Sunshine Seedlings Services, together with Renen Energy solutions, have formed Midlands Biogas and Fertiliser.

The project begun in early 2017, and the aim of the development is to create a renewable energy supply i.e. Methane gas from kraal manure to supply the nursery and the farming operation. The gas will be used to: heat water in a boiler, generate electricity for the nursery or be used for staff cooking. The advantages of using a renewable energy are fixed cost escalation, it’s environmentally friendly and it can be cost effective.

The project is unique in that there are seven different types of renewable technology generation on show. Just to list a few: biogas, PV solar panels, pellet boilers and solar thermal panels.

The biogas plant will not only bring the electricity costs down in the nursery, but will also generate a high quality nitrate-filled compost that will be bagged and sold through a BEE company.  A liquid fertiliser will also be a waste product from the digester. This will also be nutrient enriched and will be used in the farming operation.

Another unique feature of the plant is that it utilises old shipping containers 20ft and 40ft. The technology we have used is novel to South Africa (and Africa). It was developed in the US and we bought the IP rights to build it. So, it is almost entirely made of locally available, recycled materials. The idea is that the whole project is the blue print for future projects, and can be duplicated on any site. The current project is set to reduce the nurseries reliance on electricity, and within the next few years, to reduce its reliance on commercially available electricity by half.

We are open to visitors and interested parties coming through the plant.

Source: Sunshine Seedlings