Five years ago, PRO Industries identified an opportunity in Uganda’s nascent green energy sector and conducted a thorough assessment.
Then, in 2020, Uganda had just passed the Biofuels Act, along with a new policy mandating ethanol blending in petrol, creating a powerful incentive for domestic ethanol production.
The policy allows fuel dealers to initially blend 5% ethanol into petrol, with plans to raise the quantity to 20% as supply increases.
This initiative is expected to cut Uganda’s $2 billion annual petroleum import bill while promoting cleaner, locally produced energy.
PRO Industries set shop in Luwero District in central Uganda, taking advantage of abundant maize supplies in the region.
Five years later, the UIA investment licensee is now reputably the largest extra-neutral alcohol (ENA) and ethanol processing plant in East Africa.
The Luwero-based $100-million-dollar plant produces 120,000 litres of ENA and 35,000 litres of ethanol per day, with plans to expand production to 200,000 litres per day in 2026.
According to Vasundhara Oswal, the company’s chief executive, they saw an opportunity in Uganda’s move toward energy sovereignty as a huge opportunity, hence the massive investment in ethanol production.
She says Uganda’s huge agricultural potential was also another pull factor.
Oswal says that although her family had no direct ties to Uganda before, they have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. For example, her father set up one of the world’s largest ammonia plants in Australia.
Building a local supply chain
PRO Industries’ supply chain is in Luwero, where thousands of maize farmers are roped in. In addition to encouraging the farmers to form cooperatives to streamline engagement, reduce risk, and ensure payments reach the intended beneficiaries, the company is also working with Stanbic Bank to create financing options where farmers can access 50% to 70% loans against purchase orders.
New product lines for the EAC market
PRO Industries produces a range of products and byproducts. They include:
- Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) – a high-purity alcohol with a remarkably neutral taste and odour. Produced from various sources like sugarcane molasses or grains (corn, rye, wheat, etc.), ENA boasts a wide range of applications across various industries.
- DDGS (Distillers Dried Grains with Soluble) – a revolutionary, high-protein feed ingredient crafted from a sustainable and efficient process. Born from the distillation of corn starch into ethanol, DDGS represents the upcycled essence of the original grain, offering a concentrated source of protein and essential nutrients for your livestock.
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) – a colourless, odourless, and non-flammable liquefied gas, boasting a purity exceeding 99.99%.
- Pharmaceutical Grade Ethanol – a high-purity solvent rigorously tested to meet the demanding requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. This product adheres to the strictest international standards, including those set forth by the US, EU, British, and Japanese pharmacopoeias.
- Denatured alcohol – also known as methylated spirits- is a highly functional and cost-effective alternative to pure ethanol for various industrial and household applications. It’s a 94.5% – 95.5% pure ethanol solution that has been modified with specific additives to render it unfit for human consumption.
- Fusel oil – a unique byproduct obtained during the fermentation process; low pH environments, and limited yeast activity due to low nitrogen content. This versatile product offers a range of industrial applications
It arises under specific conditions: high fermentation temperatures, low pH environments, and limited yeast activity due to low nitrogen content. This versatile product offers a range of industrial applications.
Beyond ethanol, PRO Industries has pioneered new industrial byproducts for the East African market, like Distillers’ Dried Grains with Soluble (DDGS), a high-protein animal feed produced as a byproduct of ethanol processing.
According to Oswal, livestock farmers are already giving good testimony on using DDGS, like doubling of milk production.
“We are currently producing about 2,300 metric tonnes of DDGS per month, and it is all sold out”, says Oswal.
Investing in sustainability
PRO Industries has also invested in sustainability systems rarely seen in the manufacturing sector in the EAC. The plant operates a zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) system that recycles all wastewater from its distillation process, purifies it, and reuses it within the plant.
In addition, the ZLD captures and bottles carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for sale as a byproduct.
Oswal says the innovations ensure that the plant does not pollute the environment or overuse groundwater, emphasising that “it is our way of proving that industrial growth and sustainability go hand-in-hand”.
Measuring success
Oswal says to her, success is not measured only in litres or dollars, but that ‘success means seeing our farmers grow, our employees rise, and our industry contribute to Uganda’s economy”. She adds that the company should expand while keeping the human impact at the centre; that is what she says is true growth.
Inspiration for young entrepreneurs
At just 27, Oswal is already one of East Africa’s most promising industrial captains. She advises young entrepreneurs, especially women, to aim to break into male-dominated sectors.
“Persistence is key. I was not from an engineering background. I was young, and I was a woman in a field where women are rarely in leadership. But if you stay committed, keep learning, and don’t let doubt define you, you can build anything”.
Global recognition
Oswal’s decision to invest in Uganda at such a young age has earned her both local and international recognition. These include, amongst others, the Global Youth Icon Award of 2023 and the Woman of the Year Award by India’s Economic Times.
***
