Komenda Sugar Factory to test run by July ending – Minister
The Komenda Sugar Factory is projected to undertake a production test run by the end of July 2022, Mr Alan Kyerematen, the Minister of Trade and Industry, has informed Parliament.
He said the Factory, which was currently under-going major retooling and repair works, was about 98 per cent complete.
Mr Kyerematen made the revelation on the floor of Parliament in his response to a question by Mr Yusif Sulemana, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bole-Bamboi, who wanted to know from the Minister the state of the Komenda Sugar Factory.
The Minister in his account of the state of the factory said installation of new pipeline to and from the plant to the molasses tank was 100 per cent complete; adding that refractors and lagging work in the boiler furnace and chimneys are 100 per cent complete.
He said vacuum and water testing at boiler house had been completed and that the boiler had started working, while steam pressure test was ongoing for turbine to generate power of 3-megawatt (MW) electricity output.
Mr Kyerematen said equipment and machinery at the Millhouse, Boiling House, Boiler and Powerhouse sections of the factory had all been overhauled, repaired and components replaced where necessary.
He said raw sugar refining, enhancing from 8-10 tons per hour to 16-20 tons per hour had been completed.
He said electrical and instrument work with all the motors and the boiler section had been maintained and repaired, whereas construction of a new water reservoir of two million-litre capacity was completed and that the existing was 150,000 litres only.
The Minister said sandblasting to remove rust and prevent further corrosion of equipment to maintain the integrity of all mental surfaces at the factory had been completed.
He said construction of new chemical storage warehouse, new canteen, new washrooms for both genders were ongoing.
He said a new warehouse for raw sugar jumbo bag of one ton to 5,000 tons capacity for the storage of sugar was ongoing, stating that new baggage carrier platform construction work was completed.
Mr Kyerematen said the turbine for electricity production had been overhauled and it is under production test.
“Mr Speaker, with respect to civil works, the whole factory building, and warehouse have been re-roofed to stop leakages and corrosion.”
He said raw material warehouse as well as the fencing of the factory were currently under construction.
The Minister said four acres of nursery land had been prepared for the cultivation of sugarcane to support sugarcane development in the catchment area; adding that there were further plans to expand it to 500 acres after the commencement of operations.
He said in addition, to the above, the Board of the Company was finalizing negotiations with traditional authorities to secure about 20,000 acres of land required for the plantation development in Sekyere Obuasi and Sekyere Hemeng in the Wassa East District.
Touching on another question by Mr Sulemana on the state of the Ghana Trade Fair Centre, Mr Kyerematen said the Trade Fair site was undergoing a major development exercise.
He said at the core of this transformation was the development of a state-of-the-art, world class convention and exhibition centre and a mix use commercial facility including hotels, corporate officers and retail and leisure centre.
“Mr Speaker, the activities have been completed in respect of redevelopment exercise; project concept, and masterplan, design finalized; land tittle secured; and the site cleared in readiness for construction works to commence,” Mr Kyerematen said.
He said the Ghana Trade Fair Company was currently engaged with private sector investors to come to financial close for the syndication of financing for the project.
Source: GNA