After a 30-year break Angola is back to growing sugarcane for biofuel production.
Angolan government adopted this program to revive country’s agriculture after several decades of civil war and to make the economy less dependent on extractive industries (oil and diamond ones). The $220-million project will be implemented by Angolan oil company Sonagol, Damer private company and Odebrecht Brazilian construction organization.
The country currently imports 100% of the consumed sugar, but soon the situation will change and at least a small part of that amount will be produced inside of the country.
The agricultural boom and transmission of Luanda (Angolan capital) production capacities to other regions will help to create tens of thousands of new jobs. The central part of the project is a new sugar-works that will produce 280,000 tons of sugar and 30,000 m3 of ethanol. Sugarcane fiber, leaves and other waste left after the production of sugar will be used for generating 217 MW of electricity per year.
Brazil has been a world leader of sugarcane production for many yeas. India, China, Pakistan and Mexico are next in the ranking. Sugarcane cultivation requires (sub) tropical climate and 600 mm of precipitations per year. The yield of the sugarcane in regions where it dominates among other crops (like Hawaii) makes up to 20 kg from a square meter.
