Commercial biodiesel production to start as Rwandan government sets law

Rwanda is set to become a net biodiesel producer after the government passed a law establishing an agency that will help deliver this vision.
According to the director general of the country’s lead industrial research organization, the Rwanda Institute of Science and Technology (IRST), Jean Baptiste Nduwayezu, the law to transform the institute into the National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA) was published in the official gazette on July 29. It replaces the old IRST law of 1989.
Nduwayezu applauded the development, saying the problems IRST had been facing could soon be history as NIRDA will be an independent agency tasked with developing and marketing its innovations. The research institute has been spearheading the biodiesel processing and marketing project at the Kigali Bio-fuel Research Centre in Mulindi, Gasabo District.
This law has been a long time coming. It was submitted to the government in the 2009-10 fiscal year, but it had been gathering dust on the Education Ministry shelves for about five years. (IRST is currently under the Education Ministry.)
Nduwayezu explained that a new company, the Rwanda Biofuel Company Limited, will be established to handle biofuels and renewable energy development and marketing, as well as other related industries like cosmetics, fertilizers, agro-processing and packaging, plus chemical making projects.
“The private sector fears investing in research and new technologies, but with the new company in place, NIRDA will invite them to learn the technologies. After they have learnt and are ready to continue on their own, the government will pull out of the projects in phases. However, we will continue giving them technical support,” he explained. This move is designed to attract investors.
“Many people are interested in joining us, but we have asked them to wait as we are still in transition. When NIRDA is operational and we are ready, we will invite them to buy shares because the industrial research agency will have powers to set up subsidiary companies,” he explains.
Had they been able to follow the 2008 plan, this year Rwanda could have been able to replace 5% of the fossil fuel it imports. The figure would have gone up to 20% in 2015, and 50% in 2020.
A feasibility study, “Feasibility for Rwandan Bio-diesel Project Development,” conducted by IRST in 2012 indicated that Rwanda could be able to satisfy all her diesel needs, replacing fossil oil by 2025 and earning over RWF10.6 billion (USD15.5 million). The country is capable of producing 48,000 liters of biodiesel per day. If all of the diesel imports are replaced, this amounts to 160 million liters, thus saving USD300 million.
The biofuel project was one of the initiatives the government started as a sustainable strategy to make the country self-reliant as far as fuel production is concerned, something that would boost national security.
Over 225,000 hectares and close to 60 million oil seed trees, including jatropha, moringa and palm oil, are required to achieve this feat.
IRST is planning to set up other filling stations once they start operations.
(October 10, 2013)