MechChem Africa February 2018

Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions South Africa is a highly qualified, quality- orientated company, which has the technology and the equipment to build a complete plant, and also has the capabilities to identify specific areas where improvements to ageing plants and optimisation of processes, systems and equipment are possible. The company looks for ways to make its customers smarter throughout the production process. Closing the loop in Africa’s sugar industry

A frica produces around 10-mil- lion tons of sugar per season and imports an additional two million tons tomeet demand. SouthAfrica, Swaziland and Mozambique are the three main players in the sugar industry in the sub- Saharan region. Stretching across the provinces of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal with some small production in the Eastern Cape, South Africa’s R12-billion sugar industry consistently ranks in the top 15 out of some 120 sugar-producing countries worldwide, producing an average of 2.2-million tons of sugar per season. There are approximately 24 000 registered sugarcane growers in the country. Sugar ismanufactured by around six milling companies with some 14 sugar mills operating in the local cane-growing regions.  “But the full potential of the SouthAfrican sugar industry can only be extracted if the numerous challenges facing this sector are addressed,” cautions Dayalan Padayachee, senior business development manager, thys- senkrupp Industrial Solutions South Africa. “This is an ageing industry using old technolo-

gies that nega- tively impact plant reliability and throughput

– with subsequent cost implications.

Additionally, as a result of the protracted drought, the industry is dealingwith theworst

Above: An assembly of centrifugal machines that separate sugar crystals from the surrounding molasses or syrup using centrifugal force. Left: A thyssenkrupp shredder design used for cane preparation before the extraction process begins. tion, present further challenges for the local sugar manufacturing industry. In addressing these challenges sugarmanufacturers simply have to find ways to keep up throughput, maintain productivity and optimise in all areas while reducing input costs, according to Padayachee. This is where thyssenkrupp, a highly qualified, quality-orientated company, steps in as the perfect sugar technology solutions partner. “We have the technology and the equipment to build a complete plant, from feasibility studies right through to commis- sioning, but we also have the capabilities to identify specific areas where improvements to ageing plants and optimisation of pro- cesses, systems and equipment are possible. Our approach is to look for ways to make our customers smarter throughout the produc- tion process, with our main focus on energy conservation, water treatment, steam and plant optimisation, as well as energy/mass balance expertise.” “One can also diversify excess sugar into biochemicals such as Poly Lactic Acid, where thyssenkrupp can offer support with its technology and execute the project on a turnkey basis,“ adds Padayachee. The water that is used during the crushing of the cane is used as heating vapours during the process. Water losses occur through molasses, filter cake, bagasse, etc. According to Padayachee, the balance of untreated water can be effectively treated

cane harvest in a decade with subsequent drops in cane quality and volumes that ad- versely affect throughput.” Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions South Africa combines local knowledge with global expertise to bring turnkey technology and equipment solutions that will promote the sustainability and profitability of the sugar industry in the sub-Saharan African region. The company offers market, feasibility and engineering studies as well as complete EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction) services. The rapid changes in environmental leg- islation over the past decade with strict laws regulating greenhouse emissions and waste water as well as the sugar tax on consump-

Thyssenkrupp’s advanced technology focuses on reliability, productivity and safety of products and equipment. Shown here is a continuous vacuum pan used for growing sugar crystals during processing.

18 ¦ MechChem Africa • February 2018