SA Lodge Goes Totally 'Green'

Eco-Tourism Lodge 100% Green

An article published in BuaNews has highlighted the incredible eco-friendly inventions of Dr Hans Hahn, who runs an eco-tourism lodge based in Soutpansberg. The Moshavehla Lodge is detached from Eskom’s power grid and runs entirely on alternative, renewable and sustainable energy sources, essentially a combination of solar power and thermal gasification.

According to Dr Hahn, thermal gasification involves the extraction of gas by burning wood and then recycling the waste to power generators. He has also recently established a factory, which manufactures solar panels and when combined with a wood-burning boiler, this is used to heat water and power equipment.

“My invention works so well that our 700 litre tank of water starts boiling after just 30 minutes,” says Dr Hahn, adding that the recent Tourism Indaba was highly beneficial to businesses, as it exposed them to local and international visitors. He is now working towards establishing a golf course at Moshavehla, which is to be landscaped with only indigenous plants and irrigated by wastewater from the lodge.

Hahn’s daughter, Ingrid believes that her father’s sound knowledge in renewable energy could benefit the country. They intend to approach the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) with a number of prototypes for the generation of green power.

Eskom has been struggling to provide the country with sufficient energy supply following the unsustainable increase in the use of electricity, exacerbated by the fact that South Africa has a massive infrastructure drive ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The power utility has pleaded with businesses and the public to decrease their dependency on coal-generated electricity and implement energy-saving measures in their offices and homes.

Moshavehla, which means “place where the drums beat”, is situated between mountains and amid an unspoiled biodiversity that boasts over 600 types of tree, thousands of plant species and a multitude of wildlife, including leopard, hyena, warthog and kudu. It has always been a dream of Dr Hahn to establish a conservancy on his farm to protect the indigenous fauna and flora in the area and his daughter is helping him to achieve this.

The Lodge also has a community upliftment focus to it. “We only employ local Vendas and all our furniture and arts and crafts is made locally. The community is aware of the vision we have for the property as well as the community, making them aware of the environment and how to protect it and ensure future generations can benefit from it,” said Ms Hahn.

Such a story should surely inspire others to do the same in their homes, offices and communities. There is no doubt that South Africa faces a situation where the creative implementation of renewable energy sources is necessary.

The information in this article is courtesy of BuaNews (“South Africa: Limpopo Lodge Goes 100 Percent ‘Green’”, 13 May 2008).

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