sunflower power for free state town
31 January 2008

Moqhaka local municipality in northern Free State - which includes Kroonstad - is to build a R350m biofuel power station in partnership with the renewable energy company Bio-Energy Africa , in an effort to avert power cuts in the area.  Like most of SA, Kroonstad has been affected by power cuts that have left businesses and homes in the dark, and caused water shortages in the area as electric pumps were cut off.

The project has two phases. The municipality would first bring back on line a 30MW old coal-fired power station in Kroonstad.  Bio-Energy CEO Jock Camarinha said this part of the project would be completed in 10 months.  The next phase would be the development of a 200MW biopower plant on the site. The total cost was estimated at R350m.
The power station would generate electricity using "leftovers" from sunflower plants.

Camarinha said the use of sunflowers would have no effect on food security or food prices.  "This renewable energy project may form a model for communities elsewhere to harness the resources in their surroundings."

He said the municipality and Bio-Energy were negotiating a purchase agreement with Eskom -- the only entity with electricity distributing rights.  Municipal manager Mokete Duma said the biofuel power station would need about 800ha of sunflowers a month to operate. The municipality had met local farmers and asked them to increase sunflower production.

Audrey Dobbins, a researcher with Sustainable Energy Africa, said while biofuel would assist the municipality to deal with the power cuts, her preferred solution was solar water heating.

Sibongakonke Shoba, www.allafrica.com