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George Maponga in Masvingo
Zimbabwe’s sole sugar producer, Tongaat Huletts Zimbabwe, is planning to invest US$6 million on a plant that will harvest carbon dioxide produced during sucrose production for use in the manufacture of carbonated drinks.A lot of carbon dioxide is produced during sugar production at the company’s two sugar mills at Hippo Valley and Triangle Estates and Tongaat wants to accrue benefits from it by building a plant that will harvest the gas for commercial use.
Tongaat is arguably the biggest employer after Government, with around 15 000 workers in the Lowveld where the firm is a miller-cum-planter.Permanent Secretary for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa said Tongaat’s plans to build the carbon dioxide plant in Chiredzi will be another feather on the province’s industrialisation cap.
The development is also in sync with Vision 2030.
The sugar-producing behemoth also produces ethanol at its Triangle plant.It is planning to ramp up annual ethanol production to 40 million litres.Tongaat is currently producing around 26 million litres of ethanol annually.
The Triangle plant was commissioned in 1980.
Online Reporter