WINDHOEK – In support of its commitment to, and passion for environmental sustainability, Pick n Pay (PnP) Namibia, a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group, recently signed a contract with BEE (Be Energy Efficient) Biofuel Manufacturing to safely dispose of all its used cooking oil (UCO).
BEE Biofuel Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd is a 100 percent Namibian-owned company established in May 2015 and operational since January 2016 and is the largest biofuel operation in Namibia. At full capacity BEE can produce 600 000 litres of biofuel per month, making it one of the largest such entities in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
BEE manufactures second-generation biofuel in Namibia to blend with petroleum-based fuel, and eventually intends to replace petroleum-based fuel to reduce carbon emissions in line with the government’s Vision 2030.
“Reusing cooking oil is common practice, but it can pose some serious health hazards. In addition to having strange flavours and odours, reused, rancid oil contains cancer-causing properties to both humans and animals. Reused cooking oil has been associated with an increased risk of stroke, atherosclerosis, elevated levels of LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol), Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and various liver diseases. It is therefore ill-advised to sell or supply used cooking oil for further consumption. Other practices include using UCO to add to animal feedstock, which carry the same risks,” said managing director of BEE Biofuel Manufacturing, Bruce Salt.
According to Salt, BEE uses all UCO in the production of non-food products, i.e. biodiesel, soaps, compost, etc. In accordance with environmental regulations – with a valid certificate of safe disposal – BEE Biofuel offers the safe disposal of UCO.
PnP Namibia in turn purchases the manufactured biodiesel from BEE for use in its diesel ovens to bake bread.
Manager: projects and maintenance, PnP Namibia, Jost Pfafferott: “We started testing the product (biodiesel by BEE) in one of our stores on 30 September 2019, and after one month of successful testing, we started with rollout to other stores, followed by the first delivery of biodiesel oil to PnP early November in Okahandja. The rest of the stores with diesel ovens (Keetmanshoop, Katima Mulilo, Olunkono, Oshikango, Oshakati and Outapi) will start ordering biodiesel once the logistics have been finalised.”
PnP Namibia marketing manager, Victoria Moller: “PnP Namibia is very passionate about, and committed to environmental sustainability, and this initiative speaks directly to the O&L purpose of ‘Creating a future, Enhancing Life’. Through the safe disposal of UCO from our store-kitchens and turning it into something useful, we hope in turn to contribute to a safer and healthier environment, while at the same time supporting BEE – a proudly Namibian establishment, passionate about environmental sustainability.”
According to Salt, upcycling raw material such as waste vegetable oil and waste animal oil and transforming it into renewable second-generation biofuel decreases the dependence on foreign fossil fuels.
“This means we can bring innovative technologies and an unlimited supply of energy sources without damaging and polluting the environment. Product testing and development led to viable applications for the market that meet the needs of environmentally conscious clients who want to be ahead of global trends without sacrificing profit margins,” Salt said.