AS a part of the government’s long-term goal to eliminate
imports of edible oils, a new oil refinery factory completed by
the Yuzana Edible Oil Group, a subsidiary of Yuzana Group, started
operations late last month.
Built on a 24-acre compound in Yangon’s Thaketa township
on the bank of the Bago River, the factory has an attached floating
port that can accommodate vessels up to 3000 tonnes.
The refinery is designed to purify produce 200 tonnes of edible
oil a day and includes five distinct plants, covering oil refining,
dry fractionation, tin making, shortening and packaging.
Currently in its testing stage, the refinery is to have limited
operations this financial year before being increased to 40 percent
capacity in 2007-08 and then to 75pc capacity in 2008-09. The
factory is expected to run at full capacity in 2009-10, said Yuzana
Group president U Htay Myint.
“In upgrading to full capacity, the factory will be able
to produce enough edible oils to cover 40 percent of the country’s
annual require-ment,” U Htay Myint said, adding that the
oil would be cheaper than what is currently on the market.
As well as palm oil, which will come from Yuzana’s palm
plantations in Tanintharyi Division, the factory is expected to
purify peanut, soy bean and vegetable oils for the local market
and sesame seed oil for export.
The Yuzana Group is one of the largest and most influential
conglomerates in Myanmar.