During the Honduran cultural coffee festival last March, SNV, Café Orgánico Marcala, S. A. (COMSA), the Foundation for Investment and Development of Exports (FIDE) and the Foundation for Rural Enterprise Development (FUNDER) officially launched the first bioethanol plant from coffee waste in Central America. The plant has the capacity to produce 500 litres of ethanol per day and was designed with the technical assistance of EcoEnergy BG using local labour and materials. SNV focuses, through innovative market-based solutions, on improving income and clean energy opportunities for low-income communities.
The launch of the bioethanol plant is part of the Environment Support Programme (PREMACA), which is funded by the DANIDA (Danish International Development Agency). SNV provides technical advisory services to the programme, based on its three pillars: establishing eco-enterprises, sustainable management of natural resources and poverty reduction in Honduras. The main target of this programme is to increase the competitiveness of coffee companies, generating positive economic, social and environmental impacts. The inauguration event was attended by producers, processing professionals, coffee buyers, public ministries and representatives of FIDE, FUNDER, and Ecoenergy BG.
