Biomass: the energy answer for Swaziland
Swaziland could become the first African country to become totally powered by renewable energy, writes Alexander Matthews
It’s early days, but the prospect of Swaziland becoming the first African country to become totally powered by renewable energy is looking increasingly bright. Ushering in this green revolution is a 35MW biomass power plant to be developed by the kingdom’s largest timber company, Montigny Investments, by 2020. "Using the offcuts from our sawmilling and forestry harvesting processes to produce power allows Montigny to increase the value we extract out of each tree sustainably, which is our ultimate goal," Kelly Cure, the company’s head of strategic initiatives, says. "We view the forests as an interconnected ecosystem full of opportunities, which is why we are involved in many markets outside of traditional forestry and sawmilling — including essential oils, resin tapping and honey harvesting." The plant will be built at Bhunya mill, located within Montigny’s 76,000ha Usutu Forest Estate in western Swaziland. The location is ideal: harvest areas — where forest biomass can be gathered...
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