Page 33 - Logistics News - September - October 2021

C O MPANY NE W S

Baoli electric forklifts for brick manufacturer

Conframat Bricks has become one of the first brick With a complement of 12 diesel forklifts in its fleet,
manufacturers in South Africa to deploy electric forklifts in its Conframat went the electric route as part of its quest for a
brickyard. This follows the company’s recent purchase of three cost-effective materials handling option, given soaring diesel
3.5-ton Baoli electric forklifts from Smith Power Equipment. costs and the costs of running diesel engine forklifts. Electric
forklifts come with far fewer moving components, thus
“Traditionally, an electric forklift would not be used in a lowering maintenance and servicing requirements. Electric
brickyard due to the rough nature of the terrain. However, equipment also eliminates many operating costs in terms
Conframat’s brickyards are fully paved, which allowed the of the fuel and additional lubricants needed for internal
company to put an electric forklift through its paces – with combustion equipment. Thus, electrical forklifts provide a net
great success,” explains Vivian Gravett, Salesperson at Smith capital saving to the customer over their lifetime.
Power Equipment.
Leading-edge electric components were used in the
To prove the viability of running an electric forklift in a development of the Baoli electric range, with the traction and
brick handling application, Conframat initially rented a 2.5-ton lifting motors as well as the electric controller manufactured by
Baoli Electric from Smith Power in February last year to test if Italian company SME. •
the electric version could perform at similar levels to its diesel
counterparts.

Hannes Bolleurs, Maintenance Manager at Conframat,
explains that the 2.5-ton electric forklift was pitted against a
3.5-ton diesel forklift with great results. “The electric forklift
surprisingly managed up to 90 percent of the workload that the
3.5-ton diesel unit could handle. This prompted our decision to
purchase three Baoli 3.5-ton electric forklifts,” says Bolleurs.

BIC SA claims 100% green renewable energy

BIC South Africa has announced Jan-Paul Spangenberg,
its declaration of 100 percent Carbon and Energy Advisory at
green electricity use for its Delta Carbon, who has assisted
stationery manufacturing plant in BIC in achieving this status,
Johannesburg. The announcement reveals that in the matter
comes four years ahead of schedule of renewable energy, “BIC is
and is a first for BIC factories on the regarded as a pioneer, as most
African continent. South African companies have a
carbon-neutral strategy that will
With foresight of the urgent only see them becoming users of
need for renewable energy within 100 percent renewable by 2030,
South Africa, BIC pre-emptively took action to ensure that its and in some cases even 2050, while BIC is already achieving
business operations be declared a proud user of 100 percent this as of 2021.”
green electricity. “As of 2021 and into 2022, through the use
of procured Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), BIC South “In 2018, BIC, on a global level, made a commitment to
Africa can declare that it is using 100 percent green renewable using 80 percent renewable electricity by 2025. Earlier this year,
electricity. The purchase of these RECs allows us to track the that target was updated to 100 percent renewable electricity by L O GI S T I CS NEWS
energy we consume all the way back to the renewable energy 2025. We are proud to have accomplished our target four years
source,” shares Marc D’Oliveira, General Manager of BIC South ahead of time for our South African operations,” concludes
East Central Africa. D’Oliveira. •

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