Cairo: Egypt is in talks to build a factory that would produce paper from sugarcane waste, the CEO of the Egyptian Sugar and Integrated Industries Co. said on Thursday, reports Egypts Today.
Essam al-Bedewy said the factory would be built in Nagaa Hamadi, Qena, and would cover an area of 60 feddans (270,000 square meters). It would cost LE4-5 billion (US$280-350 million) and would take 1.5 to 2 years to build.
The factory would use sugarcane waste, a byproduct of the sugar industry, as its raw material. Sugarcane waste is a renewable and sustainable resource, and its use to produce paper would help to reduce Egypt’s reliance on imported paper.
Bedewy also said that construction of a bioethanol factory would begin in December in collaboration with a foreign company. The factory would be located in Kom Ombo, Aswan, and would cover an area of 50,000 feddans (225 million square meters). It would cost LE3.5 billion (US$230 million) and would take 18-24 months to build.
The bioethanol factory would produce 62 million liters of bioethanol per year. Bioethanol is a renewable fuel that can be used to power vehicles and generate electricity.
The construction of the two factories is part of Egypt’s efforts to reduce its reliance on imported goods and to develop its renewable energy sector.
