Grown Energy Zambeze, a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals, is planning to invest 320 million US dollars in the production of ethanol in the district of Chemba, in Sofala province.The project, which is due to be operational by the end of 2013, will produce ethanol from sugar cane.Currently, the project employs 300 workers, and this number is expected to rise to 500 by March 2012.These figures were given on Thursday by the general manager of Grown Energy, Rademan Rensburg, during a visit by Sofala provincial governor Carvalho Muaria. According to the newspaper “Diario de Mocambique”, during the first phase the plant will produce 25,000 litres of ethanol per year.In the second phase the annual output will reach 100,000 litres of ethanol, to supply domestic and European Union markets.According to Rensburg, “initially, commercial production of sugar cane will be grown in an area of 3,000 hectares out of the 24,000 hectares made available by the government for the project”.It is hoped that more than 2,000 jobs will be created once the ethanol processing plant begins operations.To carry out its duty of social responsibility, Grown Energy is investing 250,000 dollars in constructing five classrooms and refurbishing another three classrooms for Nsusso primary school. People living in the area covered by the project will also gain access to potable water.There are 110 families living in the area where the project is being implemented. According to Rensburg, they will be offered new housing or a cash payment to move.The company is to start a consultation process with the local communities to seek a consensus and to avoid forced evictions.Governor Muaria expressed his satisfaction with the company's initiatives, stressing that the project will boost social and economic development in the region.
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