Business Successes

SOUTH AFRICA

Passport to Export scheme helps to cement South African deal

APS Environmental has recently provided extensive design services for two emission control systems at the First National Battery (FNB) manufacturing plant in East London, South Africa. Worth £15,000 to APS, the

contract was an exclusive agreement with Polytech Plastic Engineering (PPE), based in Johannesburg, to provide design services and project management skills on air pollution control projects. The overall contract value to PPE was Rand 1.5 million. Contact between APS Environmental

and Polytech was initially made through another UK-based company where APS chemical engineer David Foxen had worked. Strengthening of the relationship, which led to an agency agreement between the two parties, was assisted by fi nance and support through the UKTI’s Passport to Export scheme. Mr Foxen fi rst heard about the

Passport to Export scheme in Slovenia. He was approached by UKTI to speak on a two-day environmental services visit to Slovenia and Slovakia, representing air pollution control technologies to various companies in those countries. During the visit, a member of UKTI staff suggested that the Passport to Export scheme might be a good method by which to kick start an approach by APS to companies overseas. Specifi cally, several trips were

supported by UKTI during the period

from 2006 to 2008. These visits were to provide sales and technical support to PPE during meetings with customers such as First National Battery, Anglo Platinum, GIC Scientifi c, and other industrial sites involved in the mining of precious metals and stones. Sites visited included works in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and East London. First National Battery is a reputable

manufacturer of truck and HGV batteries and related components. The production process for the electrochemical plates in the battery uses lead, which involves the machining and curing of components. This results in dust and odorous emissions, requiring the ventilation of and extraction from the various processes and machining areas. Two separate process areas within

the factory required dedicated extraction and air pollution control systems. Each system can treat up to 70,000m3

/h of waste air with wet

‘venturi’ scrubbing/dust separation technology. Recent emissions testing data demonstrate that both scrubbing systems comply with the South African regulations for this specifi c process. At the design phase, it was

requested that the system should comply with (as a minimum) existing UK/EU standards for control of lead particulate to the atmosphere (less than two mg/m3

). The pre-order

selection process included a review of the process operations and existing Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35