Shem Oirere, Africa Correspondent04.23.25
The World Coatings Council (WCC) recently observed that the coatings industry has made huge strides in both the reduction of the energy and resource demand of manufacturing processes by manufacturers, as well as growing offerings of coating solutions in support of renewable energy technologies. These include coatings for insulating electric wiring, coatings for solar panels, and protecting wind power plants against corrosion.
Some international companies with a footing in Africa’s coatings market are now achieving both goals by transitioning from the use of fossil fuels to embracing renewable energy at their manufacturing plants.
Meanwhile, they are expanding their portfolio of functional coatings, which the WCC says boosts “the production of green electricity through silicone coatings for solar panels and by offering corrosion protection as well as improved air flow characteristics to offshore wind turbines.”
BASF’s Coatings division, through its Surface Treatment global business unit operating under the Chemetall brand, confirmed recently it has successfully implemented an advanced photovoltaic (PV) system at its Boksburg site in Boksburg East, near the city of Johannesburg, “marking a significant step toward greater sustainability.”
BASF says Chemetall’s new state-of-the-art PV system includes 1,725 square meters of solar panels installed on the site’s roofs, as well as 600 kW battery storage systems.
With the installation of the new PV system, Chemetall expects to reduce its current energy costs by at least 92% and a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions of 92% at the Boksburg site, putting BASF ahead of the pack in the transition to green sustainable energy.
BASF has prioritized the achievement of net zero emissions by 2050, “which means investing in innovation, finding sustainable solutions, and incorporating them across our entire value chain.”
BASF said the PV system is designed to provide a reliable and stable power supply for administration, manufacturing, warehousing, technical services, and quality control at the site.
Frank Naber, senior vice president of Chemetall, said the company is excited about the new project, which provides “more sustainable surface treatment solutions that support our customers in achieving their sustainability goals.”
“Our advanced photovoltaic system in Boksburg is another step toward improving our carbon footprint while increasing our operational autonomy and reliability in South Africa,” he said.
The department says a combination of manufacturing segments such as fertilizers, polymers, and petrochemicals “require significant energy inputs” for processes such as “synthesis, separation, and refining as well as the operation of several pieces of machinery and equipment.”
Currently, South Africa’s chemical industry is one of the biggest energy consumers, despite frequent power outages, and is ranked as Africa’s most advanced and largest chemicals sector, with a value of approximately US$25 billion. The industry provides an input of 23% of the country’s total manufacturing gross value, according to the Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association (CAIA).
The association, which lists the manufacturing of painting and coating (including for the automotive industry) as one of the main industrial investment opportunity areas that could boost South Africa’s effort to reduce dependence on chemicals imports, says power outages has impacted the country “ranging from reduced economic growth and making it difficult to do business.”
CAIA attributes the load shedding regime in South Africa to the country’s heavy reliance on aging coal-fired power plants to supply up to 80% of the country’s energy requirements, hence the frequent “breakdowns and unplanned outages that reduce the amount of electricity available to the grid.”
In fact, nearly two years ago, the South Africa Paint Manufacturing Association (SAPMA) said the country’s coatings sector was “severely affected by load shedding with massive, unexpected burdens heaped on already high production costs.”
“Manufacturing members are losing millions of rands having to work around power outages in production, especially for energy-intensive chemical reaction paint products, which require a continuous process for the dispersion phase of the manufacturing process,” Tara Benn, SAPMA’s executive director, said in a
previous statement.
“SAPMA members have had to add diesel costs, provision of inverters to home-based sales staff, and additional costs of back-up systems for their servers to running expenses,” she added.
The successful transition by BASF Coatings’ business unit in South Africa to full utilization of solar energy for its operations is a significant step in reducing the impact of the country’s electricity shortages on the manufacture of paints and coatings and serves as a good example worth emulating by small and medium manufacturers, many of them members of SAPMA.
For SAPMA members and international players in South Africa’s paints and coatings scene, a broader investment platform has been provided by the launch of the South African Renewable Energy Master Plan (SAREM) by the government.
SAREM, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, says it “presents the vision and opportunity for a renewable energy manufacturing value chain in South Africa, on the back of a rollout of renewable energy technologies.”
South Africa is optimistic that by 2030, through its ambitious Integrated Resource Plan (IRP2019), it will add 14,400MW of wind and 6,400MW of solar PV, including some additional 4,000MW of embedded generation and 2,000MW of storage by 2030. This is a major opportunity for producers and consumers of eco-efficient energy systems, especially renewable energy, and the suppliers of coatings that go into making them durable and functionally efficient.
For BASF Coatings, the installation of the PV system in Boksburg “underscores Chemetall’s commitment to driving a more sustainable future by using renewable energy sources in its operations.”
“The continuous improvement of the company’s carbon footprint also supports its customers in reaching their sustainability targets by sourcing products from Chemetall,” it adds.
For other paint and coating manufacturers in South Africa and the rest of Africa, the commitment by BASF Coating’s Chemetall to a more sustainable future through initiatives such as the introduction of PV systems provides a pathway towards sustainability, profitability, and attainment of a competitive edge, especially during turbulent
business times.
Some international companies with a footing in Africa’s coatings market are now achieving both goals by transitioning from the use of fossil fuels to embracing renewable energy at their manufacturing plants.
