On 8 February 2022, GDIZ signed a contract HRD Industries becomes the 25th investor on the GDIZ. The GDIZ aims to become a waste-free zone for cashew processing by 2023 with the signing of this agreement!
HRD Industries will produce Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL), charcoal and activated carbon, for the ECOWAS and export markets. The plant will have the capacity to process the country’s entire cashew shells and produce nearly 50,000L of CNSL. The plant will also produce 45,000 tonnes of high-calorific biochar, which will help reduce the country’s carbon footprint and imports.
The plant is scheduled to be commissioned in September 2022 on a 3-ha site and will employ 400 skilled workers in the first phase as part of the cashew processing ecosystem in the GDIZ. The cashew processing zone will provide direct employment to over 17,000 workers by the end of 2023 and indirect employment to another 15,000!
