Maple Energy expands Peruvian ethanol plantation

Peru-based ethanol producer Maple Energy (ME) has received government approval to expand its operation moving forward.

The approval, given in December, will allow ME to begin expanding its sugarcane plantation by 877 hectares from its current size of 6,532 hectares. It reveals that ‘substantial drip irrigation systems are already in place’ and it expects to plant the entire area during the first quarter of 2013.

Subject to obtaining additional approvals, ME also plans to expand its plantation by an additional 378 hectares by the end of 2013. That entire expansion will cost the company approximately US$3.3 million (€2.4 million).

ME has sold a total of approximately 2.2 million gallons of ethanol to the local Peruvian market since commencing sales in May 2012. It also produced just over 11 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol in the same time period.

‘We are pleased with our progress at the ethanol plant,’ says ME CEO Rex Canon. ‘Sugar cane harvesting rates and ethanol production volumes are expected to further increase this quarter once we expand our harvesting fleet. In addition, with the expansion of our existing plantation and the corresponding utilisation of available capacity at the plant, we believe the value of our ethanol business will be enhanced.’