The biofuels project planned by Kenyan sugar company Mumias has been put on hold. The Malindi High Court temporarily halted sugar and biofuels projects due to conservation groups’ concerns that the project will threaten wildlife and local livelihoods.
According to Reuters, the Malindi High Court ruled on July 11 that environmentalists and groups representing local livestock keepers could apply for a judicial review. The project had already been evaluated and approved by Kenya’s National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA). The company had previously been accused of ignoring a study that revealed irrigation in the area would cause severe drainage of the delta that could leave local farmers without water for their herds during dry season. Under Mumias’ plans for the biofuels endeavor, 20,000 hectares in the Tana River Delta would be planted to help stem the country’s sugar deficit.
Mumias says the development will create 20,000 direct and indirect jobs through the construction of the sugar mill and other facilities needed for the project. The company, which owns 51% of the Tana Delta project, hopes to produce about 23 million liters of ethanol each year, along with some 34 MW of electricity.