What started out as a modest family-based sugarcane planting venture 48 years ago is now poised to be the Santander Group’s largest agricultural development encompassing sugar cane production, harvesting, milling and bagasse cogeneration via modern milling facilities with state-of-the-art equipment. OUR MISSION Built on integrity and responsibility and with productivity, development, job creation and community well-being at the forefront, The Santander Group is privately held group of companies dedicated to the efficient and high quality production of sugar and its derivatives. OUR VISION To export sugar to European and CARICOM markets in 2016 and generate a business platform that would achieve an annual production of 100,000 tons yearly by 2020.
WHERE WE ARE NORT H AME R I C A
MEXICO
THE SANTANDER GROUP
C ARIBBE AN SEA
G U AT E M A L A PORT OF BIG CREEK
Belize is located in Central America, bordered to the north by Mexico, to the south and west by Guatemala and to the east by the Caribbean Sea. Belize is a diverse country with various cultures and languages and is also known for its extreme biodiversity and distinctive ecosystems. Most of Belize’s land is undeveloped and is forested with hardwoods. It is a part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot and it has many jungles, wildlife reserves, a large variety of different species of flora and fauna and the largest cave system in Central America.
The Santander Farms are located 12 miles west of the capital city of Belmopan in the Cayo District of Belize. Spanning 20,000 acres of which, 15,000 are already cleared and 9,000 which have already been planted, a fully operational sugar mill will be coming online in February 2016. There are several critical factors that have allowed The Santander Group to strengthen its position for success, starting with the investment group’s longstanding history in the sugar industry in Guatemala, considered among the most important worldwide. Consultores de Ingenios Azucareros S.A. (CIASA) was tasked with the design and construction of the project. CIASA is the leading authority in the designing and constructing of Sugar Mills in Central America. This new state-of-the art operation brings new technology to the sugar cane farming and milling industry that will increase the yield of sugar production. The strategic location of The Santander Farms have allowed for easy road access, electric interconnection, accessibility and boundary with the Belize River. Belize has provided adequate rainfall distribution during the year as well as adequate soil conditions for sugar cane growth and harvesting. Additionally, the distance between the sugar plantations and the sugar mill allows for the efficient use of transportation and provides the option to expand to additional land and an important growth opportunity through contracting independent farmers within the region. The Santander Group has invested heavily in the use of technology within their farming activities. These technologies enable the coupling of real-time data collection with accurate position information, leading to the efficient manipulation and analysis of large amounts of geospatial data. These GPS-based applications in precision farming are being used for farm planning, field mapping, soil sampling, tractor guidance, crop scouting, variable rate applications, and yield mapping. Precision soil sampling, data collection, and data analysis, enable localized variation of chemical applications and planting density to suit specific areas of the field while accurate field navigation minimizes redundant applications and skipped areas, enabling maximum ground coverage in the shortest possible time and provides the ability to work through low visibility field conditions such as rain, dust, fog and darkness increasing productivity.
ANNUAL HAR VE S T SUGAR CANE: SUGAR: MOLASSES: ENERGY:
1,000,000 MT/YEAR 100,000 MT/YEAR 37,000 MT/YEAR 16 MW (DURING HARVEST SEASON)
Q U A L I T Y D AT A RAW SUGAR: POLARIZATION COLOR HUMIDITY SAFETY FACTOR
98 - 98.5 2000 ICUMSA units 0.5% 25
MOLASSES: BRIX PURITY
85째 38
1 0 YE AR P ROD U C T I ON C APAC I T Y
150,000
TONNES
120,000
150k
150k
2022
2025
100k
90,000
75 k
60,000 30,000
30k
2016
2017
2020 YEARS
In February 2016, The Santander Sugar Mill be fully functional. In order to accomplish this, The Santander Group engaged in the following strategic activities: Establishment of Sugar Cane Plantations in Western Belize. 15,000 Acres of land have been cleared. Drainage and Roads for 12,000 Acres have been built and are in use. 9,000 Acres have been planted. Infrastructure necessary for the administrative offices, repair shops, and housing have been built. Signed MOU with the Government of Belize for the establishment of the Sugar Mill. All permits for sugar production are in place The Environmental Clearance Permit has been awarded. Construction of the sugar storage and milling buildings are complete. PPA has been Awarded by the Public Utilities Commission of Belize, in order for The Santander Group to provide energy to Belize. Additional clearing, drainages and land preparation are still under way. Continuing expansion of Roads and Transportation infrastructure
First Phase Second Phase Third Phase Fourth Phase
The Santander Group will be utilizing the bi-product (bagasse) of sugar cane as a renewable power generation source. The energy produced by the bagasse will be used as a primary fuel source for The Santander sugar mill; and when burned in quantity, will produce sufficient heat energy to supply all the needs of mill, and still have energy to spare. To this end, the secondary use for this waste product is in cogeneration, which will be sold to the consumer electricity grid. In October 2013, the Public Utilities Commission of Belize put out a request for power for 60 megawatts of firm energy, and 15 megawatts of intermittent energy, in an effort to source energy within the country. In 2014, SS Energy Limited, a subsidiary of The Santander Group was awarded the potential to engage in a power purchase agreement with the Belize Electricity Ltd. to supply 20% of Belize’s aggregate demand of energy. Producing 16 MW of energy (during harvest season) it will supply a portion of this to the local energy market. This will not only give Belize a reliable energy source, but it will improve overall conditions by reducing the country’s dependency on imports from abroad. The Santander Group is in the process of finalizing construction of its cogeneration plant, set to be operational in 2016 and has been undergoing the final stages of negotiations with Belize Electricity Ltd.
