In light of Earth Day, which is celebrated annually on 22 April, Hennie Heymans of DHL Express says that there is a growing need for South African businesses to place more importance on sustainability and the “greening” of products and services, especially when it comes to their transport requirements.
According to Heymans, the recently-proposed carbon tax, outlined by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in his 2013 Budget address, will influence the industry positively, as it will push many businesses to consider sustainable practices. He adds that when it comes to sustainable transport however, businesses may encounter some challenges.
Heymans explains that in South Africa, “green” vehicles are limited to LPG (liquid petroleum gas), CNG (compressed natural gas) and FEV (full electric vehicle), all of which are very costly to run.
“Although South Africa is gradually catching up to the rest of the world when it comes to sustainable transportation methods, a lot still needs to be addressed in order for businesses to take full advantage of the technology.”
He says that approximately 15-million CNG vehicles are operated worldwide.
“This type of technology has been available in South Africa for a few years, but the vehicle support infrastructure is proving to be very costly and is therefore slowing down the roll out.
“For example, DHL is currently testing a VW Caddy CNG vehicle as part of its South African fleet, but can only perform the test in Isando in Gauteng, as this one of the few locations nationally where a CNG filling station is located.”
He says that the proposed plan is to develop more stations around taxi and industrial nodes in Gauteng, followed by Durban and progressively around the country over the next few years.
“This is a positive step, but until enough stations are available to service a fleet, this type of transportation cannot be used to its full potential by local businesses.”
Heymans says that businesses making use of this type of technology also depend on retro fit technology, which poses a challenge for many companies leasing vehicles because lessors may not want this type of technology installed due to risk.
“Companies that own these vehicles also tend to avoid the technology as their warranties may become void. Although all installations are SABS approved there is still uncertainty, as this technology is in infancy stages South Africa.”
Heymans says that LPG vehicles were tested in South Africa a few years ago and that there are currently refuelling sites situated in certain industrial nodes.
“The challenge experienced with this type of technology is the supply of LPG fuel, especially during winter months.”
He says that DHL have been attempting to import an FEV vehicle since 2012, but have run into difficulties due to the excessive cost of the vehicle and the lack of local support for the technology.
“The dynamics around charging the vehicles and linking them to the relevant power grids also proves to be a challenge.
“The investment will therefore need to include day light harvesting and energy storage as an alternative to tapping into our inadequate power grids. The fuel cells are also a challenge due to limited time that the batteries can store energy. However, this is a worldwide problem and is not limited to only South Africa.”
Heymans says that due to the lack of technology available to South African businesses, sustainable transport is still very limited.
“Currently, due to the limited resources, support and fuel available many businesses are forced to use older and less efficient technology.
“This should change in the foreseeable future as technology improves and becomes more accessible, especially to emerging economies such as South Africa. It is crucial however, that local businesses continue to stay abreast of changes in fuel efficiency technologies and continue to seek alternative, eco-friendly ways of managing their transport requirements,” Heymans says.
According to Heymans, the recently-proposed carbon tax, outlined by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in his 2013 Budget address, will influence the industry positively, as it will push many businesses to consider sustainable practices. He adds that when it comes to sustainable transport however, businesses may encounter some challenges.
Heymans explains that in South Africa, “green” vehicles are limited to LPG (liquid petroleum gas), CNG (compressed natural gas) and FEV (full electric vehicle), all of which are very costly to run.
“Although South Africa is gradually catching up to the rest of the world when it comes to sustainable transportation methods, a lot still needs to be addressed in order for businesses to take full advantage of the technology.”
He says that approximately 15-million CNG vehicles are operated worldwide.
“This type of technology has been available in South Africa for a few years, but the vehicle support infrastructure is proving to be very costly and is therefore slowing down the roll out.
“For example, DHL is currently testing a VW Caddy CNG vehicle as part of its South African fleet, but can only perform the test in Isando in Gauteng, as this one of the few locations nationally where a CNG filling station is located.”
He says that the proposed plan is to develop more stations around taxi and industrial nodes in Gauteng, followed by Durban and progressively around the country over the next few years.
“This is a positive step, but until enough stations are available to service a fleet, this type of transportation cannot be used to its full potential by local businesses.”
Heymans says that businesses making use of this type of technology also depend on retro fit technology, which poses a challenge for many companies leasing vehicles because lessors may not want this type of technology installed due to risk.
“Companies that own these vehicles also tend to avoid the technology as their warranties may become void. Although all installations are SABS approved there is still uncertainty, as this technology is in infancy stages South Africa.”
Heymans says that LPG vehicles were tested in South Africa a few years ago and that there are currently refuelling sites situated in certain industrial nodes.
“The challenge experienced with this type of technology is the supply of LPG fuel, especially during winter months.”
He says that DHL have been attempting to import an FEV vehicle since 2012, but have run into difficulties due to the excessive cost of the vehicle and the lack of local support for the technology.
“The dynamics around charging the vehicles and linking them to the relevant power grids also proves to be a challenge.
“The investment will therefore need to include day light harvesting and energy storage as an alternative to tapping into our inadequate power grids. The fuel cells are also a challenge due to limited time that the batteries can store energy. However, this is a worldwide problem and is not limited to only South Africa.”
Heymans says that due to the lack of technology available to South African businesses, sustainable transport is still very limited.
“Currently, due to the limited resources, support and fuel available many businesses are forced to use older and less efficient technology.
“This should change in the foreseeable future as technology improves and becomes more accessible, especially to emerging economies such as South Africa. It is crucial however, that local businesses continue to stay abreast of changes in fuel efficiency technologies and continue to seek alternative, eco-friendly ways of managing their transport requirements,” Heymans says.