Life cycle assessment of a coal-fired old thermal power plant

This paper discusses a life cycle analysis of a thermal power plant to quantify environmental impacts of thermal power production at an old power plant. Coal is used in electricity generation worldwide and many power plants in developing countries are very old. Knowing the life cycle environmental impacts of such power plants is very important since they produce a lot of greenhouse gases. This paper develops life cycle inventories for an old power plant in Africa and identifies ways to minimize coal consumption for the same capacity of power output. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was done for the power plant. The emitted carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides and solid waste have adverse effects on flora, fauna, water bodies and humans. A number of environmental metrics were obtained for the thermal power plant and these form the basis for future comparative and extended studies

The energy and environmental impacts of a coal and Bagasse-fired power plant in the sugar industry

This paper presents a thermodynamic model of a proposed firm power plant co-fired with bagasse and coal under South African conditions. It proposes the energy conversion for a 2.5 million tonnes of sugarcane per year sugar factory and demonstrates that a power plant of up to 120 MW can be supported by such a facility. Carbon emissions are quantified and compared to a 120 MW coal only power plant, to establish expected environmental benefits. It demonstrates the technical feasibility of power plant development in the South African sugar industry and contributes to informed decisions on partly renewable energy power plants

Energy management in the South African sugar industry

The South African sugar industry produces sugar and electricity and raw materials for ethanol production among other by-products. The cogeneration of electricity in the sugar industry is linked to energy security and avoided greenhouse gas emissions. Electrical energy and thermal energy are the primary energy types used for sugar processing. This paper identifies energy management best practices necessary to increase the efficiency of the cogeneration processes. Adoption of energy conservation and efficiency measures is imperative for the sugar industry to generate electricity for own use and for export to the national grid. More energy efficient practices save money and reduce coal consumption. Equipment and technological improvements coupled with process design improvements necessary to improve factory energy efficiency are identified. The paper further discusses the bio-energy role and potential in the South African sugar industry with a view to inform decision making and advise government policies

Humanitarian logistics : review and case study of Zimbabwean experiences

This paper reviews and presents findings on mini-case studies done on the difficulties and problems faced by humanitarian organisations in running logistics systems in Zimbabwe. Document analysis was done and this was complemented by mini-case studies and semi-structured interviews and site visits

ISO 14001 certification in Zimbabwe : experiences, problems and prospects

The need for sustainable development has become paramount, whereby there is a need to satisfy the needs of today, without compromising the needs of tomorrow with the aim of improving the quality of life now and in future. Environmental management systems need to be integrated into the overall management systems in order for society to develop in a sustainable manner. ISO 14001 has the effective elements for such an environmental management system. It is systematic structured, effective and verifiable. This paper examines the implementation of ISO 14001 in Zimbabwe and the response from various organisations to standardisation

Bagasse energy cogeneration potential in the Zimbabwean sugar industry

The cogeneration of steam and electricity has become the norm in the sugarcane industry worldwide. This process has been taken further to a stage where sugar companies can export a substantial amount of energy to the grid. Mauritius and Reunion Islands have implemented state of the art technology in bagasse energy cogeneration. It is on this basis that the potential for cogeneration in Zimbabwe’s sugar industry is being examined. The findings indicate that it is technically feasible to implement such a project. A full economic and financial feasibility study would still need to be done. Two plants of 105 MW each can be put in place, providing about 517 GWh of clean bagasse firm power to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority

Life cycle energy analysis of environmental management reports in the Japanese automotive industry.

This paper discusses the assessment and comparison of the life cycle energy impacts of paper-based and electronic environmental reports in the Japanese automotive industry. By January 2007, there were 129 031 ISO 14001 certified organisations and an additional 5389 certified to the European eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS). Energy use and the environmental burdens of environmental reporting by these companies, has grown and can no longer be ignored

Operating a railway system within a challenging environment : economic history and experiences of Zimbabwe’s national railways

This paper presents a historical background to the development of the railways in Zimbabwe and then discusses their current state. Besides being a landlocked country in Southern Africa, Zimbabwe has since 2000 been saddled with socio-economic and political challenges which have seen a decline in all economic indices, hence posing some challenges to its railways

Ways to overcome employee resistance in change initiatives

Continuous change in leadership creates instability within the business, and more importantly uncertainty amongst employees, hence the reluctance by employees to readily accept change. There are a myriad of reasons for resistance to change. Change programs such as TQM are required within business to ensure that organisations seek continuous improvement in their operational capabilities. Total quality management refers to three main components, namely customer satisfaction; continuous improvement and employee involvement. This study focuses on the employee resistance to change initiatives as a critical component. The lack of employee involvement potentially results in resistance to change initiatives. In many instances employees will not easily adapt to change. It is therefore important to understand that inadequate or no employee involvement will be a waste of valuable resources for any organisation attempting to implement Total Quality Management initiatives

Comparative analysis of energy impacts of traditional and partly electronic environmental auditing.

This paper does a comparative analysis and assessment of energy impacts of traditional and partly electronic ISO 14001 environmental management system auditing that using videoconferencing systems. The focus is on the Japanese automotive industry. The idea is to quantify the environmental impacts of auditing and resolve the important question on whether or not the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in environmental auditing reduces environmental impacts in ISO 14001 environmental management systems