Meanwhile, they are expanding their portfolio of functional coatings, which the WCC says boosts “the production of green electricity through silicone coatings for solar panels and by offering corrosion protection as well as improved air flow characteristics to offshore wind turbines.”
BASF in Africa
For instance, German-based chemical company BASF, through its Coatings division, owns and operates its Münster, Germany site, which is currently the world’s largest integrated paint manufacturing facility. BASF has turned its share of the African coatings market into a showcase of what the industry can achieve, both in the energy and material efficiency of its production processes, as well as in the distribution of quality coating solutions to boost the region’s drive towards meeting the global sustainable development goals (SDGs) on energy.BASF’s Coatings division, through its Surface Treatment global business unit operating under the Chemetall brand, confirmed recently it has successfully implemented an advanced photovoltaic (PV) system at its Boksburg site in Boksburg East, near the city of Johannesburg, “marking a significant step toward greater sustainability.”
BASF says Chemetall’s new state-of-the-art PV system includes 1,725 square meters of solar panels installed on the site’s roofs, as well as 600 kW battery storage systems.
With the installation of the new PV system, Chemetall expects to reduce its current energy costs by at least 92% and a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions of 92% at the Boksburg site, putting BASF ahead of the pack in the transition to green sustainable energy.
BASF has prioritized the achievement of net zero emissions by 2050, “which means investing in innovation, finding sustainable solutions, and incorporating them across our entire value chain.”
BASF said the PV system is designed to provide a reliable and stable power supply for administration, manufacturing, warehousing, technical services, and quality control at the site.
Frank Naber, senior vice president of Chemetall, said the company is excited about the new project, which provides “more sustainable surface treatment solutions that support our customers in achieving their sustainability goals.”
“Our advanced photovoltaic system in Boksburg is another step toward improving our carbon footprint while increasing our operational autonomy and reliability in South Africa,” he said.
Meeting South Africa’s Energy Concerns
BASF’s adoption of renewable energy at its South Africa operations comes at a time when the country’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy is concerned about the high energy consumption levels by the local chemical industry.The department says a combination of manufacturing segments such as fertilizers, polymers, and petrochemicals “require significant energy inputs” for processes such as “synthesis, separation, and refining as well as the operation of several pieces of machinery and equipment.”
Currently, South Africa’s chemical industry is one of the biggest energy consumers, despite frequent power outages, and is ranked as Africa’s most advanced and largest chemicals sector, with a value of approximately US$25 billion. The industry provides an input of 23% of the country’s total manufacturing gross value, according to the Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association (CAIA).
The association, which lists the manufacturing of painting and coating (including for the automotive industry) as one of the main industrial investment opportunity areas that could boost South Africa’s effort to reduce dependence on chemicals imports, says power outages has impacted the country “ranging from reduced economic growth and making it difficult to do business.”
CAIA attributes the load shedding regime in South Africa to the country’s heavy reliance on aging coal-fired power plants to supply up to 80% of the country’s energy requirements, hence the frequent “breakdowns and unplanned outages that reduce the amount of electricity available to the grid.”
In fact, nearly two years ago, the South Africa Paint Manufacturing Association (SAPMA) said the country’s coatings sector was “severely affected by load shedding with massive, unexpected burdens heaped on already high production costs.”
“Manufacturing members are losing millions of rands having to work around power outages in production, especially for energy-intensive chemical reaction paint products, which require a continuous process for the dispersion phase of the manufacturing process,” Tara Benn, SAPMA’s executive director, said in a
previous statement.
“SAPMA members have had to add diesel costs, provision of inverters to home-based sales staff, and additional costs of back-up systems for their servers to running expenses,” she added.
The successful transition by BASF Coatings’ business unit in South Africa to full utilization of solar energy for its operations is a significant step in reducing the impact of the country’s electricity shortages on the manufacture of paints and coatings and serves as a good example worth emulating by small and medium manufacturers, many of them members of SAPMA.
For SAPMA members and international players in South Africa’s paints and coatings scene, a broader investment platform has been provided by the launch of the South African Renewable Energy Master Plan (SAREM) by the government.
SAREM, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, says it “presents the vision and opportunity for a renewable energy manufacturing value chain in South Africa, on the back of a rollout of renewable energy technologies.”
South Africa is optimistic that by 2030, through its ambitious Integrated Resource Plan (IRP2019), it will add 14,400MW of wind and 6,400MW of solar PV, including some additional 4,000MW of embedded generation and 2,000MW of storage by 2030. This is a major opportunity for producers and consumers of eco-efficient energy systems, especially renewable energy, and the suppliers of coatings that go into making them durable and functionally efficient.
For BASF Coatings, the installation of the PV system in Boksburg “underscores Chemetall’s commitment to driving a more sustainable future by using renewable energy sources in its operations.”
“The continuous improvement of the company’s carbon footprint also supports its customers in reaching their sustainability targets by sourcing products from Chemetall,” it adds.
For other paint and coating manufacturers in South Africa and the rest of Africa, the commitment by BASF Coating’s Chemetall to a more sustainable future through initiatives such as the introduction of PV systems provides a pathway towards sustainability, profitability, and attainment of a competitive edge, especially during turbulent
business times.
