Switch to biofuels will delay by two years

“Distillers are willing to participate and the government too needs to take an active role to coordinate the private sector players,” he said.

The Western region has become important for the country’s green energy ambitions for its well-developed infrastructure and availability of sugarcane which will be the main feedstock.

Entry point

The International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (Icraf) has completed the initial phase of a mapping that identified Central and the Coastal regions as also having potential for production of at least 11 feedstocks like jatropha, croton, sugar cane, cotton, sunflower, and canola.

Others are sweet sorghum, coconut, pangamia, caster, and cassava. 

According to Dr Muok, the presence of sugar industries in Western region means it can offer researchers and the government an entry point.

The Ministry of Energy gazetted regulations for blending petrol with ethanol to produce gasohol in November last year.

While briefing the Press on the progress of privatisation of local sugar industries, Agriculture minister William Ruto emphasised that the new investors would be required to diversify into ethanol production to drive the biofuels programme.