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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Optimise refinery operations 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
114331  Optimise refinery operations 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Secondary Agriculture: Processing 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 01 - Agriculture and Nature Conservation Secondary Agriculture 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 5  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5  16 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 
2018-07-01  2023-06-30  SAQA 06120/18 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30   2027-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard does not replace any other unit standard and is not replaced by any other unit standard. 

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
A learner who has achieved this unit standard will be competent in:
  • Optimising refinery operations to achieve the required sugar quality. 

  • LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    To enter a learning programme for this unit standard or to be assessed against this unit standard, the learner is assumed to have:
  • Literacy and communications NQF 4.
  • Numeracy NQF 4
  • Computer Literacy at NQF 4.
  • Operational knowledge of refinery equipment and processes
  • Understanding of sugar processing.
  • Knowledge of quality assurance systems.
  • An understanding of general safety in the workplace at NQF 4 or equivalent. 

  • UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    The learner is expected to perform the specific outcomes as reflected in this unit standard without direct supervision, but with access to standard operating procedures.The scope of this unit standard encompasses melters, primary and secondary colour removal processes, filtration and sugar conditioning. 

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Understand refinery operations. 
    OUTCOME NOTES 
  • Constructing mass and colour balances.
  • Applying refinery models.
  • Keeping abreast of new technological developments and applying if appropriate. 

  • ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Assessors will observe, confirm and evaluate evidence that will indicate that learners have demonstrated competence in each of the specific outcomes. In this unit standard the following specific criteria should be used:

    Understanding of:
  • Mass and energy balances.
  • Modelling refinery operations.

    Reasons for:
  • Monitoring the performance of the various unit operations.
  • Assessing the performance of the various unit operations.
  • Liasing with the relevant parties.

    Consequences of not:
  • Reporting abnormal deviations to the relevant parties.
  • Instructing relevant parties to change refinery operations.
  • Recommending modifications to refinery operations when required. 

  • SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Evaluate refinery operations. 
    OUTCOME NOTES 
  • Monitoring the performance of the various unit operations.
  • Assessing the performance of the various unit operations. 

  • ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Assessors will observe, confirm and evaluate evidence that will indicate that learners have demonstrated competence in each of the specific outcomes. In this unit standard the following specific criteria should be used:

    Understanding of:
  • Mass and energy balances.
  • Modelling refinery operations.

    Reasons for:
  • Monitoring the performance of the various unit operations.
  • Assessing the performance of the various unit operations.
  • Liasing with the relevant parties.

    Consequences of not:
  • Reporting abnormal deviations to the relevant parties.
  • Instructing relevant parties to change refinery operations.
  • Recommending modifications to refinery operations when required. 

  • SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Co-ordinate refinery operations. 
    OUTCOME NOTES 
  • Liasing with the relevant parties to optimise refinery operations.
  • Reporting abnormal deviations to the relevant parties. 

  • ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Assessors will observe, confirm and evaluate evidence that will indicate that learners have demonstrated competence in each of the specific outcomes. In this unit standard the following specific criteria should be used:

    Understanding of:
  • Mass and energy balances.
  • Modelling refinery operations.

    Reasons for:
  • Monitoring the performance of the various unit operations.
  • Assessing the performance of the various unit operations.
  • Liasing with the relevant parties.

    Consequences of not:
  • Reporting abnormal deviations to the relevant parties.
  • Instructing relevant parties to change refinery operations.
  • Recommending modifications to refinery operations when required. 

  • SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4 
    Optimise refinery operation. 
    OUTCOME NOTES 
  • Instructing relevant parties to change refinery operations when required.
  • Recommending modifications to refinery operations when required. 

  • ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Assessors will observe, confirm and evaluate evidence that will indicate that learners have demonstrated competence in each of the specific outcomes. In this unit standard the following specific criteria should be used:

    Understanding of:
  • Mass and energy balances.
  • Modelling refinery operations.

    Reasons for:
  • Monitoring the performance of the various unit operations.
  • Assessing the performance of the various unit operations.
  • Liasing with the relevant parties.

    Consequences of not:
  • Reporting abnormal deviations to the relevant parties.
  • Instructing relevant parties to change refinery operations.
  • Recommending modifications to refinery operations when required. 


  • UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • An individual wishing to be assessed against this unit standard may apply to an assessor accredited by SETASA.
  • Any training provider offering learning that will enable achievement of this unit standard must be registered and accredited by SETASA.
  • Moderation of assessment will be done by SETASA in its ETQA capacity at its discretion. 

  • UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
  • A detailed knowledge and understanding of inorganic and organic chemistry.
  • Construction and interpretation of chemical process flowsheets and simple P&I diagrams. Determination of elementary material and energy balances.
  • Competence in solving industrial heat-exchange problems taking convection, conduction and radiation into account. An understanding of the behaviour of heat-transfer equipment and dependencies on operating conditions.
  • Elementary design calculations for important mass-transfer unit operations and simplified assessment of plant performance. Understanding of the behaviour of mass-transfer equipment and their dependencies on operating conditions.
  • Understanding of the design principles and practices for a number of unit operations involving solids in combination with liquids and gases. Filtration in terms of incompressible and compressible cakes, comstant- and variable-pressure filtration.
  • Specialised understanding of refinery equipment and processes.
  • Interrelationships between refinery processes.
  • Safety requirements relating to refinery operations. 

  • UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Identify and solve problems relating to, sugar refining and the correct action to be taken to report those depending on the urgency. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING 
    Work as a member of a team to ensure the control of refinery operations. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Organise sets of information to ensure the control of refinery operations. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Organise and manage oneself and ones own activities to meet deadlines set for procedures to be followed. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively using oral and written means to control refinery operations and to report on operational matters. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Demonstrate an understanding of the relationships between one unit operation and other unit operations in the control of refinery and the effect of refinery on subsequent processes. 

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    N/A 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this unit standard was Reregistered in 2012; 2015. 

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    Values

    All learners should demonstrate:
  • An application of company ethics, values as well as general safety and customer care principles.
  • An awareness of expectations and obligations of basic worker / management relationships. 

  • QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Elective  48395   National Certificate: Sugar Technology  Level 5  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered" 
    2023-06-30  AgriSETA 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. RCL Foods-Sugar & Milling (MP) 



    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.