Hima Cement shifts to use of cleaner energy, Uganda
Hima Cement expects to achieve up to 50 per cent replacement of heavy fuel with alternative energy sources in the next three years, plant manager Allen Mate said recently when the State Minister for Industry and Technology, Rev. Simon Lokodo visited the plant.
Mr Mate said the alternative fuel project, which costs the company EUR1.2m (about KES3.6bn) involves substituting the costly fuel oil with coffee and rice husks, which are supplied by farmers in Kasese.
“The project begun in 2000 and was commissioned in early 2001, realising a substitution rate of 10 per cent,” he said.
Apart from being environmentally friendly, he said the project has created a source of income to coffee and rice farmers and has converted coffee and rice husks into valuable products the community can rely on to earn a living.
“We intend to increase substitution by up to 50 per cent and this means more families will benefit,” he said.
“Likewise, we shall have less emissions and hence a cleaner environment.”
There is currently a programme in Kasese District that aims at increasing coffee and rice production to harvest more husks for the plant.
Hima Cement requires 6MW of power to efficiently run. The plant pays between KES300 and KES400m monthly to electricity supplier Umeme in power bills.
Source: The Daily Monitor
Published under Cement News
