The Kasese Cobalt Company Limited (KCCL) has partnered with a Danish company to clean mine waters with the use of biological treatment system as opposed to the current domestically common chemical use
The KCCL partnership with Transform 1994 APS Danish Root Zone Technology, a parent company of Bio Fertilizer Uganda Limited was announced on Tuesday at Namanve Industrial Park during a seminar organized by the Uganda Investment Authority on the latest bio technology being introduced by the Danish company to the members of Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA).
Transform Aps founder and CEO, Mr. Jorgen Logstrup said he got to know about the existence of the KCCL project through a World Bank publication.
A feasibility study, investigating the technological aspects of the project funded by the Danish Cooperation in Uganda was carried out. The study according to the officials of two companies, recommended that that the rootzone technology which is use of natural environment could be relevant for the treatment of the wastewater.
Mr. Jorgen who is also an agronomist led a team of environmental experts to Uganda to explore the ways the company can engage more local companies other than KCCL.
Transform Aps which specializes in developing, designing and supervising in natural systems for water, air and waste treatment and in urban ecology is said to be operating in Europe, USA, Canada, China, South Korea, Japan, Australia and now Uganda.
Mr. Jorgen explaining rootzone technology natural treatment system to the partners
At the seminar, KCCL officials said Transform has assisted them to meet the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) standard of water effluent treatment.
“KCCL has been a pilot project in Uganda for the green technology introduced by Transform. The company has fully met NEMA standards, now apply environmentally safer methods using biological means, it spends less money in treating and maintaining the waste,” Mr. James Mawa, Effluent Treatment Plant Manager for Fine Spinners and a member of Pollution Taskforce set up by UMI and other government agencies.
According to Mawa the new technology is cost effective.
“On average companies spend on chemical treatment of industrial waste up to Shs700m annually yet they can spend 10% of that using rootzone technology which is natural treatment system with the money saved going into expansion of the company.”
Meanwhile Mr. Jorgen said he came to Africa 60 years ago and has been in contact with African agronomists including at Makerere Univesrity like Prof. Frank Katusiime.
“In Uganda there is a cooperative culture which is based on people just like in Denmark,” he said.
“The country has a very open population and a population easy to work with. The people are trusted and nice people to work with.”
The UIA Acting Director for Investment Promotions, Mr. Valentine Ogwang, told Ugandan manufacturers to adopt eco-friendly waste management technology as opposed to conventional chemical means which eats into their profits and threatens the fragile environment. He represented the authority’s executive director Mr. Lawrence Byensi.