Italian Fri-el Greenpower to Produce Biofuel in Congo

The Italian-based plant Fri-el green, will start its palm oil and biofuel production activities in Congo , according to an agreement signed Monday in Brazzaville by its Manager Director, Thomas Gosthener, and the Congolese Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Rigobert Maboundou.

Under the agreement whose costs are yet to be specified, the Congolese government must yield, for a period of 30 years, 40,000 hectares of land to the Italian company which has taken over the assets of the former Sangha Palm and the National Authority of Palm grove of Congo (RNPC), located respectively in Etoumbi and Owando, in the district of Cuvette (north).

As a state-owned palm oil production plant, Sangha Palm had ceased its activities in the 1980s.

In addition to palm oil and biofuel production, Fri-el green also plans to rehabilitate and create new plantations, factories and related infrastructures.

Congo has 8.2 million hectares of farmland, 15% of which are exploited. Italy is one of the three external partners seeking nearly 1.75 million hectares of land to cultivate oil palm to be used in bio-diesel production.

Source African Press Agency

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