Ethanol plant delayed in Zimbabwe

An ethanol plant developed for Chisumbanje, Zimbabwe, which was due to be commissioned in March 2011, has now been deferred until June 2011.

Speaking about the move, Graeme Smith, Green Fuel's general manager explained that commissioning has been pushed back to June after a number of issues began impacting negatively of the facility's progress. The project is a joint venture between the Agriculture Rural Development Authority and Green Fuel.

'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-2010,' he explains.

'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 and 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.'

However Smith goes on to say that once the construction phase begins, it will take just 18 months before the $600 million (€435 million) plant is up and running.

'At 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 explains.