Building a Sustainable Nelson Mandela Bay: A Coffee Morning at Coega Biomass Centre

One group of guests touring the Coega Biomass Centre production facility.

What happens when invasive alien trees are cleared from the Eastern Cape? At Coega Biomass Centre, they become fuel for South African industry.

On Wednesday, 14 October, we opened our doors for a Coffee Morning hosted in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber. Under the theme "Building a Sustainable Nelson Mandela Bay", local business representatives came together to explore how environmental restoration, renewable energy and industrial manufacturing can support one another.

The morning brought together four speakers, a tour of our wood pellet production facility and a live demonstration of a former paraffin boiler running on biomass.

From environmental challenges to practical solutions

Dr Gary Koekemoer of WESSA Eastern Cape opened the programme by discussing climate change and what it means for Nelson Mandela Bay. His presentation set the scene for the morning: the region faces environmental challenges that require action from businesses as well as communities.

Edith Mshoperi, Impact Lead at Stewards of Nature, then brought the discussion to the Eastern Cape's landscapes.

Invasive alien trees consume large quantities of water and threaten indigenous ecosystems. Stewards of Nature works to restore affected areas by removing these trees, helping improve water availability, supporting biodiversity and creating local employment.

The cleared wood also has a practical use.

At Coega Biomass Centre, more than 90% of our wood feedstock comes from invasive alien trees. The wood is chipped, dried and compressed into uniform 8 mm pellets, creating a renewable fuel that manufacturers can use to produce steam and industrial heat.

With an annual production capacity of 120,000 tonnes, Coega Biomass Centre is Africa's largest wood pellet producer, supplying customers in South Africa, Europe and Asia.

Making the switch to biomass work for local industry

Our Commercial Director, Cas Snijders, continued the story by addressing a question facing many South African manufacturers: how can businesses reduce their dependence on fossil fuels without compromising their operations?

Industrial boilers commonly run on diesel, paraffin or heavy fuel oil. These fuels expose businesses to international oil price fluctuations, exchange rates and increasing carbon tax costs.

Our Commercial Director Cas Snijders presenting the benefits of biomass for South African industry.

The environmental benefits are significant. According to our lifecycle greenhouse gas assessment, CBC's wood pellets produce approximately 80% lower lifecycle emissions than diesel, paraffin or heavy fuel oil.

But making the fuel available was only part of the challenge.

Many businesses interested in switching to biomass already have boilers designed for liquid fossil fuels. Replacing an entire boiler system can be expensive, while arranging a separate engineering conversion creates additional work and uncertainty.

This challenge led to the establishment of Cape Carbon, a joint venture between Coega Biomass Centre and DreamTech Engineering.

Cape Carbon converts existing industrial boilers to run on wood pellets and provides the ongoing fuel supply under one contract. Its locally designed EcoFlame burner makes the technology accessible to manufacturers looking for a practical alternative to fossil-fuelled industrial heat.

Seeing the process in action

Following the presentations, guests had the opportunity to see the full process for themselves.

A guided tour took visitors through our production facility, following the journey from raw wood to finished pellets.

The tour continued in the Cape Carbon boiler room, where visitors saw a boiler originally designed to run on paraffin operating on wood pellets.

For manufacturers considering a similar conversion, the demonstration offered a practical look at how existing industrial heating equipment can be adapted to use locally produced biomass.

Visitors get a closer look at Cape Carbon’s in-house built EcoFlame burner, converting a former paraffin boiler to run on wood pellets.

Sustainable manufacturing in practice

The morning also included a presentation by Andre Adendorff, Sustainability Manager at Woodlands Dairy.

He shared how the company has replaced almost all of its heavy fuel oil consumption with biomass, reducing its dependence on fossil fuels and its carbon footprint while contributing to cleaner air for surrounding communities.

Woodlands Dairy's experience provided an example of what industrial fuel switching can look like beyond the demonstration stage.

Building a sustainable Nelson Mandela Bay

Throughout the morning, one connection became clear: the wood removed to restore the Eastern Cape's landscapes can also help power its industries.

From recovering water resources and creating employment through invasive alien plant clearing, to manufacturing renewable fuel and converting industrial boilers, each part of the process contributes to a more sustainable local economy.

