Turning waste into green profit

The problem: South African industries cough up millions of tons of carbon gases into the atmosphere every year.

One solution: Capture the waste emissions and convert them into useful microscopic nanomaterials.

That’s the dream of Clean Carbon Technologies, a “green” start-up that’s making a business out of cleaning up our air.

Thato Maleeq Keetse, a self-described serial entrepreneur from Alexandra in Johannesburg, is the business brain behind this sustainable energy venture.

His company essentially wants to transform the “bad guy” (greenhouse gases that contribute towards global warming and climate change) into the “good guy” (carbon-based materials used in various applications).

He is talking to the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to fund a pilot plant to test the envisaged technology, under the watchful eye of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

The company hopes to start building a reactor before the end of the year so that testing can begin.

The scientific brain responsible for developing this green technology is his partner, Dr Vivek Nair, who holds a PhD in material science and mechanical engineering.

“He’s the mad scientist and I’m the mad guy who goes and looks for things that look impossible but are possible,” Keetse quips.

Together, they have come up with a pioneering idea and business plan that has sparked the interest of the IDC, which is on a drive to invest in technology that boosts South Africa’s industrial output and nurtures a new generation of entrepreneurs – including in the green energy sector.

“We saw an opportunity in South Africa’s carbon capture space, mainly your industrial sites such as oil refineries and mines, and started to work on developing a solution that can be profitable and easy to ‘plug and play’ [on site at the factories or plants in question],” Keetse explains.

He says many large industries have invested heavily in expensive technology, and for them to readapt to comply with South Africa’s carbon emission targets to reduce their environmental impact would cost a lot of money.

But with Clean Carbon Technologies’ proposed reactor on site, connected to the factory flare stack or exhaust, the waste carbon gases would be captured and converted into useful products such as carbon nanotubes, which would then be sold directly to customers.

Nanotubes are tiny cylindrical molecules that are excellent electricity conductors and can withstand high temperatures.

They are extremely strong relative to their size and are used in industries ranging from electronics to aerospace.

The beauty of the company’s proposed reactors is that it would be relatively cheap to capture the carbon gas and produce the byproducts, and companies such as Sasol would benefit from the resulting carbon credits while having a positive effect on the environment.

“Where others look at the impossibilities of the green space, we look at the possibilities,” says Keetse.

“These days, the definition of success as a businessperson is having a social impact on society. As a young person, we need to look into and invest in these technologies, because that’s part of ensuring sustainability for our kids and our kids’ kids.”

He adds:

“People shouldn’t look at waste as waste – waste is a resource. Waste is money. At the moment, there’s more money in waste than, I think, in conventional methods. Everyone throws away something, so why not pick it up and make money with it?”

Of course, good ideas aren’t always bankable ideas – and don’t automatically get funded, even if it’s in the much-touted “green innovation” space.

The team at Clean Carbon Technologies had to do extensive research and has been through a rigorous process with the IDC to ensure its business model is watertight.

“We had a great idea, but they made it into a bankable idea as we had to go through rigorous due diligence, fine-tuning the basic idea. It really helps you with buffering your start-up.”

Keetse is beyond excited about working in the green tech arena, which is in its infancy in South Africa compared with much of the developed world:

“We want to do everything locally and create a whole new amazing industry in the nanotechnology space.”

He adds that there will be ample opportunities to transfer new skills.

“This will be our own South African and African technology, made at home. There’s also good potential for international clients … eventually, we want to be supplying on a global scale.

"There are a lot of opportunities for this local expertise to be developed for African markets – we are the gateway to the continent, after all.”

Keetse believes that there are untapped areas of potential growth in the green industries in South Africa, particularly in building and energy, where cheaper and more effective methods are waiting to be explored by creative thinkers.

“We need new and exciting innovations that develop the green economy – we need to create success stories for young people to look up to and be inspired by.”

Plus, says this business developer, not having a science background hasn’t stopped him from entering the technological arena:

“Young people just need the ability and courage to dream big. You don’t have to be a doctor to own a hospital. It’s all about having the right team and the right human capital.”