Malawi moves to scale-up biodiesel industry

The Malawi government is facilitating the implementation of a number of private-sector-driven projects to set up biodiesel production plants in the country as part of a multimillion-dollar program meant to ensure that the country diversifies from its over dependence on fossil fuels as a source of energy. The director of energy at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Charles Kafumba, says progress made so far on a number of projects indicates that Malawi should start producing biodiesel in 2009. “The biodiesel program is based on an energy plantation called jatropha, which takes about a year to start producing fruits, he said. He adds that the government is prioritizing the production of biofuels from jatropha because the plant is rated more highly than maize and rice as far as oil production is concerned. Jatropha yields more than 2,000 barrels of oil from each square mile planted a year, which is greater than maize’s 200 barrels and rice’s 1,000 barrels. Kafumba says the adoption of biofuels as a major source of energy will assist the impoverished African nation to avert the impact of rising global oil prices. (June 9, 2008)