Ethanol plant project deferred

March to June this year.
The ethanol plant, which is expected to produce over 350 000 litres of ethanol a day, is a joint project between the Agriculture Rural Development Authority and Green Fuel (Pvt) Ltd.
Green Fuel general manager Mr Graeme Smith yesterday said the ethanol company has revised its target to June due to a number of factors that impacted negatively on progress at the plant.
He, however, said the project is set to achieve a record installation period of just under 18 months while similar factories take up to three years to construct.
“Among the key factors that have affected the construction schedule of the ethanol plant is the strike action that paralysed the operations along South African ports from mid-last year.
“The key components of the plant have been sourced from Brazil and this material has been shipped into the country through Durban port facilities.
“The strike action had a ripple effect on the transportation of our parts for the distillery, boiler section as well as the mill house.
“At this stage it is safe to say our ethanol will be on the market by June this year,” he said.
South Africa’s main freight transporter, Transnet, experienced a breakdown when two-thirds of its workforce went on strike, crippling most of the country’s port and railway system.
He said incessant rains have also affected construction as well as power cuts that have hit Chisumbanje.
“Concrete pouring and side welding works on the new structures had to be suspended, costing weeks of production,” he said.
Mr Smith said that around the clock installation is continuing at the plant.
“A total of 800 technicians have been working around the clock to ensure that the plant will be operating in June, ready to start processing over 5 000 hectares of sugarcane into high-quality anhydrous ethanol,” he said.