Consol celebrated the official launch of the new Nigel plant, on 17 November, now the largest, and one of the most environmentally friendly, as well as energy efficient glass manufacturing facilities in Africa.
Eighteen months ago, Consol Glass, began construction of an environmentally efficient, modern, world-class glass manufacturing plant in Nigel, South of Johannesburg. An incredible 1,2 million man-hours were invested into the project, and with the first phase of the factory complete, this is one of those rare instances of a mammoth project completed on time and within budget. The full scope of the project is valued at R1,90 billion and allows for future expansion, while meeting immediate market demands.
The new Nigel N1 furnace will contribute 110 000 tons of capacity to the Consol business, increasing its production capacity by approximately 12 per cent. This equates to an estimated 530 million glass containers per year. A site that is able to facilitate up to six furnaces, Consol's second furnace will take less than nine months to install and commission and will contribute a further 110 000 tons of glass capacity annually. Market demand will determine when this second furnace will be brought online, and like the first furnace, this too will have an output of 400 tons per day.
According to Mike Arnold, Consol Group managing director, the Nigel factory's production capabilities have been designed with flexibility in mind and the technology deployed is capable of producing Consol's complete range of products.
In respect of investment in the area's upliftment, the new Consol plant is already contributing towards development in the greater Nigel area. Growth has been seen in infrastructure, employment and community development projects. 'We have injected an estimated economic contribution of R50-million directly into the greater Nigel area,' says Arnold.
The enormity of the undertaking is unmistakable when reviewing the facts surrounding the project's construction. To level the terrain required moving enough soil to fill 300 Olympic-size swimming pools. Building was initiated using enough bricks to build 30 three-bedroom houses; 16 Olympic pools' worth of concrete and steel that weighed the equivalent of 2 000 medium-size cars was used; and the cladding of the structure utilised metal sheeting that, if laid end-to-end, would form a line 80km long.
In keeping with the recently announced African Green City Index, which ranks Johannesburg as South Africa's greenest city, Consol, investigated the most appropriate Energy Efficient (EE) plant and design for the Consol Nigel Plant. 'Throughout the construction process, an external environmental practitioner monitored the project with regards to the agreed Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and we are very proud that the factory has achieved a clean bill of health,' continues Arnold.
Recycling remains a key internal focus to minimise Consol's demand for raw materials and to optimise energy efficiency. Accordingly the Nigel factory includes a basic cullet processing facility to recycle all waste produced at the site. In addition, the master layout for Nigel includes provision for an external cullet processing plant as part of its future expansion programme.
'We celebrate the fact that we will continue to be in a position to meet future market growth expectations and recognise our strategic partners in facilitating this process. We acknowledge that without the support of the City of Ekurhuleni, this development would never have been realised,' concludes Arnold.
