By Andualem Sisay Gessesse – Butyl Products Group (BPG), United Kingdom’s company specialized in design, development, manufacture and installation of liquid containment module systems introduces two products to customers in Ethiopia.
The company long with its local partner – Citrus International Trading – introduced Butyl water tankers, which has 10,000 liters to 1.2 million water containing capacity, and Flexigester that can be used to treat animal and human waste and convert to biofuel and liquid fertilizer.
Through Citrus International Trading different products of BPG has been tested in Ethiopian market though at small scale products. “Now we have sealed a significant deal with Butyl that shall improve the access of safe water via the highly putative tankers of Butyl,” said Menassie Kifle, General Manager of Citrus International PLC, speaking at the product launching ceremony today in Addis Ababa.
Compared to the concrete-made water tankers widely used in rural areas in Ethiopia, BPG’s water tankers are proved to be more effective in terms of cost and quality and can easily be moved from one location and reinstalled in another, according to Mr. Menassie.
Craig Ball, Sales Director of Butyl Products Ltd, on his part stated that BPG’s tankers, which are often called Oxfam tankers, can serve properly for 25 years without hygiene or sanitation issues.
Because Butyl products were widely used in the 1970s by the international relief organization, Oxfam International, people started naming the tankers as Oxfam tankers, according to Mr. Ball who noted that his company has recently installed a water tanker in Afar Region of Ethiopia while another is being installed in Addis Ababa for Ethiopian Airlines employees’ condo housing.
Commenting on the application of BPG’s waste converter to biogas and liquid fertilizer, Mr. Ball has mentioned that in 2016 his company has installed Flexigester V80 in Wukro area, Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The innovative anaerobic digestion system that can take materials such as, animal manures waste water, human waste and plants and convert them into natural bio-fertilizer and biogas over a period of several weeks, was implemented for a local NGO, Elshadai Orphanage.
“With its good reputation that Citrus International created with governmental offices, non-governmental organizations and international aid agencies, we can amplify our high quality products for developmental projects and emergency reliefs in Ethiopia,” Mr. Ball said.
For the last decade Citrus International has been partnering with both governmental and non-governmental agencies in providing water safety, hygiene and sanitation products in Ethiopia including, water purification tablets known as Aquatabs, among others.
This morning’s introduction of BPG’s products was attended by representatives of different local and international aid and relief agencies operating in Ethiopia as well as representatives from relevant government offices.