OMNICANE Ethanol Production

Limited
Installation and Operation of a
Distillery and Concentrated
Molasses Solids (CMS) Fertilizer
Blending Plant
at Omnicane Sugar Cluster, La
Baraque
Environmental Impact Assessment
October 2011

Arup SIGMA Ltd

19 Church Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
www.arup.com

OMNICANE Ethanol Production

Limited
Installation and Operation of a
Distillery and Concentrated
Molasses Solids (CMS) Fertilizer
Blending Plant
at Omnicane Sugar Cluster, La
Baraque
Environment Impact Assessment
EIA/2708/R001
Issue | October 2011

This report takes into account the particular

instructions and requirements of our client.
Arup SIGMA Ltd
19 Church Street
Port Louis
Mauritius
www.arup.com

It is not intended for and should not be relied

upon by any third party and no responsibility is
undertaken to any third party.

Job number

2708

OMNICANE ETHANOL PRODUCTION LTD

Installation and Operation of a Distillery and Concentrated Molasses Solids (CMS)
Fertilizer Blending Plant
at Omnicane Sugar Cluster - La Baraque

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The sugar industry has been the backbone of the Mauritian economy for decades. The
reduction of the guaranteed price of sugar (reaching 36% by 2009) under the Sugar Protocol
of the Lome Convention will result in substantial loss of earnings for the sector and the
National Economy.
The Multi Annual Adaptation Strategy (MAAS) prepared by the Government of Mauritius in
consultation with the stakeholders proposed a set of strategies with the objective to maintain
the commercial viability and sustainability of the sugar sector.
In line with the MAAS, OMNICANE (formerly Socit Usinire du Sud) has embarked in the
reform of the sugar sector since 2005 by implementing a number of strategies geared towards
maintaining the competitiveness and survival of the industry. The significant realisations
include: The centralisation of milling activities in the South onto La Baraque Sugar Factory,
reduction in workforce through blue print and Early Retirement Schemes (ERS), and the
setting up of a bagasse cogeneration power plant (CTSAV) next to the La Baraque Sugar
factory to provide the electricity and steam to the larger factory and generate more electricity
from bagasse, a renewable source of energy, for export to the national grid, a sugar refinery
to produce Granulated Refined Sugar that will bring added value and revenue to the sugar
planters and millers while alleviating the loss of earnings from the sale of raw sugar under the
Sugar Protocol.
The production of ethanol from molasses is an activity that conforms to the strategies of
MAAS.
Omnicane Ethanol Production Ltd (OEPL) intends to construct and operate a Distillery
complex adjacent to the sugar cluster at La Baraque, in the district of Grand-Port - Savanne.
The Distillery complex has several components, namely:

The Ethanol Distillery;

The Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Bottling Plant;
The Concentrated Molasses Solids (CMS) Evaporation Plant and CMS storage tanks;
The CMS Fertilizer Blending Plant; and
Associated infrastructure

EIA Installation and Operation of a Distillery and a CMS Fertilizer Blending Plant at La Baraque

Page II

The Distillery Complex will be able to produce:

o 15 million litres of Anhydrous Ethanol per annum from 65,000 tonnes of Molasses,
or up to 25 million litres of Hydrous Ethanol, from up to 90,000 tonnes of molasses
o 25 tonnes per day of Food Grade carbon dioxide (CO2) for local consumption in the
beverage Industry (25%) and export to the region (75%).
o 72,000 tonnes of Liquid Fertilisers for the Planters Community.
The implementation of the Distillery Project at La Baraque will result in the closure of the
Distillery of ALCODIS at Rose Belle.
The Alcodis Distillery has been the object of a technical audit carried out by PRAJ (India) in
June 2009. On the basis of the technical assessment, some of the process equipment of the
existing Distillery will be reused at the proposed Distillery.
Sources of Raw Materials: Molasses will be used as the main raw material for the
Distillery. The Distillery has a design capacity of 90 000 tonnes of molasses for a yearly
operating period of 330 days. About 45,000 tonnes of molasses are produced every year at La
Baraque. Hence 45 000 tonnes of molasses will be outsourced from other sugar factories in
Mauritius.

In conformity with the Environmental Protection Act 2002 as amended in 2008, an

environmental impact assessment has been prepared for the proposed Distillery.
Potential Negative Environmental Impacts
Potential negative environmental impacts of the proposed Distillery project have been
identified and the associated mitigation measures recommended. An environmental
monitoring plan is proposed at both construction and operation phases of the project to verify
the accuracy of the assessment and determine the effectiveness of the mitigation measures.
Potential negative environmental impacts are mainly associated with:
o Fugitive emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
o Generation of Vinasse, a by-product of the Distillery with a high organic
concentration load
o Reduced soil quality
o Decreased ground water quality
o Decreased surface water quality
o Fire hazards due to the flammability of ethanol
No or Insignificant Impacts
No or insignificant impacts on the following:
o
o
o
o
o

Visual and aesthetics of the Site

Potable water supply
Electricity supply
Telecommunications
Traffic flow in the vicinity

EIA Installation and Operation of a Distillery and a CMS Fertilizer Blending Plant at La Baraque

Page III

Positive Impacts
The positive impacts identified are:
Reduction in the loss of foreign earnings and increasing the commercial viability and
sustainability of the sugar industry in Mauritius
o Creation of skilled to highly skilled job opportunities
o Production of fuel grade ethanol that be used as a fuel mix locally thereby reducing
import of fossil fuel for the land transport sector with concomitant reduction in loss
of foreign currency or/and export of alcohol with revenue in foreign currency.
o

Environmental and Social Management Plan

A number of mitigation measures and monitoring requirement are identified in this
environmental impact assessment report. Some of the main measures include:
o Monitoring of Construction works and the environmental management plan including
conditions of the EIA licence forming part of the contractual obligations of all
contractors on site;
o Carry out a risk assessment for the storage and transport of ethanol;
o Development or updating of contingency plans as well emergency response plans;
o Monitoring of Quality of wastewater and treated effluent;
o Monitoring of the ambient noise level for the Distillery and generally for the sugar
cluster at La Baraque.

The production of ethanol from molasses is in conformity with the sector policy as elaborated in the
Multi Annual Adaptation Strategy (MAAS). MAAS has also been the object of a strategic
environmental assessment (SEA). This Project is in conformity with the recommendations of SEA.
The use of the anhydrous ethanol from the proposed Project to produce blended gasoline (E10)
conforms to the objectives of Maurice Ile Durable Project.

Mr. Grard CHASTEAU DE BALYON

Project Manager
OMNICANE

Dr. Patrick HAREL

M.Sc., D.U.S., Ph.D.
Director
ARUP SIGMA

Dr. Alan SAM-SOON

BSc (Chem. Eng) Ph. D. (Eng)
Consultant
ARUP SIGMA