From coal to biomass in Limpopo, South Africa

At the moment, the citrus farm in Limpopo, South Africa, consumes 10,700 tons of coal per year in order to produce steam for the manufacture of fruit juice. The fruit skins resulting from this process are dried and used as animal feed. Additional coal is needed for the firing of this drying plant. Moreover, the coal must be transported 380 km to the plant site.

The citrus farm is surrounded by immense forests and sawmills. This leads to a large quantity of sawdust and wood waste being available within a radius of 20 km. By purchasing emission certificates, myclimate supports the replacement of the current boilers with a biomass boiler from the Indian firm Thermax. The sawdust and the wood waste of the region are used to heat the boiler, whereby around 18,000 tons of biomass can be burned annually.

In addition to the reduction of the emission of coal particles that are harmful to the climate, the carbon offset project contributes to the improvement of the health of the local population. Since the sawdust is no longer rotting on landfills, methane emissions are prevented, and the air quality is significantly improved. Moreover, through the utilization of the wood waste, jobs are created for the local population; they are hired, for example, to collect the wood waste in the nearby forests. Jobs with long-term perspectives are also created for the transportation of the wood. Further jobs are also created during the four-month construction and the system renovation period.