May 04, 2005, 14:30
A 45 000 hectare nursery, where an initial four million Jatropha Curcas trees will be planted and grown to produce biodiesel, has officially been opened by Darkey Africa, North West MEC for finance and economic development.
Close to a thousand people turned out for the launch of the R500 million project at Fetumo Dam, outside Mafikeng. The nursery is located on land belonging to the Barolong BooRatshidi tribal administration, who will enjoy a 45% stake in the company managing the project.
Barry Morkel, departmental spokesperson, said some people in the community were so overjoyed they burst into tears. "In the first phase the project will create 800 new jobs," said Morkel. "In the next two phases, a further 2 000 jobs will be created."
Cheap and effective
Biodiesel has been discussed since the Second World War and is cheap and effective, said Gaba Tabane, the chief executive officer of Invest North West. The fuel is manufactured from sunflower oil or non-edible seeds from trees, such as Jatropha Curcas, with high oil content. Tabane added that the fuel would be used by motorists using diesel vehicles and for industrial purposes.
Biodiesel could also be used at mines and would reduce costs and harmful emissions. Tabane explained that one ton (1 000 litres) of biodiesel would be produced from each 100 hectares of trees, which have a life and production cycles of 25 to 30 years and were renewable.
Role players
Tabane said that over nine years, over R500 million would be invested in the project and over 10 000 jobs created. He said that expansion was on the cards and that the North West provincial government would have invested R14 million by the end of next year. The first batch of biodiesel, harvested from the trees, was expected in a year and a half, said Tabane.
The role players at national level were the treasury department, the departments of science and technology, energy affairs, agriculture, forestry, fuel processing associations and the motor industry. At provincial level the role players were the Barolong BooRatshidi, the provincial government, Invest North West, the universities of the North West and Pretoria and a company called Afbia. - Sapa
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