Chinese Ethanol Experts Bound for Fiji

Four Chinese experts in ethanol production will be in Fiji this month to carry out studies on the requirements of setting up a plant and identify potential factory sites. The experts from the Guangxi State Farm will visit Fiji from 17 September to as long as it will take to complete the study.

The delegation comprises Chao Wufang, general manager of Liangxi Sugar Mill; Li Jun, research fellow of Tropical Corp Research Institute; Gao Shougua, manager of Mingyang biochemical project; and Zeng Wensheng; Siyuan Winery manager.

A tentative itinerary of the delegation’s mission include visits to Fiji’s four sugar mills, seeing possible cassava farm lands, identifying existing kinds of cassava crop and checking out possible lands for factory sites.

Fiji’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Sir James Ah Koy confirmed the multi-million dollar ethanol project was coming over to Fiji. He said this was the one project he had been focussing on for some time.

"This is the one, for me, will be one of the life saviours for our country because what it does, it produces ethanol from cassava," Ah Koy said.

"Cassava can be grown anywhere. We require seven tonnes of cassava to make one tonne of ethanol. So that means if we are going to put a plant to produce 50,000 tonnes of ethanol a year, we will require 30,000 tonnes of cassava every month," he said.

"That is a lot of tavioka (cassava) so hopefully, all the hills can be planted with tavioka," he added.

Originally published by Fijilive website, Suva, in English 14 Sep 08.

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