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Green Transport Taking off in SA!

Tuesday, 07 July 2009 13:23

The South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI) is hosting a Green Transport Programme. The programme is aimed at showcasing green transport technology options during the 2010 Football World Cup and beyond.

To date, five projects have been identified under this programme: Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) refuelling demonstration Impact of LPG on the environment compared to petrol: engines run quieter and cleaner; LPG is a clean-burning fuel and has lower green-house gas (GHG) emissions than other fossil fuels; LPG burns cleanly with no soot and very few sulphur emissions.

Biofuels refuelling demonstration Impact of biodiesel on the environment compared to normal petroleum diesel: total unburned hydrocarbons emissions drop by 20-67%; carbon monoxide emissions drop by 12-48%; particulate matter emissions drop by 12-47%; sulphate emissions drop between 20-100%; biodiesel is biodegradable. Impact of bio-ethanol on the environment compared to normal petrol: compared to conventional unleaded gasoline, ethanol is a particulate-free burning fuel source that combusts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, water and aldehydes (alcohol dehydro-genates); bio-ethanol GHG savings compared to petrol amount to 87-96% for sugar cane and 10-20% for maize/corn. Hydrogen refuelling demonstration Environmental impact of hydrogen vehicles: no harmful emissions as the chemical reaction results in the production of water.

Electric vehicle charging demonstration Environmental impact of electric vehicles: these vehicles produce no carbon emissions. According to national statistics, there are 12 600 MW available off-peak. Compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling demonstration Impact of CNG on the environment compared to petroleum fuels: CNG is a clean-burning alternative; it has a lower cost of production and storage compared to liquefied natural gas (LNG) as it does not require an expensive cooling process and cryogenic tank; harmful greenhouse gas emissions are considerably reduced. Focusing on green transport The South African Government is playing a leading role in preparing for the showcasing of green transport technology options during the 2010 Football World Cup.

In South Africa, transport fuels make up to 30% of energy consumption (by energy content) and 70% by value. (Biofuels Industrial Strategy, DME, 2007.) This points to the transport sector as an important energy sector to consider. By demonstrating the use of environmentally friendly transport fuels, South Africa could add impetus to global efforts to decouple the environmental impacts of transport from economic growth. Demonstration plans "Demonstrations will take place as early as October this year, leading up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup in June 2010," comments Dr. Zwanani Maine, Programme Manager: Green Transport Technologies. Beyond 2010, the demonstration stations and vehicles will be used as a model for national roll-out.

SANERI green transport plan will comprise a tri-pronged focus: on- and off-site projects and public participation. Proposed Work Streams - Electric Vehicles - CNG Refueling - LPG Refueling - Biofuels Refueling CNG Refueling in JHB Green Cab Demon in CT Biodiesel Refueling in CT • Quarterly Newsletter • Promotional Material • Exhibitions • Training/Workshops CNG takes the lead To date, the CNG refuelling demonstration is planned to be deployed and demonstrated by the end of this year. "Whilst petrol fuels are satisfactory, and we will plan for these, alternate fuels are needed to combat a liquid fuels shortage." In the short term, sources of fuel supply could include direct tapping from existing gas networks. In the long term, however, it is desirable to use biogas and/or hythane for the refuelling of vehicles.