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Expansion

Factory Expansion

  • Expanded the Nucleus Estate cane supply by adding 1,000 Ha of new land, improving cane varieties and husbandry, and increasing irrigation.
  • Expanded the Outgrowers Area in phases to supply over 1.25 million tonnes of cane per year
  • Expanded the Kakira factory in phases to:
    • Installed 4,000 TCD
    • Then 5,000 TCD and
    • Eventually 6,000 TCD.

Kakira Expansion Project

Planning for Success through Innovation

With a population of over 30 million, Uganda's current per capita sugar consumption is 10.7 kg pa – with about 325,000 tonnes (MT) of sugar being consumed each year.

The total quantity of sugar produced in Uganda in 2009 was 287,000 MT – the balance is made up through imports of sugar.

As economic prosperity and population increase, Uganda’s demand for sugar will grow.

Expansion 2004-2008

From 2004 to 2008, Kakira undertook a comprehensive expansion program at a cost of over US$ 50 million. The project was funded by:

  • Long-term loans from the Netherlands Development Finance Co. (FMO) and the East African Development Bank (with refinancing by the World Bank under the Ugandan Energy for Rural Transformation (ERT) Project).
  • Medium-term loans from local commercial banks - including Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank and Stanbic bank.
  • Contributions from the promoters.

In addition, the biomass based cogeneration component was awarded a Global Environment Facility grant under Uganda’s ERT Programme for 6MW electricity supply to the grid during the peak-period (6h/d). Moreover, Kakira applied to UNFCCC for the Carbon Emission Reductions for the incremental electricity supply which was increased to 12MW 24/d.

There was a complete overhaul of certain operations and installation of more equipment to achieve a crushing rate of 280 tonnes cane per hour (TCH) - over 6,000 TCD.  In addition new equipment was installed for additional electric power co-generation.

The Cane Yard

  • Four unloaders and four feed tables
  • An additional cane unloading gantry together with four new cranes of 10 tonnes each (two 7.5 tonne cranes of the old gantry were replaced).

The Milling House

  • A parallel Fletcher and Smith Milling Tandem, along with new equipment for cane preparation and processing.
  • Refurbishing of the existing Pomini mill.
  • Upgrading the Fibrizor turbine to 1400 BHP to cater for the additional crushing.

And in the Processing Plant…

  • Refurbishing of the clarifier, juice heaters and evaporators.
  • Two additional pans
  • Three crystallisers
  • A continuous vacuum pan and vertical crystalliser
  • Two batch-type centrifugal machines
  • Three continuous centrifugal machines

Process Automation

  • Controls installed at the boilers for steam and water flow, feed-water regulation, and steam pressure stabilization.
  • Juice flow stabilisation and evaporator automation.

A new Turbo-Alternator

  • A 3MW Turbo-alternator to augment existing power generation capacity for in-house use.

A new Powerhouse

  • Construction of a spacious new powerhouse, a 60x36m structure, 20m high, designed to accommodate the new turbo-alternator as well as future electricity generation expansion.

Strengthening the Power Distribution System

  • Panels, cables, instruments, controls, etc.
  • A modern synchronisation scheme, together with bus ducts and synchronisation panels.

Increased Steam Power

  • Revamping of Kakira's 20 bar boilers + erection of an additional 20 bar boiler of 30 tonnes per hour capacity.

The new Electric Power Co-generation Plant

Planned Further Expansion 2010-2012

Based on Kakira’s experience so far, we envisage that there is adequate potential to expand total cane supply to 2 million tonnes per year (2,000,000 TCY) by the year 2012.

The Madhvani Group has therefore decided to expand the Kakira plant to a capacity of around 315 TCH (say 7,200 TCD) and expand its cogeneration plant to utilise all the additional bagasse (fibrous residual of cane) from the expanded project considering the continuing power shortage in Uganda.

Kakira Sugar appointed J. P. Mukherji & Associates Pvt Ltd [JPMA] of India in June 2009 to prepare a Techno Commercial Evaluation of this Expansion Proposal.  The Consultants’ report has confirmed the technical feasibility of:

  1. Crushing 2,000,000 TCY and
  2. Increasing KSL’s electricity generation to sell an additional 20 MW to the grid.

The expansion project includes implementing steam efficiency measures in the existing factory to make more steam available for electricity generation.

According to the JPMA Report, the total expansion project cost is estimated at US$ 65 million.

Project implementation has commenced with the ordering of a 3 MW turbine and 60 ton batch pan to ensure that the Kakira capacity is increased to 1,800,000 TCY in the financial year 2010/11.  Kakira has also replaced the steam turbine drives on one of its two milling trains with high HP electric motors.

The other factory project components include:

  • Cane yard expansion,
  • Second mill drive electrification,
  • New juice heaters,
  • New SRI design clarifier,
  • Conversion of evaporators to a DEVC/Quad set,
  • Second B continuous vacuum pan with a receiving crystallizer,
  • Single entry condensers. 

All of these will be procured shortly and the expanded project is expected to be commissioned by July 2012.  After the completion of the expansion project, KSW will produce 180,000 tonnes of sugar each year.

Simulataneously, Kakira’s cogeneration capacity will also be expanded.
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