The new PIB programme 'Solid Biomass Opportunities in South Africa' will take care of the supply of clean energy to South African households, while also supplying biofuels to the Netherlands. Through this programme, a cluster of 5 companies will contribute to the sustainable use of waste wood biomass in South Africa.
On 31 October 2019, the PIB cluster and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency signed their PIB agreement. As well as providing opportunities for Dutch companies, the deal will increase profitability and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
PIB cluster
The PIB cluster consists of the following 5 companies: FinCo Fuel, African Clean Energy, Yilkins, Control Union Certifications B.V. and Futerra Fuels. The coordinator is Partners for Innovation. The cluster will investigate market opportunities in South Africa and increase the Dutch market share.
Affordable, safe and clean energy
The PIB programme focusses on the valorisation of waste wood biomass in South Africa. Thus creating market opportunities to provide services, knowledge and research, technologies and products. The deal also enables the Netherlands to buy sustainable biomass products, such as pellets and biofuels.
The aim is to develop business cases for pellet factories in South Africa. The pellet factories alone provide over 1,000 jobs, an increase in SMEs, 750 MW sustainable energy and a 200,000-ton reduction in CO2 emissions per year. They also provide affordable, clean energy for cooking to around 25,000 households with a low income.
PIB activities
The PIB programme organises trade missions, matchmaking events, knowledge events and assists businesses with participation in trade fairs.
The programme also stimulates the exchange of information between Dutch and South African knowledge institutions. These activities are supported by Holland Branding, in cooperation with the Dutch embassy in Pretoria and the consulate in Cape Town.
The maritime sector is one step closer to clean, emission-free shipping. A collaboration between FincoEnergies and Port of Amsterdam has resulted in a permit for FincoEnergies to supply biomethanol to the maritime sector within the Amsterdam port area.
The advanced biofuel facility, Advanced Methanol Rotterdam (AMR), will convert non-recyclable waste into advanced methanol at the Port of Rotterdam, which will be purchased by FinCo Fuel. Advanced Methanol will achieve the CO2 emission reductions set out in the Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) and the Fit-for-55 package.
Being an independent provider for sustainable energy solutions, we must quickly scale up our impact on the ongoing energy transition. Adding new energy carriers to our sustainable portfolio is important to guide our customers during their CO2-journey to decarbonisation. An energy carrier in which we see a lot of opportunities is electricity. Via our collaboration with EQUANS, international market leader in technical services, we are now able to offer various energy solutions to our customers.
Gane Energy selected FinCo Fuel Group as the first supplier to introduce a (green) methanol-based fuel formulation to reduce greenhouse gases and exhaust emissions. This liquid fuel, Gane Fuel, has been developed for use in new and retrofitted heavy-duty diesel engines. The partnership highlights both companies’ ambitions to deliver climate neutral fuels to meet current and new emissions regulations.