Displaying items by tag: Ethiopia

Ethiopia: East Africa Holding (EAH) has set up a subsidiary, Pan Afric Energy, to pilot using the prosopis juliflora shrub as a biomass alternative fuel at its integrated Dire Dewa plant operated by its National Cement subsidiary. The US$50m project testing using the invasive species is backed for a number of different partners, including the local government and the European Union, according to the Capital newspaper. So far the initiative has reached a 5% thermal substitution rate at the Dire Dewa plant. The project is also considering using the shrub as an alternative fuel at a new cement plant being built at Lemi town, in the North Shoa zone of Amhara region. EAH has formed a joint-venture with China-based West China International Holding to build the new plant.

Ethiopia: The Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Chemicals and Construction Inputs Industry Development Institute are working with cement producers to replace imported coal with biomas in a bid to lower carbon CO2 and reduce reliance on foreign currency. The institute has conducted a feasibility study, with the support of the Global Climate Fund and the European Union, studying using a weed, Prophecies Newfora, as potential biomass, according to the Reporter newspaper. Plants run by Dangote Cement and Habesha Cement factories took part in the study. The government is also encouraging cement producers to use locally mined coal until the biomass project becomes fully operational.