Could Biofuels Answer Zimbabwe’s Fuel Headache?

by Shingirai Huni (The Herald) Zimbabwe is facing fuel shortages, with long queues now the order of the day at fuel stations. Many motorists now leave their cars at home and use public transport to save money on fuel as prices keep rising. Yet, adopting bio-fuels can help ease the fuel shortages Zimbabwe is facing, saving the country millions which would have gone to its importation.

Many African countries are adopting bio-fuels, setting aside vast tracts of land for the plantation of bio-fuel crops.

In Africa, sugarcane, jatropha and castor bean are some of the crops that have attracted a number of investors in the bio-fuel market.

Zimbabwe recently approved the National Bio-fuels Policy which seeks to improve the long-term growth, viability and sustainability of the bio-fuels sector, among other things.

More importantly, benefits to be derived from the policy as envisaged by the Government are, the reduction of the county’s dependence on imported petroleum products and the stabilisation of fuel prices.

Co-founder of Oil Castor Zimbabwe, a leading firm that produces oil products such as bio-diesel, bio-lubricants and cosmetic oil, Alvaro Arellano believes Zimbabwe is on the path to bio-fuel usage as research has advanced tremendously in the past three years.

He has researched about bio-fuels for about 10 years in Canada and has been involved in the business for 4 years in Africa.

He says compared to other crops, their farmers earned US$10 000 in their first year and averaged US$28 000 for 6 years.

“How come farmers in Canada and USA are rich and African farmers are poor? Soil is the same, global markets are the same, the only difference is seeds are different. We want to bring this American mentality to Africa. They farm fuel, that is why they are rich. ..."

Oil Castor sells to the farmer engineered seeds and in return, farmers sell back a crop that has a consistent acidity level and oil content of usually 70-80 percent.

“Research has advanced tremendously, even in the last 3 years. Farmers are catching on. We have 300+ farmers at the moment, we aim to grow to 2 000-5 000 by the end of the year”, he said. READ MORE