Sudan opens ethanol plant

June 8, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — President Omer Al-Bashir will open on Wednesday an ethanol plant in Kenana, about 250 km south of Khartoum, where is the main factory of sugar production in the country.

The factory is expected to produce 65 million liters during its first year and gradually increase its annual production to reach 200 million liters in two years.

The project of ethanol is a joint effort between the ministry of Energy, Kenana Company and Giad Company. The Brazilian Brazil’s Dedini Industrias de Base constructed the plant.

Sudan aims to be one of the largest states in the production of ethanol because of its potential in the area of the green fuel industry.

Sudanese authorities plan also to develop the sugar industry in the country and to increase sugar production as well as to convert molasses, to ethanol. Sudanese government intends to construct some 18 ethanol plants.

Ethanol can be used as a fuel, mainly as a biofuel alternative to gasoline, and is widely used in cars in Brazil. Because it is easy to manufacture and process, and can be made from very common materials, such as sugar cane, it is steadily becoming a promising alternative to gasoline throughout much of the world.

The ethanol can be blended with gasoline in varying quantities up to pure ethanol (E100), and most spark-ignited gasoline style engines will operate well with mixtures of 10% ethanol (E10).

(ST)