Ethanol project set to transform energy sector
http://www.theindependent.co.zw/
Thursday, 11 November 2010 21:15
A MASSIVE US$600 million ethanol project, set to transform the country’s
energy and agriculture sectors, is taking shape in Chisumbanje in Chipinge,
Manicaland, with the first production of the fuel expected in the first
quarter of next year.
The ambitious project is a build, operate and transfer partnership between
government represented by the Agricultural Rural Development Authority
(Arda) and three investment partners –– Greenfuel Investments, Rating
Investments and Macdom Investments. The 20-year pact was signed in February
2009.
The project, the biggest so far in Africa, is promoted by business mogul
Billy Rautenbach through the three investment partners and is modelled along
the lines of ethanol plants in Brazil.
The massive project, according to the general manager of the three
investment partners, Graeme Smith, would have three ethanol plants –– two at
Macdom Chisumbanje and one at Rating Middle Sabi.
Chisumbanje and Middle Sabi would produce sugarcane over 50 000 hectares for
use by the three plants to produce not only ethanol, but also stockfeed.
“On completion of the project, we will produce between 2,5 million and 2,8
million litres of ethanol daily,” Smith told the Zimbabwe Independent during
the tour of the project last Saturday. “We will also generate 120 megawatts
of electricity of which we will use 20 megawatts and the remainder will be
fed into the national grid.”
The production of such volumes of ethanol would be expected to end the
country’s importation of petrol as consumers convert to the use of the
cheaper fuel. Excess ethanol-petrol would be exported, bringing into the
country much-needed foreign currency for social and economic development.
Zimbabwe’s daily petrol requirements are slightly above one million litres.
The initial phase of the project, the construction of the first ethanol
plant by Greenfuel Investments at Chisumbanje, is expected to be completed
in March. Progress towards completion is 35% with civil engineering works
for the plant’s foundations having been done, the boiler section is 60% and
towers are now several meters above the ground.
The plant would be made up of four sections, the mill, generating plant, the
boiler, and the ethanol distillery chamber.
“Each section has a civil, mechanical and electrical engineering phases. The
boiler section is very critical because the cane will be received into the
mill of crushing,” Smith said. “The resultant bagasse is then fed into the
boiler through a conveyor belt to burn and produce steam to generate
electricity that powers the whole plant while the surplus is fed into the
national grid.”
On completion of the first plant, 350 000 litres of ethanol and 18 megawatts
of electricity would be produced daily to meet over 30% of the country’s
petrol requirements. The electricity generated would be enough to power
Manicaland on completion of all the three plants.
The first phase was initially scheduled to be completed last month, but
progress stalled when plant parts imported from Brazil did not reach
Zimbabwe on time because of industrial action at South African ports.
This delay saw about 100 000 metric tonnes of sugarcane harvested being sold
to Triangle for sugar production.
“We are currently sending some of the cane to Triangle to boost their raw
cane supplies while replanting some of it in order to expand our own
hectarege under the cane,” Smith said.
About US$270 million has so far been invested in the gigantic project.
The construction of the plant and agricultural activities at both
Chisumbanje and Middle Sabi have created 3 000 jobs, most of them from the
local community.
Smith said the successful completion of the project, which includes the
setting up of the two other plants, would depend on the construction of
Kondo Dam in Chipinge to irrigate 30 000 hectares of sugarcane.
“The dam will be two and a half times bigger than Lake Mutirikwe,” Smith
said. “We will need the support of government and both local and foreign
investors to build the dam.”
Lake Mutikwe in Masvingo has a capacity of 1 378 million cubic metres, a
catchment area of 3 900 square kilometres and a surface area of 9 105
hectares.
Besides transforming the country’s energy sector, the massive project would
also benefit the local community.
Macdom is establishing irrigation blocks for small-scale irrigation for
farmers who were affected by the project. The farmers had for long before
the commencement of the ethanol project been using the Arda land after the
authority went broke.
Instead of ejecting the settlers, Macdom ensured that for “every block of
land developed for cane towards the project, a significant percentage of the
land would be developed for small scale irrigation by the farmers.
“The water supply in terms of pumps and canal will be completed this month
and the 10% of land for irrigation for them (farmers) in the new development
area is being demarcated and will be prepared along with our fields,” Smith
said. “We anticipate this to be complete by the end of December if the rains
hold off or early in the new year.”
At Middle Sabi, Rating pioneered a community small-scale irrigation
rehabilitation programme that has resulted in the refurbishment of pumping
units and waterways for 18 schemes covering 1 863 hectares divided into
small plots for 2 861 farmers. The rehabilitation programme cost US$500 000.
“The amount of money invested in resuscitating the pump stations and whole
irrigation system here is nothing compared to the way in which livelihoods
in the community we operate in will be changed for the better,” said Rating
Middle Sabi estate manager Glen Mirams. “Once there is water flowing from
Sabi River into the canals, the community survives on its own and makes
money through selling their produce to wholesalers of their choice… The Sabi
River and a functional irrigation system is the lifeline of the area.”
As a result of the project, Checheche Growth Point has since applied for
town status in anticipation of a boom in business as a state-of-the-art
shopping mall and a residential area is in the offing.