Researchers map areas suitable for green energy crops

The expected privatisation of sugar industries in the region is expected to introduce a rigorous diversification policy that will see the firms produce chiefly ethanol and power besides sugar.

Ethanol from these firms then would drive the changeover to renewable energy as well as other feedstocks whose suitability mapping are being done by ICRAF, he said.

Galloping global oil prices have seen pump prices in the country increase by 20 per cent since August, 2009, with industry observers predicting a worsening situation.

Consequently, the draft Policy argues, a lot of focus needs to shift to bio-fuels to save the country from dwindling global oil reserves and unpredictable fuel prices.

The policy notes that the total import bill of petrol products increased by 7.1 per cent from Sh113.7 billion in 2006 to Sh121.8 billion in 2007, while global oil prices passed the $100 a barrel mark during the period.

Mr Isaac Kalua, the chairman of the Kenya Bio-diesel Association and chair of Green Africa Foundation, said lack of a policy in the past was the reason the country was experiencing the depressing effects of unpredictable world oil prices.

Kenya started working on a bio-fuel policy in 1977, a year after Brazil yet today Brazil obtains 56 per cent of its energy needs from renewable resources.

In Africa and Kenya in particular, development of bio-fuel stagnated due to weak or simply lack of policies, Kalua said.

But owing to a well-grounded policy, only Brazil produces ethanol profitably when other global prices are right, he added.

“We must now put our efforts together to consolidate all the scattered documents on renewable energy and begin looking at bio-fuel production as a business venture.”