Angolan company Companhia de Bioenergia de Angola (Biocom), based in Maçlange province, is expected to start sugar and ethanol production in 2014, the chairman of Capanda agro-industrial hub management company Sociedade de Desenvolvimento do Pólo Agro-Industrial de Capanda (Sodepac), Carlos Fernandes, said Tuesday.

The company, which is part of the Capanda Agro-Industrial Hub , is a partnership of the Angolan state, via the National Private Investment Agency (ANIP) and Sonangol Holding, with a 20 percent stake and Angolan group Damer and Brazilian group Odebrecht, each with 40 percent.

Fernandes said that Biocom’s overall investment is estimated at 25 billion kwanzas (US$197.5 million), and it plans to produce 2 million tons of sugar cane to produce 260,000 tons of sugar and 30 million litres of ethanol.

It will also produce 28 megawatt hours of electricity, which will be added to the Capanda/Cacuso high voltage transmission line, some 70 kilometres west of the city of Malange.

As well as allowing Angola to reduce its sugar imports the project will create 500 direct jobs and 700 indirect jobs, said the chairman of Sodepac. (macauhub)