“Our decision to work with ESCOM on this initiative guided by our purpose of creating a thriving Malawian community through the provision of affordable food and energy.” Lekani Katandula, Illovo Sugar Malawi plc Managing Director.
Illovo Sugar Malawi plc remains mindful of the role that the company plays when it comes to environmental conservation and climate change through sustainable practices within its operations.
As a result, the company is committed to minimizing any negative impacts that its operations may have on the environment, or which may contribute to climate change. Key on the company’s agenda is energy conservation, the company has embarked on a joint initiative with ESCOM that will provide additional power to new and existing customers on the national grid by finding more efficient ways of power utilisations within its operations.
Speaking on the issue the company’s Managing Director Mr Lekani Katandula stated
“Our decision to work with ESCOM on this initiative guided by our purpose of creating a thriving Malawian community through the provision of affordable food and energy. Therefore, we are optimizing some of our requirements by shifting our irrigation patterns to take more power during off peak hours which enables the business to reduce its peak time power requirements from ESCOM thereby enabling the latter to provide increased access to power for new and existing users in the country.” Illovo currently reduced its power demand by 4MW during the off-peak period through this shifting of irrigation practices.
The company is also finalizing, plans to improve the use of its own power with ESCOM support, so that it can further reduce its power demand from ESCOM. It is planned that some of the plans will be implemented by end July 2022. Such collaborative initiatives are critical for ESCOM and all other companies to improve access to power for all Malawians and to promote the growth of businesses in the country.
Sugar Malawi plc is on a drive to enhance its efforts towards environmental conservation as well as sustain the existing biodiversity surrounding its operations, whilst reducing waste and pollution by partnering with its staff, communities, and other stakeholders. Commenting on the issue the company’s Managing Director Mr Katandula stated that
“Our staff, communities and other stakeholders are sensitized and engaged in the importance of environmental protection with the worsening of the global climate crisis. We have a number of practices and programs within our operations that ensure environmental preservation”
Some of the activities to curb environmental degradation currently in use at Illovo include:
• Overall Water Management by using effluent water treatment plants and sewage ponds to purify wastewater for irrigation
• Management of solid, liquid and gaseous waste by following government set standards and segregation of waste at all sites for recycling and burning using incinerators.
• Land Conservation/Restoration using Bamboo plantations and tree planting exercises in surrounding communities
• Water conservation using drip irrigation rather than furrow
• Biodiversity by conservation of animals and vegetation at Nyala Park. The company has stated that it remains committed to working on ways that ensure it continuously improves its practices as well as support national initiatives where possible on the same.
Mr Katandula stated further stated that sustainability is key for the business to achieve its goals in preservation.
“Businesses cannot survive if the environment around them is failing. Therefore, we will relook at our sustainability practices and deliberately work on ensuring that we continuously improve in these areas” stated Mr Katandula.
Ends For more information please contact: Chifundo Kalonga on email: CKalonga@illovo.co.za mobile +265 888 395 861 About Illovo Sugar (Malawi) plc Illovo Sugar (Malawi) plc is listed on the Malawi Stock Exchange with 76% of the issued share capital held by the Illovo group and the balance by public and other institutional investors.
The corporate office is based at Limbe with two operations at Nchalo in the south of Malawi and Dwangwa in the mid-central region, producing sugar cane and raw and refined sugar, together with specialty sugars at Nchalo.
Illovo Malawi is the country’s sole sugar producer with more than 60% of total sugar sales sold to domestic consumer and industrial markets, and the balance exported to preferential markets in the EU and the USA, and the surrounding region.