(Biofuels International) Sunbird Bioenergy Africa has commenced work on a cassava out-grower programme to provide sustainable feedstock for a bioenergy project expected to eventually produce 120 million litres per year of bioethanol for Zambia’s ethanol-fuel blending programme.
The move came soon after Sunbird presented at the Luapula Expo, which was organised to promote the investment potential of the region. Speaking at the conference, Richard Bennett, Sunbird’s CEO, highlighted that the new project was of strategic importance to the country and would provide more than 15% of Zambia’s petroleum requirement, representing an import substitution of $100m, as well as create 20,000 economic opportunities for cassava out-growers and small-scale rural farmers, according to a statement from Sunbird.
Bennett also noted out that for the project to reach its full capacity, cassava production in Luapula Province would have to increase, something his company was working to achieve through developing a cassava nursery to produce high quality planting materials for out-growers in the province, appointing Vana to design and implement the cassava out-grower programme, and a microfinance initiative with fintech specialist MyBucks to help fund out-growers wanting to participate in the project. READ MORE