Bionas signs MoU to construct $2.4bn biofuel factory in Kaduna

World’s largest biomass producers, Bionas, on Tuesday, signed a memorandum of understanding with Kaduna State Government to build a $2.4billion biomass biofuel factory, and $137million waste to wealth factory in Zaria city.

According to the group’s CEO, Mrs Zurina Amnan, she said Bionas will implement five blocks of 10,000 hectares in cultivating, jathropa plants in five different locations to produce the biomass and biofuel.

Amnan said they also planned to invest in waste-to-energy plant, where 1,000 pound of garbage daily will be processed to produce 258 megawatts (mw) of electricity to serve 96,000 houses without experiencing any waste or pollution.

Explaining that the Bionas Group will adopt the use of best and latest technology, she estimated the duration for the two projects to be between 18 months and two years.

She said: “Bionas is a consortium of companies that uses latest technology in producing biomass and biofuel from jathropa. Bionas is the world’s largest biomass producers using jathropa. Bionas is based in 52 countries across the world; it is made up of six companies in China, and 21 companies in Malaysia, with 30 years of experience in build, operate and transfer. We have developers, investors and builders, who can build a house in eight hours using eight workers.

“The MOU is a deal to implement five blocks of jathropa farm involving 50,000 hectares in five locations worth $2.4billion to provide employment for 38,750 people. We will build 15,635 fully furnished houses for these people with hospitals, schools, roads and other infrastructures. It will become a new town.

“We will implement and invest waste to energy plant, 1,000 pound of garbage in Zaria City at $137million; we will produce 258mw of electricity that can serve 96,000 houses without waste. After implementing the Kaduna project, we hope we can extend it to all states in Nigeria. We hope Kaduna will be the new green city in Nigeria and biomass headquarter, we have our factory ready in Zaria,” she said.

Governor Nasir el-Rufai, who signed the MoU on behalf of Kaduna state, said some few months ago the State Government signed an MOU with BATC on two development projects; jathropa and wealth to waste.

“I’m aware that you have incorporated a Nigerian company, you have brought financial and technical capacity to implement the project, while the State Government will create the enabling environment.

“We will do our bit to ensure you have the land, that the land is available, we are only waiting for this day to sign the MOU. For the waste to wealth project, the company is investing $137million, all will be private investment, the State Government will just provide the land. The project will create jobs for our youths in Kaduna state.”