UK firm to produce bio-fuel in Mozambique

Maputo, Mozambique — ESI-AFRICA.COM — 16 March 2011- UK-based Sun Biofuels “’ a company focused on bio-fuels operations in Mozambique and Tanzania from cultivation to marketing “’ plans to produce 2 million litres of fuel from its jatropha plantations in Mozambique’s central Manica province by 2018.

Business development director Harry Stourton said the company would increase its cultivation area of jatropha plants to 10,000 hectares from the 2,500 hectares it had at this stage.

“Our forecast is to produce 20,000t of crushed oil from jatropha by 2018 when we are at full capacity, to be cultivated on 10,000 hectares of land in Manica investing some US$15 million in the process,” he told Reuters.

“This will yield roughly 2 million litres of fuel per year,” Stourton added.

Jatropha has been widely heralded as a wonder plant the cultivation of which on non-arable land in Africa, Asia and Latin America would provide biodiesel and jobs in poor countries without using farmland needed to feed growing numbers of local people.

Stourton said the fuel would be used in Mozambique, and potentially for export to South Africa and Europe.