Nigeria: Ethanol project takes off
Posted by africanpress on September 8, 2008
Lagos (Nigeria) – The first fuel ethanol project in Africa, worth N14.4billion will take-off today in Ekiti State.
Briefing the press on establishment of the industry in the state, Chairman, CrowNek Green Energy Company, Mr James Awoniyi, expressed the need for the nation to develop agriculture, which he said has the capacity to solve both food and energy crises.
He said it is high time the country stopped chasing shadows in its quest to improve its economy by paying premium on agricultural development, disclosing that no country could be industrialised if the agricultural sector is allowed to suffer wanton neglect.
He observed that the only way the country could increase its foreign reserve is by diversifying its means of fuel production through domestic production of the Cassava-based fuel, ethanol.
He, therefore, called on government at all levels to rally support for production of fuel ethanol, to revamp the dwindling fortunes of the country’s economy.
According to him, internal production of the alternative fuel would afford the country the opportunity to export more crude oil, when the fuel ethanol could supplement domestic consumption of petroleum products.
While commending the state Governor, Segun Oni, for providing over 12, 000 hectares of land to the company for cassava production, Awoniyi called on other states to emulate the gesture.
According to him, the company would produce 180,000 litres of ethanol, 100 tons of starch and 50 tons of carbondioxide daily, which he disclosed would require 1500 tons of Cassava per day.
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API/Source.This Day (Nigeria), by Toba Suleiman
Stephen Klaber said
Consider another feedstock: Your Typha infestations. You have Typha by the megaton, and you can profit from its clearance by converting it to ethanol. When grown in clean water, Typha is also food- something else you can find a use for.