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The first Ethiopian industrial zone, Bole Lemi Industrial Zone, is to be opened in December according to the Ministry of Industry. The industrial zone is to be managed by the Industry Zone and Environmental Protection Agency, established under the Ministry of Industry. The opening had been scheduled for September.

The Bole Lemi zone could not be finalized according to schedule because of delays with the construction of roads in and out of the zone caused by the long and heavy rainy season explained Melaku Taye, Director of Corporate Communications with the ministry.  

The installation of telecom service, and 20 Mega Watt of electric power along with 80 electric poles has already been completed according to the design for the zone he explained.

A solar assembly plant to produce a range of solar powered and environmentally conscious products is expected to be launched in Ethiopia in the near future. Among the products that will be produced by the factory will be solar panels with the ability to generate as much as 60 watts of electricity, charge controllers and Light Emitting Diode lamps which are known for being electricity efficient.

An area has already been set aside for an exhibition and training center in the Oromia Regional State according to Samson Tsegaye, Country Director for The Solar Energy Foundation.

The area dubbed the ‘Solar Valley’ is located on 15 thousand square meters of land within the Tatek Industrial Park.
The foundation expects the financing to launch the assembly project to come from solar companies seeking for investment opportunities said Samson.

The Metehara Sugar Factory, Ethiopia has netted more than 500 million birr from the sale of an estimated 930 thousand quintals of sugar and 7.6 million liters of ethanol in the last financial year.

The company has invested in developing its technical capacity and human resources towards enhancing its production levels in the last fiscal period noted Bizuneh Assefa, Manger of the plant.

Efforts undertaken by the factory include a range of upgrades including the refurbishment of older machinery he said.

The international Chinese footwear giant Huajian has been granted additional land for industrial investment outside the Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa.

The company has already launched production activity in its industrial plant found in the Chinese Eastern Industry Zone in Oromia Regional State and has been granted the new plot by the city administration of Addis Ababa.

The company has been granted 320 hectares of land from the city according to Birhanu Sirago Head of Public Relations with the Leather Industry Development Institute.

Faffa Foods SC, Ethiopia introduced two new flavors of one of its latest products, Saba powdered soy milk at an even organized at the Sheraton Addis last week.

The event organized to promote the new product was attended by representatives from American innovator of Soy products, food ingredients and other nutritional products, Solae. The representatives were able to give a presentation on the various products offered by the company.

Saba Soy milk is packaged in Ethiopia with the powdered milk imported from one of the Solae branches in Kenya according to Zeku Ebro, General Manager of Faffa Foods SC.