South Africa's biofuel

Brazil seemed like a perfect example of how the production of bioethanol can be a significant source of income for a country. Bioethanol can replace oil, or at least be mixed with it.

If South Africa followed this model, then it could become less dependent on foreign oil. Five percent of the fuel needs in South Africa were intended to be produced from its own fields. That is what the government planned at first, anyway. But then something developed that no one had expected.

Empty shopping bags - empty stomachs

Food prices have exploded in recent months - and not just in South Africa.

"I am completely confused," said an older woman at the market in the village Kranskop. "I wanted to go shopping, but the prices are so high that I had to come home empty-handed."

Experts continue to debate the true cause, but one of the reasons is probably that more and more biofuel is being produced from grains worldwide. That is leading to a sharp increase in the price of corn, which is the staple of the South African diet.

South Africa is also directly connected to the world grains market. If the price of corn rises in the United States, it also does so in South Africa. And prices could be boosted further if South Africa gets massively involved in biofuel production.

"We are not going to make any compromises in food supply," said Mtholephi Mthimkhulu, KwaZulu-Natal's agriculture minister. Now, the government has its goal of five percent to a two percent biofuel share in fuel consumption.

Ethanol instead of paraffin

Morland Matthews produces a bioethanol gel from corn with which households can power simple cookers and hot water boilers without gas or electricity.

"It is the poor that benefit from bioethanol," Matthews said.

Until now, most poor South Africans have used paraffin derived from petroleum. Petroleum means a high risk of fire that frequently leads to accidents.

"Paraffin has killed thousands," Matthews said. "Ethanol is completely safe."

The problem is that ethanol gel is still more expensive than paraffin, even as the price of oil is rising. However, if the government reduces the value-added tax on bioethanol, as it has announced, then that could change.

No fuel from food sources

"The government should stand behind those who produce biofuel," said Peter Camp, who has built a compact production unit used to generate biodiesel from oil plants. He and his partner Mark Glock have more in mind than just business concerns.

"We do not believe that biofuel producers have the right to produce fuel from edible fruits, when there are so many starving people here in Africa," Camp said.

As a result, the two have turned their attention to a particular kind of tree. The nuts from the tree are inedible, but well-suited to oil production as a basis for biodiesel.

In the long term, Camp and Glock's production system is intended to create jobs and a secure income - everywhere in Africa where these trees can be planted. That would be a boon for the people living in poor, rural areas, who could harvest the seeds and sell them to refineries.

The nuts would not even need to be transported over long distances because the mini-factories have a further advantage: they are mobile. The worldwide boom in renewable energy presents a major opportunity for Africa. The foundations for an upswing in the African economy are in place, and now the issue is getting the people involved.

Author: Mathias Boelinger
Editor: Sabina Casagrande