| This amazing technology produces ethanol from | | | | free of weeds and is an excellent source of food |
| green waste including household grass and leaves, | | | | for plants. Compost is a well traded commodity |
| unlike existing technologies which are currently | | | | and various blends of chemicals can be added to |
| influencing food supplies across the globe by | | | | produce fertiliser, which can be used by the |
| producing ethanol from sugarcane, maize, corn | | | | council and the public. Incentives to separate |
| and switch-grass. Calls from the United Nations to | | | | garden refuse from municipal solid waste (MSW) |
| ban the production of ethanol from food crops | | | | could be introduced, for example, a free bag of |
| are currently under discussion, which makes this | | | | compost for every ton of garden refuse |
| discovery even more significant. | | | | delivered. It can be also be utilised to grow more |
| This process extracts ethanol through a | | | | feedstock, making the entire process completely |
| fermentation process, and takes less than 24 | | | | renewable. |
| hours to complete, producing ethanol (95%) and | | | | Due to the constant and economical production |
| compost. Many different plant species were | | | | cost of this process, I predict that it will take the |
| tested during the experimental phase, and yields | | | | world by storm! Besides the pressure of using |
| of between 40% and 80% for ethanol and | | | | food crops to produce ethanol while people are |
| between 60% and 70% for compost were | | | | starving, existing technologies also have other |
| recorded. This ground-breaking achievement was | | | | negative factors which influence the price. Firstly, |
| developed by Morangaphanda Technologies | | | | they obtain feedstock at a variable cost, and |
| (Moratech), based in South Africa. The company | | | | secondly, they have to incur costs for the |
| was founded by Wessel Roux and Daniel Mogano, | | | | harvesting and transportation of such feedstock. |
| and is a leading developer of new renewable | | | | Major such existing processing plants are found in |
| energy technologies. | | | | the United States and Brazil. The only major |
| Furthermore, feedstock for the process is plentiful | | | | producer of ethanol in South Africa is Sasol, who |
| and easily accessible! Municipalities are currently | | | | produce it from their Fischer-Tropsch process as |
| investigating ways to divert waste from landfill | | | | a by-product, at an estimated 110 million gallons of |
| sites due to capacity problems, and currently | | | | ethanol per annum. New entrants into the market |
| have to incur costly tipper fees for waste | | | | like Ethanol Africa are finding it difficult to be |
| removal. The significance of this technology is that | | | | economically viable at the current maize price. The |
| all the green waste which is currently dumped in | | | | major sugar producers are planning to build an |
| abundance at municipal landfill sites, can be utilised | | | | ethanol plant that will utilise the sugarcane waste. |
| and converted into ethanol, ethanol-gel and | | | | The risk is that if more sugarcane is planted to |
| compost. The average person generates 200 | | | | feed the ethanol production, it may negatively |
| grams of garden refuse each day, so the refuse | | | | influence the price of sugar which is the primary |
| of a mere 5,000 people amounts to a ton of | | | | focus of these producers. |
| green waste per day! | | | | Other current renewable energy projects by |
| The ethanol yield per ton of green waste is 500 | | | | Moratech include the CO2 to Methanol project. |
| litres. Ethanol is widely traded in the world, and is | | | | With the threat of global warming looming over |
| in demand at refineries for blending with fuel (E15 | | | | us, we need to use technology to reduce the |
| contains 15% ethanol), and other users include the | | | | amount of CO2 in the air. Their technology uses |
| pharmaceutical and food industries. A targeted | | | | CO2 gas and hydrogen to produce methanol |
| 8% ethanol blend to petrol by the DME will | | | | which is used by the chemical industry. The main |
| increase the demand in South Africa. The | | | | benefactors of this technology will be coal-fired |
| international market has also increased the | | | | power stations and large emitters of carbon |
| targeted blend. Currently the global production is | | | | dioxide. Carbon credits can also be claimed for the |
| 36 billion litres. This is projected to increase to 210 | | | | reduction of CO2 gas. Future renewable energy |
| billion litres by 2030. | | | | projects by Moratech include the |
| The flammable ethanol-gel is a safer substitute for | | | | Waste-to-Electricity and Heat-to-Electricity |
| paraffin, and is also coloured to prevent accidental | | | | projects. |
| swallowing of the product by children. It provides | | | | I believe in promoting innovative products and |
| more cost-effective energy solutions to the | | | | services which provide sustainability and good |
| underdeveloped portion of the community. | | | | value for money, and this is definitely one of |
| The compost generated from the plant material is | | | | them. Bravo Moratech! |