'National Policy on Biofuels Vital'

Source: The Herald

Date: 29 February 2008

Author: Anon

The Government needs a clear national policy on biofuels with extensive research to expedite its quest of mitigating the prevailing energy crisis, says the executive officer of Scientific Industrial Research and Develop-ment Council Mr Onisms Manyewe.

Speaking at an energy crisis workshop held in Harare last week, Mr Manyewe said bio-diesel production was a new sector with its future not yet firmed. But the project has the potential for improvement if driven by increased private sector participation.

This, he said, was vital in minimising demand for petroleum fuels. Zimbabwe has opened its first plant, in co-operation with a South Korean company, to make biodiesel from jatropha seed, although any oil seed can be used, and is renovating a plant in the lowveld that makes ethanol, which can be added to petrol, from sugar cane. "Strengthening linkages among researchers, policy makers and private sector and detailed implementation plans for commercial production of biofuels," he said.

"The industry is still young and small, economies of scale will be achieved as industry grows through new technologies and infrastructure," he said. The other challenge facing the project was of striking a balance between bio-fuels production and food production through increased competition for land.

The Government has set a target of at least 10 percent of fuel import substitution by the year 2010. The project is aimed at alleviating fuel crisis in the country through domestic production of bio-diesel that would also reduce the foreign currency bill for fuel imports. The country has so far put 10 000 hectares under jatropha production against a final target of 40 000ha for bio-diesel production. The National Oil Company of Zimbabwe was mandated by the Government to spearhead national bio-fuels feedstock programme aimed at producing enough seed to produce bio-diesel. Zimbabwe is a non-oil-producing nation and as a result spends billions of dollars in scarce foreign currency every year in petroleum imports.

Several countries, including South Africa, Egypt, France and Germany are already empowering motor vehicles with biodiesel, which is not only cheaper but more friendly to the environmental.