Local company announces production of ethanol from cassava

Ghana’s first ethanol plant at Hodzo, in the Ho Municipality has produced 150,000 litres of ethanol from cassava between June and December, 2016.

Kasapreko Company Limited (KCL), a large importer of ethanol, with 40 per cent shares in Caltech Ventures, operators of the plant, lifted the product.

Mr Chris Quarshie, Managing Director, Caltech Ventures, told the Ghana News Agency that the feat followed 10 years of producing high quality cassava flour for the local market.

He said after successfully going through the learning curve, the Company was getting stabilized to triple its production in two years.

Mr Quarshie said carbon dioxide and biogas production plants would be installed within the year for full scale production in 2019.

He called for government support to turn Ho, Adaklu and Abutia, cassava growing areas into a processing hub and increase the production of ethanol to reduce the country’s import.

Mr Quarshie also appealed to government to fast track work on the Ho-Hodzo road to open up the area.

Ghana is said to import about 70 million litres of ethanol yearly.

Source: GNA