The largest alcohol producer on the African continent

25/01/2022

The Alco Group, recognised as one of the largest global groups in the production of bioethanol and the manufacture and distribution of alcohol, has established itself as the number one in Africa.

Originally from Ghent, but now with headquarters in Brussels, the Alco Group operates on several continents and has a turnover of almost 2 billion euros. It is largely unknown to the public, as none of its finished products are sold under its own name, but this Belgian company has long been one of the two main European leaders in the production of ethanol for fuel. Every day, millions of European drivers unknowingly use petrol containing 10% ethanol from Alco (E10), thereby helping to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their vehicles.

Globally, ethanol and a number of alcohol derivatives produced by Alco are also supplied to different industries in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors, and of course in biochemistry, food and drinks.

The Alco Group, which has been present in South Africa for three decades, has just made a strategic change that has allowed it to become the leading alcohol producer throughout the African continent.

By investing in the construction of a new factory in Durban, Alco's South African subsidiary now produces alcohol using corn molasses instead of sugarcane. As corn is much more widely available on the local market, the new factory has been able to increase production from 55 million litres to 80 million litres per year.

Alco's Belgian factory is therefore the largest and most modern alcohol production unit in Africa.