Energy Deputy Minister George Zulu expected in Harare

From Thelma Mutuku in Zimbabwe

Energy Deputy Minister George Zulu expected in Harare

Harare May 24/13-ZANIS———–Mines, Energy and Water Development Deputy Minister, George Zulu, is today expected in Harare, Zimbabwe, to tour the Chisubanje Energy Plant among other activities.

Mr Zulu has been invited by Green Fuel (PVT) Limited of Zimbabwe to familiarize himself with the plant and to see how Zambia can benefit.

ZANIS reports from Harare that the main reason for the Deputy Minister’s visit is to establish whether Zambia can import ethanol fuel from the said plant in Zimbabwe.

The multi-million Dollar Chisumbanje ethanol project, Green Fuel, which stopped operations last year, resumed its production in February, this year.

The ethanol plant has been reopened in order to avert a social disaster and to facilitate it through the provision of a progressive working atmosphere.

Green Fuel has been calling for mandatory blending of petrol with ethanol, which would make the project viable and help Zimbabwe cut its massive fuel import bill.

Green Fuel made assurance to the community over a number of issues to pave way for trust building in the implementation of the project.

The Chisumbanje project, which is a joint venture between Macdom Investments, Rating and the state-run Arda Estates, suspended ethanol production due to a low market uptake.

The problem was further compounded by the lack of additional storage for a third product in the form of E10 by most fuel retail.