Biotechnology
A high-yielding plant is being cultivated in Mafikeng to produce biofuel.
The need for the development of biofuels as an alternative to fossil-burning fuels is becoming obvious, and North West Province is among the leaders in rolling out alternatives. Biofuel is the term given to the new generation of fuels made from plant materials and their various oils and sugars. Essentially, biofuel is fuel that is derived from a renewable source, is easy to obtain, and is environmentally friendly. The benefits of biofuel include lower emissions and running costs, reduced visible smoke and generally cleaner fuel.
A new set of national government guidelines has seen the emphasis in this nascent industry shift towards finding fuel stock from crops that are less likely to affect food security, like sugar cane, sugar beet, canola and sunflower seeds.
Sunflower seeds are very suitable for converting into biofuel and the North West has an abundance of this crop. Sweet sorghum is a possible feedstock for processing into bio-ethanol.
Mafikeng’s Industrial Development Zone (MIDZ) is the site of the province’s major project. The North West Provincial Government made R4.7-million available for the establishment of a nursery and research, especially for the possible use of Jatropha curcas, Moringa oleifera, Ximenia and Pappea capensis. The Barolong Boora Tshidi Traditional Authority donated the land for the nursery. The Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality supplied the water pump.
Moringa oleifera was chosen as the preferred plant because it is indigenous, highyielding, resistant to drought and grows quickly.
In 2007, the Mafikeng biodiesel project was relaunched to supply saplings of oilbearing trees to be used as an alternative fuel source, specifically to produce biodiesel. The MIDZ managed to secure the services of German consortium (GUB Ingenieur) to conduct a technical and economic evaluation. The report indicates how the project needs to be managed. GUB is seeking further foreign funding for the continuation of the project.
Accommodation is available for postgraduate students researching renewable energy. There is an opportunity for investors to become involved in the establishment of an in-vitro laboratory.
