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Sugarcane could drive Sri Lankan cars
24th April, 2008
Sri Lanka could produce ethanol by cultivating 30,000 hectares of sugarcane
The total investment for the plan would be $150 million (€95.2 million).
'Although several successive governments have brought various proposals in the past to resolve this problem no one has been successful so far,' PSI chairman Ariyaseela Wickramanayake comments.
Wickramanayake says the country can immediately produce ethanol by cultivating 30,000 hectares around Pelwatte, Hingurana and Sevanagala factory areas while giving employment to 500,000 people in those areas directly and indirectly.
Apart from that 25 megawatt electricity could be produced in every factory and sugarcane leaves can be used to produce animal feed.
'All petrol cars in Brazil have to use ethanol made out of sugarcane from 2007 by law,' Wickramanayake adds. 'The US will use ethanol made out of seed oil for 75% of its cars by 2020. 'India does the same for 10-20% of its cars.'
