D1-BP declares over 20 employees redundant
By Chibaula Silwamba
Monday April 07, 2008 [04:00]
A BIOFUEL producing company,
D1-BP Fuel Crops Zambia Limited has declared over 20 Zambian employees redundant with immediate effect. D1-BP Fuel Crops Limited is a joint venture between BP and D1 Oils plc, whose aim is to make more sustainable biodiesel feedstock available commercially through the planting and cultivation of Jatropha curcas, a low-cost, sustainable biodiesel feedstock.
According to a compulsory redundancy scheme notice for 2008, obtained by The Post, D1-BP Fuel Crops Zambia Limited intends to implement with immediate effect a compulsory redundancy scheme.
“The main reasons for implementing this scheme are as follows: the company’s strategy is to become focused on the operations side of the business. The South African office is integrally involved in overseeing, directing and supporting that strategy,” the notice stated. “The functions of the administration office (administration and financial support services) will now be performed by the South African office.”
D1-BP Fuel Crops stated that consequently, the administration office would be closed down immediately, resulting in the redundancy of all administration and finance positions.
It stated that the scheme would render the employment of all administration and finance personnel redundant and to define the terminal benefits payable to such personnel.
“The scheme is applicable to all the company finance and administration staff appointed in-country,” the company stated. “Staff will be required to leave immediately and will be paid one month’s salary in lieu of notice unless there are business reasons to agree a later departure date.”
When contacted for a comment, D1-BP Fuel Crops Zambia Limited operations manager Rudolf Oosthuizen declined to comment and referred all queries to the office in South Africa.
“Where did you get that information? I have no comment. If you want any comment contact our office in South Africa, they might give a comment,” said Oosthuizen.
Labels: BIOFUELS, JATHROPA, LABOUR
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Australian firm begins producing bio-diesel
By Nomusa Michelo
Thursday December 13, 2007 [03:00]
AN Australian company Oval Biofuels has begun the production of bio-diesel in Lusaka’s industrial area, Biofuels Association of Zambia director Bruno Chisambo revealed. In an interview yesterday, Chisambo said the Oval Biolfuels started bio-diesel production two weeks ago and is producing 3,000 litres of bio diesel per day.
“Already we have some companies that have set up refineries, have set up bio-diesel plants in Lusaka,” he said. “Oval Biofuels Limited for instance have set up a refinery and they are producing 3,000 litres of bio-diesel per day and they are in Lusaka, it’s an Australian company.”
Chisambo said Oval biofuels was using Soya beans to produce bio-diesel.
“They are not using jatropha, but they are using Soya beans as an energy crop but eventually they will be using jatropha when it is available in masses as feed stock,” he said.
Chisambo said with the increasing cost of petroleum oil, it was important that more bio-energy refineries were set up with the increased growing of bio-energy crops.
“On the average per hectare you are able to get 1,500 litres of jatropha oil per hectare,” he said. “So you can see how that can benefit the country. You are aware that the country imports 100 percent of petroleum products and it will go a long way.”
And Chisambo said the country currently consumes 1.5 million litres of diesel, 450,000 litres of petrol and 50,000 litres of paraffin per day. Chisambo also said growing bio-energy crops should not have a negative impact on food security as crops such as jatropha could be grown along side food crops.
“We have ample land in this country and this is why we are promoting jatropha because it is a non-edible plant which won’t compete with food crops and we are encouraging our farmers to grow it as a fence,” he said.
Chisambo said farmers could also plan their plantations in a way that would allow them to intercrop.
“This is why we at Biofuels Association of Zambia we are saying on bio-diesel that we are going to promote jatropha and for those that are planting bigger hectares we are recommending to grow palm oil,” he said. “On the bio-ethanol we are recommending sugar cane. We are also recommending sweet sorghum, which can easily be grown by small-scale farmers.”
Labels: AUSTRALIA, BIOFUELS, BIOFUELS ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA, JATHROPA, OVAL BIOFUELS
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