Projects

During 2012-14 Booker Tate undertook pre-feasibility and bankable feasibility studies of the Massingir concession area in Gaza District of Mozambique for TSB Sugar International Ltd. The study objectives were 37 500 ha of irrigated sugarcane, 1 000 ha of food security crops, and an 800 tph sugar factory with ethanol plant and co-generation facility.

The gross survey area for soil and topographical mapping extended to 61 000 ha, all located on the right bank of the Rio dos Elefantes downstream of Massingir dam, a multi-purpose flood control and irrigation dam with capacity of 2 844 Mm3. The study elements undertaken directly by Booker Tate staff included:

Study coordination and management

• Establishment and administration of MAI
• Land use, water use, and environmental permitting
• Agronomy and agricultural planning
• Sugar factory definition and outline design
• Marketing and logistics
• Capital and operating cost estimates
• Financial modeling and sensitivity analysis
• Project risk exposure analysis
• Value engineering
• Workshop presentations

Booker Tate also took charge of management and supervision of several third-party consultants, suppliers and contractors undertaking:

• Soil and land suitability surveys
• Satellite and aerial survey mapping
• Environmental and social impact surveys
• Geotechnical investigations
• Market research
• Project village design and planning
• Nursery area development and operations
• Community outgrower study

The project embraced 13 communities located between the Rio dos Elefantes and the MAI lands. The communities were engaged and consulted on their aspirations for the project and they committed to growing 2 500 ha of sugarcane on a commercial basis. In addition, the communities would benefit from new job opportunities and improved infrastructure. The studies concluded that the project was technically, financially and economically viable but not sufficiently to reach financial closure and implementation. Greenfield agribusiness projects are very much sensitive to commodity prices.