Our thanks to the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Dr Gary Koekemoer, Edith Mshoperi, Andre Adendorff and everyone who joined us.

We look forward to continuing the conversation with local businesses about the opportunities for biomass in South African industry.

Coega Biomass Centre's 30,000-Tonne Export Shipment Featured in The Herald

Coega Biomass Centre Commercial Director Cas Snijders and Commercial Manager Thean Knoetze at the Port of Ngqura, where 30,000 tonnes of wood pellets were loaded for export to Europe, as featured in The Herald.

30,000 tonnes of wood pellets, heading from Gqeberha to Europe!

We were pleased to see Coega Biomass Centre featured in The Herald, covering our latest export milestone and the story behind our pellets.

Made from invasive alien plants and forestry residues, our wood pellets help industries move away from fossil fuels. This shipment marks another milestone in bringing South African biomass to international markets, while supporting environmental restoration and local employment.

Read the full article in The Herald.

CBC Appoints Vernon Slack as Managing Director to Lead Growth Strategy

Coega Biomass Centre (CBC) proudly announces the appointment of Vernon Slack as its new Managing Director, effective April 1, 2026.

The appointment marks an important step as CBC enters its next phase of growth and operational improvement.

In 2026, CBC plans to scale production to 80,000 tons while further enhancing product quality through the introduction of new technologies, including a dry hammer mill. To support this next phase, CBC is strengthening its governance model. The founding shareholders will step back from day-to-day operations, with Vernon assuming operational leadership of the company.

In his role, Vernon will oversee daily operations, revenue growth, external representation, stakeholder engagement, and continued improvements in product quality, health, safety, and environmental performance (HSE).

Vernon brings extensive leadership experience across multiple sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a proven track record in business turnarounds, operational excellence, and principled leadership. His appointment reflects CBC’s commitment to building a strong, locally driven organization with global ambition.

“This is an exciting new chapter for CBC,” said Peter Nohlmans, founding shareholder. “Vernon’s leadership style, operational insight, and regional experience make him the right person to guide CBC’s continued growth.”

“CBC has a strong foundation and a real opportunity to shape the future,” said Vernon Slack. “I’m excited to work with our People and our Partners to build a clear path for sustainable growth while continuing to serve both communities and nature.”

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For media inquiries, please contact:
Erisa Borova
erisa@coegabiomass.co.za | Phone +27 76 109 2020

How CBC contributes to sustainable forest management

The FSC® Forest Week has started. As Coega Biomass Centre, an FSC® license holder, we support this week, from September 21-27. By removing Alien Invasive Trees we contribute to the restoration of the natural habitats and water supply. How? Watch the video.

Key impact case: Unlocking the potential of biomass in a sustainable way

According to SBP, an independent certification scheme for biomass used in large-scale energy production, Coega Biomass Centre is one of the key impact cases for unlocking the potential of biomass in a sustainable way.

The company has included our impact project in its Annual Review 2023. In this contribution Emiel Hanekamp says: “Demonstrating the sustainability credentials of the biomass we produce is important to Coega Biomass Centre. And with Europe as a key destination market, compliance with the recast Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) is essential. We were delighted to receive FSC® and SBP certification in 2022, and included REDII in our SBP scope in 2023.”

Read the full story or look at SBP’s Annual Review 2023 (page 18)

First shipment of product from Coega Biomass Centre to Europe

The first shipment of product from Coega Biomass Centre, based in Gqeberha, South Africa is a fact. The shipment of 10.000 tons of chips headed to a client in Europe where it will serve as a responsible alternative for fossil fuel.

The wood chips comply with the RED II (EU Renewable Energy Directive) and EUDR (European Union Deforestation free Regulation) regulation and are 100% FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) and SBP (Sustainable Biomass Program) certified.

Coega Biomass Centre will be able to produce 120,000 tons of wood pellets per year. This will lead to a reduction of approximately 180,000-200,000 tons of CO₂ emissions. Furthermore, CBC not only ensures less devastating drought in South-Africa and a restoration of biodiversity, but also provides employment and contributes to social cohesion.