Maravi

Australian firm begins producing bio-diesel

Australian firm begins producing bio-diesel
By Nomusa Michelo
Thursday December 13, 2007 [03:00]

AN Australian company Oval Biofuels has begun the production of bio-diesel in Lusaka’s industrial area, Biofuels Association of Zambia director Bruno Chisambo revealed. In an interview yesterday, Chisambo said the Oval Biolfuels started bio-diesel production two weeks ago and is producing 3,000 litres of bio diesel per day.

“Already we have some companies that have set up refineries, have set up bio-diesel plants in Lusaka,” he said. “Oval Biofuels Limited for instance have set up a refinery and they are producing 3,000 litres of bio-diesel per day and they are in Lusaka, it’s an Australian company.”

Chisambo said Oval biofuels was using Soya beans to produce bio-diesel.

“They are not using jatropha, but they are using Soya beans as an energy crop but eventually they will be using jatropha when it is available in masses as feed stock,” he said.

Chisambo said with the increasing cost of petroleum oil, it was important that more bio-energy refineries were set up with the increased growing of bio-energy crops.

“On the average per hectare you are able to get 1,500 litres of jatropha oil per hectare,” he said. “So you can see how that can benefit the country. You are aware that the country imports 100 percent of petroleum products and it will go a long way.”

And Chisambo said the country currently consumes 1.5 million litres of diesel, 450,000 litres of petrol and 50,000 litres of paraffin per day. Chisambo also said growing bio-energy crops should not have a negative impact on food security as crops such as jatropha could be grown along side food crops.

“We have ample land in this country and this is why we are promoting jatropha because it is a non-edible plant which won’t compete with food crops and we are encouraging our farmers to grow it as a fence,” he said.

Chisambo said farmers could also plan their plantations in a way that would allow them to intercrop.

“This is why we at Biofuels Association of Zambia we are saying on bio-diesel that we are going to promote jatropha and for those that are planting bigger hectares we are recommending to grow palm oil,” he said. “On the bio-ethanol we are recommending sugar cane. We are also recommending sweet sorghum, which can easily be grown by small-scale farmers.”

Labels: AUSTRALIA, BIOFUELS, BIOFUELS ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA, JATHROPA, OVAL BIOFUELS

posted by MrK @ 9:19 PM