Buchanan Renewables Power (BRP) began commercial operations in Liberia two years ago with a complete rejuvenation package for the non-producing rubber tree estates. The deal for the farmers includes $2 per tonne of tree trunks, free of cost re-plantation and for self-use or sale tree remnants which do not go into the production of wood chips.

Liberia is estimated to have more than 600,000ha of overgrown and moribund rubber farms. The new model of rubber re-plantation rids of farmers’ laborious task of re-claiming their estates by cutting down trees and re-planting them spending money without revenues for a long period. After planting, the trees take nearly seven years to start producing rubber.

Usually rubber trees need to be replaced once they are over 25 years old, and most of them in Liberia are between 30 and 60 years old. While helping farmers, the new project will also provide electricity to communities in the vicinity as well as has opened up exports to the woodchip markets of Europe.

BRP uses massive diggers to uproot trees and a giant mincer to produce rubber wood chips out of the trunks. The company has exported 45,000MT of chips last year with contracts of about 90,000MT for this year; and plans to clear 10,000ha annually.

The Buchanan claims that it has the capacity to produce 400,000 tonnes of woodchips per annum. Besides, on many farms, it has been able to plant two trees for every one that has been harvested.

For Liberia it means that many of its citizens will be re-injected to the market with jobs and businesses, a dire need of the country that promises opportunities and improved living standards after the end of seven years of civil war. BRP says its vision is to achieve success in Liberia and repeat this model in other countries in Africa and, to the extent possible, worldwide.

The firm which emphasizes on cheap, environment-friendly and sustainable energy production with a social commitment to Liberia is putting back some of its revenues for power generation using the locally sourced wood chips. However, the proposed 35MW power generation plant at Monrovia which is supposed to provide electricity for half the price has not been installed yet even two years after its approval.

Toboc Trade News

The renewed interest in uranium has taken the mining companies around the world towards the African continent. The countries of Africa currently engaged in mining are Niger, Congo, Malawi, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. The demand for uranium has increased the prices by manifold in the early half of 2007 to $136 per pound before falling back to $93. Most mining companies bet on the African nations because they provide cheap labor and high grade output.

African Energy Resources Ltd., an Australian-owned mining outfit, is drilling on the southern border of Zimbabwe. Canadian-owned mining outfit, Equinox Ltd. is active in the Zambia’s northwestern region. Another Australian firm Paladin Energy Limited is successfully able to mine in the border region of Botswana.

Nuclear energy currently dishes out 16 percent of the world’s electricity need. The percentage is expected to grow as nations invest in alternatives that are cheaper and cleaner than fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas.

There are currently about 440 nuclear reactors around the world. Sixteen are due to retire by 2013, 33 are under construction, 94 are planned and another 222 proposed. As more electricity is produced using uranium, the prices are too expected to rise. Yet uranium will remain one of the cheapest sources of energy until thorium becomes technologically viable.

Toboc Trade News