Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen Discloses 98% Completed Komenda Sugar Factory Begins Test Run In July

• Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen has disclosed that restoration works on the Komenda Sugar factory are 98% complete
• The minister told Parliament that the factory can begin test production of sugar as early as July this year
• The factory was built at a cost of $35 million from an Indian EXIM Bank facility but it was soon closed down over challenges

Trade minister, Alan Kyerematen, has disclosed that Komenda Sugar Factory is 98% complete, promising that it would begin test runs in July 2022.

The Minister told Parliament on Tuesday that major restoration works have been completed on the factory equipment.

The minister was answering questions from MPs on the state of the sugar factory that became a hot topic after it was shut down.

The Komenda Sugar Factory was built at a cost of $35 million from an Indian EXIM Bank facility, but it was soon closed down over a myriad of challenges, one of them being a lack of raw materials.

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The trade and industry minister said the following projects have been completed as part of refurbishing:

• Installation of a new pipeline to and from the plant to the molasses stand is 100% complete.
• Refectories and lagging work and boiler furnace and chimneys are 100% complete.
• Vacuum and water testing at the boiler house have been completed. The boiler has started working and a steam pressure test is ongoing for the turbine to generate power of roughly 3 megawatts of electricity output.
• Equipment and machinery at the mill house, boiler and power sections have all been overhauled, repaired and components replaced where necessary.
• Electrical and instrumentation work with all motors in the boiler section have been maintained and repaired.
• Construction of a new water reservoir of 2 million litre capacity has been completed and this is an enhancement from the existing reservoir of 150,000 litres which was inherited.
• Some blasting to remove rust and further corrosion of equipment to maintain the integrity of all the metal surfaces at the factory has been completed.
• Construction of new chemical storage warehouse, canteen and new washroom for both genders are ongoing.
• A new warehouse for raw sugar which would have a jumbo bag of between 1 tone to 5,000 tonnes capacity for the storage of sugar is currently ongoing.
• New begat carrier platforms construction work has been completed.
• The turbine for electricity production has been overhauled and it is currently under production test.
• Concerning civil works, the whole factory building and warehouse have been reroofed to stop leakages and corrosion.
• The raw material warehouse, as well as the fencing of the entire factory premises, are under construction.

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The minister also dismissed allegations that the previous government has caused financial loss to the state by not opening the factory.

Give me Komenda sugar factory I can revive it - John Dumelo to gov't

YEN.com.gh reported previously that Ghanaian actor and, John Dumelo claims he can rescue the Komenda sugar factor from its current bad state if he is given the authorization.

In a tweet, he added that he can change the fortune of the factory within a year and a half. Dumelo also made references to some numbers, he says, will make the difference.

Even though he didn't mention any name, it is obvious that his call is to President Nana Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo-led government.

Source: YEN.com.gh