southern Africa is delighted to be able to support Osizweni’s efforts in this way as we are passionate about science and we also understand that the country and the chemical industry’s need for such interventions is critical,” commented Dow’s Ms. Sazi Lutseke.
VWS Envig completes chloride removal plant for Mondi
VWS Envig, part of the global Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies group, recently completed a chloride removal plant for Mondi Richards Bay Mill. The mill produces bleached hardwood pulp and white top Kraft linerboard.
The project was awarded through tender and is valued at over R21-million and included the design, manufacture, construction verification, and commissioning of the plant. The chloride removal plant was needed due to elevated levels of chloride and potassium in the mill’s recovery cycle.
According to Cobus Olivier, VWS Envig Project Manager, this occurs in the Kraft recovery cycle as a result of chloride and potassium becoming enriched in the flue gas dust from the recovery boiler. “The process becomes steadily less efficient in this way because these elements decrease the melting point of the dust, referred to as the sticky ash temperature. This leads to plugging of the boiler and results in capacity loss and corrosion.”
The existing method for removing the elements involved dumping precipitator ash from the cycle. However, soda was being lost in the process and led to increased costs in replacing the soda. “We provided a more effective method. The chloride removal plant processes dissolved precipitator ash, which is the ideal stage in the recovery loop to effectively purge potassium and chloride, thereby increasing the sticky ash temperature and increasing boiler availability,” says Olivier.
The dissolved ash solution consists mainly of sodium sulphate at near saturation concentration. The plant recovers this valuable item while rejecting potassium and chlorides.
“This is accomplished through crystallisation technology supplied by our sister company, HPD Technology. This system, CRP™ (chloride removal process), was developed by HPD Technology and is designed specifically for applications such as these.”
The CRP system consists of various steps, including dissolution of ash, crystallisation of sodium sulphate, dewatering of the pure sodium sulphate crystals and re-dissolution of crystals in intermediate black liquor for reprocessing.
Commissioning was completed July 2008 with an accompanying decrease in boiler ash chloride content from above 7 percent to below 3.5 percent on mass basis, and potassium content has also reduced from above 5 percent to less than 3 percent on a mass basis.
“The plant is fully operational and processes 5 tons per hour of dry ash,” concludes Olivier.
Johnson Controls and FirstRand Bank Limited sign agreement under Clinton Climate Initiative
First CCI agreement in South Africa expected to significantly reduce energy consumption
Johnson Controls, Inc. (NYSE: JCI), the global multi-industrial leader in creating energy efficient environments, has entered into a project development agreement (PDA) with FirstRand Bank Limited. This represents the first agreement signed in South Africa under the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), as well as the first energy performance contract in South Africa that will not follow the shared savings mechanism, reinforcing that energy efficiency has never been more important than it is now.
CCI's Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program brings together many of the world's largest cities, real estate firms, financial institutions and energy service companies in a landmark effort to reduce energy consumption in existing buildings across the municipal, institutional, commercial, private, educational and public housing sectors. Under the agreement, Johnson Controls will perform energy efficiency audits and retrofits in three buildings - one in Johannesburg and two in Randburg initially, with the potential of adding more in the future.
"The PDA allows Johnson Controls to research existing equipment, products and processes and make recommendations to implement more efficient and affordable energy saving solutions," said Jose Fernandez, business area operations manager at Johnson Controls in South Africa. "With plans to use an established and proven procurement model known as performance contracting, FirstRand would be able to significantly save energy and reduce their utility costs and carbon footprint, while using those savings to repay the project capital investment over the term of the contract, without increasing the bank's operating budget. In other words, funds that would normally pay for monthly utility (electric and gas) expenses will be redirected to repay the capital investment on the project."
"With this project we are aiming to prove that the concept is possible to put into practice, and that such a large organization is able to become more energy efficient," says Branko Burazin, property category manager at FNB Shared Services. "We chose to use Johnson Controls' services not only because they are one of the only companies in South Africa to offer energy performance contracting, but because they have a proven track record in South Africa and globally."
