Presscane Company to Produce Fertilizer and Address Bad Smell with New "Zero Liquid Discharge" Technology

Malawi: Presscane Company Limited, a subsidiary of Press Cooperation, has announced plans to produce fertilizer using its industrial effluent from ethanol production, writes Comfort Bulangete.

The technology, called "Zero Liquid Discharge," will also address the issue of a bad smell that has been a problem for the past five years.

In an interview with AfricaBrief, CEO Bryson Mkhomaanthu said, "The technology, which is called 'Zero Liquid Discharge' will enable the company to utilize the influent to make fertilizer, and hope that the intervention will address the problem of bad smell and ensure that people are living happily in their homes."

He added, "In the short term, we are using a back-loader machine and a truck to remove the sludge from the ponds and dispose of them at the Fombe place."

This announcement comes after residents have complained about the smell from the ponds where the company disposes of its ethanol by-product, known as molasses.

Group Village Headman Lauji has also lodged a complaint about the dumping of molasses and its impact on the health and comfort of his village.

GVH Lauji praised the company's commitment and asked for the ponds to be cleaned before the rainy season to prevent further odour issues.

He said, "I applaud the company for its commitment, but I ask Presscane to urgently desludge its ponds so that when the rain comes, people should not experience the same challenge of a bad smell."

The new technology has the capacity to produce 10,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer per year.