Maple plants feedstock for $254m bioenergy project

bioenergy equipment Articles >> South America

In northern Peru energy company Maple Energy is looking to commence the first phase of its ethanol and biomass project before the end of the year.

Phase one of this $254 million (€191.4 million) development will see Maple Energy plant 7,800 hectares of sugarcane in the main estate.

Upon construction, the plant, which is slated for mid-2011, will convert 5,000 tonnes per day of sugarcane into 35 million gallons of ethanol annually and 37MW of renewable energy from the bagasse. 17MW of this will be will sold to the National Grid.

The Macacara pump station is substantially completed and is currently in operation extracting water from the Chira River for delivery through a pipeline and canal system to the 660,000m3 Macacara Reservoir which is completed and operational.

The El Arenal pump station is currently under construction with a significant portion of the civil works completed. The two river pump stations will be used to supply all the water requirements for the 7,800 hectares being developed in the first phase. Work is also underway on the 40km main water transport system and drip irrigation systems are being installed.

Some of the industrial equipment needed at the biofuel and biopower plants have either been shipped to Peru or are due to be shipped, while other parts of equipment are still being manufactured.

As Europe will be Maple Energy’s target export market, the company has already begun building the storage, loading and export facilities near Paita port.

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