Clean Development Projects Ltd has signed an agreement with a Tunisian cement company to develop a 500,000 hectare (1.2 million acre) bioenergy plantation. The oil from that plantation will be used to power cement plants in Tunisia, reducing emissions by more than 2million tonnes of CO2 per year over the next 40 years, Further, the 574,500,000 trees will sequester more than 1 million tonnes of CO2 every year for 40 years.
Clean Development Projects Limited is a London based company with the sole purpose of promoting and facilitating sustainability in energy. Primarily the Company works in the developing world in projects which are centred on bioenergy but supplemented with other forms, for example hybrid bio-wind-solar schemes. Further the Company is working in partnership with industry partners to develop schemes such as this where biological energy stores can be harvested and used in what was previously one of the dirtiest industries we have.
Working with the local partner, Clean Development Projects will initially make a detailed study of the land allocated by the Government in Tunisia. This study will examine the soil, topography, meteorology, demographics and much more to enable the Company specialists to devise a strategy and draw up a plan for the development of the plantations.
Clean Development Projects uses a proprietary eco-agri technology, similar to organic principles, which is designed to capitalise on the natural ecology of the plants to be used. This requires far less fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides that the usually used around the world. Further it helps restore degraded land and promotes biodiversity.
Beyond the green issues, Clean Development Projects is keen to support the local community. It creates employment opportunities for the local residents by adequately planning the usage of manpower required to maintain such a plantation (traditional methods require one man for 6 hectares, an area 300 x 200m). The target workforce comprises of people from the least privileged parts of society. Therefore the Company together with local partners works to provide education and health care where these are not easily obtained (or at least to supplement the local Government provided services). This includes health, disability and life insurances to ensure the people are well provided for. These efforts are largely funded by trading the carbon credits raised from the plantation.
Where Clean Development Projects work with independent farmers, the Company ensures fair trade pricing using International indices to price the crops purchased. The same principles will be used to ensure the workers are properly paid. For example, workers are encouraged to use the spaces between rows of bioenergy crop to cultivate food crops for their families and keep bees and hens for food and some extra income.
Development will begin in the summer of 2011 and the first crop will be expected in the early spring of 2013. Clean Development Projects are available to assist with any bioenergy project worldwide.
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