Sugar factory produces power from cane wa
The Tanganyika Planting Company (TPC) has started producing 20 megawatts from sugarcane waste.TPC chief executive officer Robert Baissac said the aim was to reduce dependence on hydropower which had been fraught with uncertainties during droughts.
TPC will cut its running cost since it will be operating on its own electricity.Some energy will also be supplied to surrounding communities and the surplus will be sold to the Tanzania Electric Supply Company.
TPC is discussing with the Ministry of Minerals and Energy on the possibility of supplying 10 MW to the national grid. TPC is using 10MW for its needs and for the surrounding communities.
According to Mr Baissac, the programme is sustainable and has no negative environmental impacts.
TPC Limited, which was established 79 years ago, was registered in Denmark as A/S Tanganyika Planting Company Limited.
It started production in 1936 with the capacity of 4,000 tonnes of sugar.In June 1973, it was registered in Tanzania as TPC Ltd which was owned by Danish A.P. Moller.
In 1980, the government took it over. But as the economy was being reform, it was privatised to Sukari Investment Company Ltd — a Mauritius-registered firm — which bought 75 per cent of shares in 2000.
Source The Citizen