by Wendy Hall, Business Day, Johannesburg via AllAfrica.com
(excerpt)

South African company Evergreen Biofuels is to launch the first large-scale commercial production of biodiesel in South Africa with its refinery in Bethal, Mpumalanga, which will manufacture the environmentally friendly fuel from soya beans.

About 5% of diesel is made up of biofuel, creating a market of 300-million litres a year for biodiesel.

Biodiesel can be used in conventional diesel engines, either as 100% biodiesel or in a blend with normal diesel.

Evergreen Biofuels is a joint venture company between SA Biodiesel Technology, providing the technology, and Kalahari Biodiesel, which is providing the R35m investment for the construction and development of the refinery.

The expected biodiesel production capacity of the project is about 10-million litres a year, according to Evergreen director Adriaan Louw.

The manufacturing process of biodiesel is environmentally friendly and the fuel does not contribute to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Louw said the construction of the Bethal refinery was in the design phase, with production expected to start in May or June of next year.

The capacity of the refinery is tailored to the potential of the farmers in Mpumalanga to produce soya. Most of the soya will be sourced from commercial farmers and will later incorporate the production from black areas.

"While the refinery is to employ 20 people, it will also create a market for agricultural development in previously disadvantaged areas," Louw said.

Complete article at http://allafrica.com/stories/200509130089.html