Browsing by Author "Melamu, Rethabile"

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    Hydrogen as an energy product from agriculturally produced sugars and starches in South Africa
    (2008) Melamu, Rethabile; Von Blottnitz, Harro
    Bio-fuels have a significant role to play in the South African energy economy. They have a potential to impact positively on the quality of life of a large number of people while providing environmental gains geared at addressing environmental challenges such as global warming. Technologies to produce bio-fuels are well established and processes mature, however energy yields are low to modest in relation to land used. More efficient technologies, the so called ‘second generation bio-fuels technologies’ are being developed in response to this challenge. On a parallel track, research to enable the ‘hydrogen economy’ is also being stimulated. This dissertation investigates the potential transfer of a ‘second generation bio-fuel technology’ developed elsewhere into the South African industry. The technology of interest is called Aqueous Phase Reforming (APR) and it is claimed to provide an efficient route for hydrogen production from intermediate process sugar streams.
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    Stakeholder collaboration and learning during the concept design phase of an urban biogas project
    (Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town., 2010) Melamu, Rethabile; Boyd, Anya; Wlokas, Holle L; Roden, Brett C; Austin, Greg; von Blottnitz, Harro
    Anaerobic digestion (AD) of organic matter to produce biogas is a waste management option for waste streams high in organic matter which are unsuitable for thermal treatment. In Africa, the implementation of this technology is slow compared to developed countries, more so in the urban areas in contrast with rural areas. An understanding of factors behind the low rate of implementation of this technology is needed. As a response to this challenge a research group at the University of Cape Town (UCT) set-up a multi-disciplinary team to implement a biogas digester on the UCT campus as a demonstration project. This paper aims at documenting notes on stakeholder collaboration and learning during the concept design phase to implement an urban biogas project. One of the findings of the project thus far is that a significant proportion of time needs to be dedicated to establishing key stakeholders and decision makers. Education, training and good relationship with stakeholders and the technology provider were also found to the important in the concept design of the project.