HERALD, 28 January 2014

NMMU project converts coal dust into fuel ROUNDBREAKING research in biofuels has been described as an innovative way of turning a nuisance into a gold field.

Details of the technology were revealed by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University(NMMU) yesterday.

The department's deputy director-general of research, development and innovation, Mmboneni Muofhe, yesterday lauded the team involved in the project, which could turn tons of coal dust wasted in South Africa and elsewhere into high-quality and commercially viable fuels.

"It is an exciting day here in Port Elizabeth. This day goes down in the history of science in this country as a day of celebrating renewable energy's development potential.

"It is important to note that when you invest in research and development, you actually don't know what the outcomes will be and in most cases, when you set out with a specific plan, you end up with a completely different project. But unless we invest in R&D [research and development], we are not going to have those kinds of happy accidents. As a department we are looking forward to continuing to invest in R&D."

The pioneering technology, called Coalgae, was publicly demonstrated at a prestigious event attended by the director-general, NMMU vice-chancellor Professor Derrick Swartz, deputy vice-chancellor Thoko Mayekiso and a number of academics and business leaders.

Coalgae was developed by NMMU and is part of the DST's late generation biofuels demonstration programme.

Together with making whole coal from the dust, Coalgae can also be used to produce a high-quality bio-fossil crude oil, which can be used to form petrol, diesel/kerosene, aviation fuel and heavy fuel oil.

Muofhe said the exciting thing about the project was that the knowledge developed was ready to be taken out of the lab.

"One of the biggest challenges has always been and still is how do we move from the lab and move towards innovation and technology commercialisation?"

He said cleaning up the environment was a bonus of the project.

"This project is turning that nuisance [of coal dust] into a gold field."

Muofhe said they had invested close to R20-million in the project through the Technology Innovation Agency.

Swartz, in his welcoming address, said the project was about finding more efficient ways of using existing technologies and raw materials and intensifying its yield for purposes of driving the economy.

"The remarkable thing is that they discovered the end uses of this technology by chance and that suggests something about science in the world, on why we spend so much money on what we call blue sky research. Things for which we do not know all the outcomes going in."

Swartz said this was a perfect example of one of those projects where by accident, NMMU chemistry professor Ben Zeelie discovered the application of microalgae as binding material to coal dust and liquification of it into high grade fuels that can be commercialised."

Swartz said this was the kind of science that NMMU wanted to develop and promote in the next few years.

-With kind permission of the Herald