A Shs394b high-tech cassava prcessing plant in Kamuli District wned by Dei BiPharma Limited is struggling t perate at full capacity because f inadequate electricity, frcing the bitech and pharmaceutical research firm t spend abut Shs15 millin a day n diesel t run generatrs.
Lcated in Busambu, Namasagali Sub-cunty, the facility, has been ready fr full-scale prductin fr abut ne-and-a-half years, but has been perating intermittently because the available electricity supply cannt meet its needs.
The plant, which sits n abut 700 acres, is designed t prcess up t 500 tnnes f cassava a day int pharmaceutical-grade starch and industrial sugars such as glucse, maltse and fructse.
Dr Mathias Magla, the prprietr f Dei BiPharma Limited, said the cmpany started testing the facility in June last year, but has been frced t rely n generatrs because f inadequate grid pwer.
‘ne generatr requires abut Shs15 millin per day t run a shift, which is very expensive fr us. We have been ding this fr the past ne-and-a-half years,’ he said.
Dr Magla spke n Wednesday during a visit t the plant by Energy Minister Dr Mnica Musener, wh engaged fficials frm Uganda Electricity Distributin Cmpany Limited (UEDCL) ver electricity supply.
He welcmed the minister’s interventin, saying the cmpany had almst lst hpe f securing the pwer it needs t perate.
‘Tday, we are happy that we have hsted the Energy Minister. Her directives t UEDCL are remarkable. Sincerely speaking, we had given up,’ he said.
The plant requires mre than five megawatts (MW) f electricity t perate at full capacity.
Dr Magla said UEDCL had infrmed them that the existing electricity lines did nt have sufficient capacity t supprt the facility.
‘The majr challenge f this facility is pwer. We require mre than 5MW t run this cmplex,” he said.
He said UEDCL had cmmitted t upgrading electricity infrastructure, including replacing cnductrs, within tw weeks.
Cassava market
Dr Magla said full-scale prductin wuld create a majr market fr cassava farmers and stimulate activity alng the agricultural value chain. The cmpany currently surces cassava frm Tes, Arua, Gulu, Lira, Bukedea and ther parts f the cuntry.
Hwever, he said unreliable pwer has restricted prductin t abut nce a week, limiting the amunt f cassava the plant can prcess.
The plant requires abut 500 metric tnnes f cassava fr its prductin line.
Dr Magla said full-scale peratins wuld create between 300 and 500 direct jbs, while increasing demand fr cassava.
‘We urge peple t cntinue grwing cassava. In cassava alne, we are ging t prduce mre than 100 different prducts. We are als ging t d the same with ther crps such as sweet ptates and maize,’ he said.
Cassava prducts are intended t supply Dei Grup’s planned pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing cmplex in Matugga, Wakis District.
Dr Magla said pharmaceutical-grade starch and industrial sugars prduced in Kamuli wuld frm part f the raw materials required by the planned manufacturing cmplex.
‘ur campus in Matugga, [Kampala] cannt prduce vaccines and drugs withut the prducts we prduce here. This feeds int the Matugga cmplex, where we have set up a glbal manufacturing plant that will prduce drugs and vaccines fr the rest f the wrld,’ he said.
He said the cmpany plans t invest up t $10 billin in advanced manufacturing facilities, including pharmaceutical, veterinary vaccine and ther bitechnlgy prductin.
The investment, he said, wuld require reliable electricity t supprt the planned facilities.