MechChem Africa June 2019

TheAustrianAmbassador officially launched two of the largest sub-Saharan solar systems in Johannesburg on 15 May 2019. These SOLTRAIN projects, a district heating plant for Wits University residences and a solar process heat plant for the Klein Karoo International (KKI) tannery, will save millions in energy costs over the lifetime of the plants. Impressive new solar heat systems save millions

S OLTRAIN- SouthernAfricanSolar Ther- mal Training and Demonstration Initia- tive in South Africa – is managed by the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies at Stellenbosch University, and the South African National Energy Develop- ment Institute (SANEDI), in partnership with AEE-Institute for SustainableTechnologies (AEE INTEC) from Austria. It is a regional initiative on capacity building and a demonstration of solar thermal systems in the SADC region. It is funded by the Austrian Development Agency and co-funded by the OPEC Fund for International Development. The launch followed the fourth SOLTRAIN Conference, held on 14 May 2019 in South Africa, for all SADCproject partners andopened for free attendance to the solar sector. Dr Karen Surridge, Centre Manager, Renewable Energy Centre of Research & Development, SANEDI says, “SANEDI is de- lighted to be associated with such landmark developments that put the SOLTRAIN projects firmly on the renewables table. The successful conference we held with SOLTRAIN partners indicates the relevance of this highly successful programme for the SADC renewable energy strategy and the development in successful sys- tems across six countries.” Wits Junction The Wits Junction district heating project com- bines solar, co-generation and gas heating tech- nologies,servicing14studentresidencebuildings with hot water from one centralised hot water plantroom.Theinstallationincludes600m 2 solar heating plant with 10m 2 Austrian collectors. There are 1 103 students in the 14 buildings,

with an average consumption of 94 000 ℓ of hot water per day. Peak demand is in the morning, averaging 30% of daily consumption, with a maximum demand of 28 200 ℓ in an hour. The system supplies the entire hot water demand, including kitchens, laundry, cleaning and other domestic uses. Each student has his or her own kitchen and there are some centralised service rooms for cleaning staff. Since the system was commissioned, the complaints of not havinghotwater have reduced by 98%. The estimated costs savings are R40 million over the next 20 years and already the University has seen substantial electricity sav- ings over the trial period of eightmonths. As the electricity cost fromthe co-generator is equal to municipalcost,thethermalenergyisfreeandthe centralisedplant requires a lot lessmaintenance intervention, hence less costs. Klein Karoo tannery The KKI tannery section has installed a 600 m 2 solar collector system to reduce costs and increase competitiveness, since fuel costs are highly volatile, and to move its production to a more renewable base. StellenboschUniversity approached various tanneries for process heat application viabilities and this tannery was the most forthcoming and had the budget to contribute to the study. The process heat infrastructure is an oil burner and the feasibility study design was such that the solar would displace the local fuel, indicated as 60% solar fraction. Stellenbosch University predictedapaybackof six andahalf years, based on a financial model analysis fromthe feasibility study, which includesmaintenance, financecosts and all system related expenses. q

Wits Junction Solar panels from drone view. Inset: Presentation Board Display in the plant.

June 2019 • MechChem Africa ¦ 23