The Santander Group is in compliance with the highest environmental standards recognized worldwide as standards that reflect the proper management of Environmental and Social issues, such as - International Finance Corporation’s Performance Standards (IFC PS), World Bank’s Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines, and Equator Principles (EP), referred to collectively as the Applicable Standards. The Sustainability Framework articulates IFC's strategic commitment to sustainable development. This framework is an integral part of guiding the IFC’s clients to do business in a sustainable way. The Santander Group joins in the IFC’s mindset and efforts to promote sound environmental and social practices, encourage transparency and accountability, and contribute to positive development impacts. IFC's Performance Standards, which are part of the Sustainability Framework, have become globally recognized as a benchmark for environmental and social risk management in the private sector. The Sustainability Framework has recently been updated following an 18-month consultation process with stakeholders around the world, and The Santander Group is no exception. Consultations are on-going and The Group has employed an Environmental Director to oversee and maintain all the practices and measures that have been put into place.
Geographically speaking The Santander Group is appropriately placed in order to export its sugar to various markets, and with its productivity and growth capabilities it is positioned to be a perfect strategic partner for importers around the world. Market access for sugar under the economic and trade cooperation as signed by the Cotonou Agreement, states that sugar produced in Belize is still under quota even though Belize has been granted a preferential rate under this agreement. Chosing Belize as the mill’s location was strategic surrounding this trade agreement. Due to its Commonwealth status, this agreement allows for Belize to export to the European Union and CARICOM countries duty and quota free. The mill’s close proximity to Belize's second most important port, The Port of Big Creek, allows easy access to export facilities. Big Creek is the main port for Belize's agricultural industry as well as oil exports. The port facilities provide world class import and export services and harnesses its strategic geographic position to maximize cost saving opportunities for its clients. The Santander Group has already secured export agreements with The Port of Big Creek, in order to facilitate a smooth export process starting in the first quarter of 2016.
As Belize’s largest foreign direct investment to date, the development of this agro industrial project in the country has not only generated jobs, but has stimulated the local economy and promoted Belize on the investment scene. The Group projects that the company’s sugar production will grow the Belize’s agricultural GDP by a minimum of 4%. The Santander Group has made a significant impact on the communities of Belize in the surrounding areas of this development through various aspects, but primarily in education and employment. The Group has also supported many social outreach activities and sporting programs and acknowledges the local farming community with a willingness to work together. Since 2014, the project has employed over 900 employees, of which over 75% are locally sourced. The Santander Group implemented an apprentice program in order to provide training to Belizeans in the required fields of work throughout the sugar industry. This program was designed with a view to upgrade jobs determined by the increased use of technology in agriculture and a goal of having a work force that is 100% local. Additionally, the potential to supply the energy to the local market, will have play a substantial role in improving economic conditions that will reduce Belize’s dependency on energy imports from Mexico, strengthening the economy overall.
#21 St. Vincent Street City of Belmopan, Cayo, Belize, Central America Ph: +501.822.1777 www.santandersugar.com
Jose Rodriguez Director and CEO jrodriguez@santandersugar.com Consuelo Rodriguez Director crodriguez@santandersugar.com David Rodriguez Director drodriguez@santandersugar.com Edgar Hernandez Director ehernandez@santandersugar.com
www.santandersugar.com