Zimbabwe corn ethanol project ready for start-up in April 2011
In Zimbabwe, the Chisumbanje ethanol project, called Green, that was scheduled to start production in October, now anticipates starting a 30 day commissioning process in March, 2011, with full production scheduled for April 1.
The delay was caused by parts imported from Brazil not able to get through South African ports due to labor actions. The project was started in 2008 by the Agriculture and Rural Development Authority, and involves 40,000 hectares of sugar cane in Chisumbanje and 10,000 hectares in Midlle Sabi. So far more than 3,500 jobs have been created, most of whom are local villagers. Because of the delay, the cane was sold to the Triangle Sugar Industries.
Graeme Smith, Managing Director of Green explains, “Villagers are not going to be relocated; rather they would be integrated into the project as sugar cane growers while those who do not want to grow sugar would be free to produce their own chosen crop.” This plant is one of three that are to be built, with a total anticipated production between 2.5 and 2.8 million liters per day. Zimbabwe’s current petroleum consumption is in the neighborhood of 1 million liters per day.
Category: Fuels
