Balancing the
3Ps at Saiccor Mill
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Prosperity |
Project Vulindlela, our ZAR2.7 billion expansion project at Saiccor Mill, which was approximately 40% complete at year end, will boost the mill’s dissolving wood pulp (DWP) capacity by 110,000 tpa (for global textile markets). A further ZAR5 billion has been allocated for upgrade projects to decrease production costs, introduce new technology, optimise processes, reduce environmental footprint and future-proof manufacturing systems at Saiccor Mill.
Verve, our umbrella brand for DWP, is used by converters to manufacture a wide range of products, but is especially widely used in the production of viscose staple fibre for the manufacture of clothing and textiles.
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People |
The construction phase of the project is expected to peak at about 2,200 employees, 40% of whom will be sourced from local communities, 40% from KwaZulu-Natal, 15% from within South Africa and 5% as specialists from foreign countries. Once completed – anticipated in September 2020 – the plant will require 120 full-time employees to maintain and operate equipment. (See Investing in community skills for details of the Skills Centre at the mill.)
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Planet |
The project’s significant environmental benefits include:
- Coal consumption reducing by more than 130,000 tpa, which means fossil carbon emissions will be halved
- Gaseous emissions decreasing by about 40%
- Water consumption being reduced by 5%
- Water use efficiency increasing by 17%
- Energy efficiency being improved by 10% and renewable-energy use increasing by 20%
- Waste to landfill reducing by about 50%.
Shared value impact
- Cost savings attributable to Vulindlela are expected to be at least ZAR300 million a year, while foreign currency generated by Saiccor’s increased capacity will initially be about ZAR1.3 billion a year and could peak at ZAR1.8 billion. This will benefit South Africa to the amount of approximately ZAR1 billion yearly, with expenditure in KwaZulu-Natal accounting for 65% of this amount
- Skills development and employment
- Environmental benefits.