Prof Sinkala urges more information on biofuels
Written by Nchima Nchito Jr
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 7:40:37 AM
BIOFUELS Association of Zambia (BAZ) chairman Prof Thomson Sinkala has said there is a need for Zambians to be informed about the benefits of the biofuels industry.
Responding to a press query, Prof Sinkala stated that it was important that the public was aware of what was involved in the bio-fuel industry.
“Our approach as Biofuels Association of Zambia is that the public at large in Zambia must be informed about the biofuels industry. The need for involvement by Zambians and the opportunities available for them must be spelt out,” he stated.
“The information must also articulate the issues of food security, contribution of biofuels to household economy, environment, and general law and order in relation to biofuels industry. For the targeted biofuels, namely bioethanol (for petrol), biodiesel (for diesel), bio-oils/vegetable oils (for kerosene), charcoal and biogas, appropriate know-how and information on activities from production to marketing for the selected feed stocks will have to be imparted to those involved, in order to minimize failures which may derail the targets.”
Prof Sinkala further cited the lack of knowledge concerning the bio-fuel industry, even among technocrats, as one of their biggest challenges.
“Decision makers often do not have time to peruse through the so many issues that confront them to manage socio-economic activities. Furthermore, they are often the targets by agents of misinformation who knowingly or unknowingly derail development programmes,” stated Prof Sinkala.
“It is important therefore that decision makers are availed with information about biofuels so that all Zambians have equitable opportunity to participate in the development of the biofuels industry.”
Labels: BIOFUELS, BIOFUELS ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA, THOMSON SINKALA
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BAZ urges speedy legislation on biofuel production
Written by Fridah Zinyama
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 3:25:55 AM
ZAMBIA will lose out on benefits of cleaner fuels if it does not speed
up legislation on biofuel production, the Biofuel Association of Zambia has said.
In an interview, BAZ chairperson Professor Thompson Sinkala said stakeholders in the sector were meeting the Energy Regulation Board to deal with issues concerning production of biofuels.
“Things are looking up but we feel that more could be done to hasten the process,” he said.
Prof Sinkala said the perception of renewable fuels on the international scene had greatly changed for the better and measures were being put in place to ensure increased production.
“For example, one of the campaign issues in the [United] States was how to improve and increase bio-fuels production,” he said. “From the wide acceptance of renewable fuels, there is a general view that biofuel consumption will increase over the years than fossil oils due to the green issues which are being pushed forward worldwide. Most countries have already started biofuel production but we are still looking at regulation.”
Prof Sinkala was however optimistic that once regulation issues were resolved, Zambia would begin production of biofuels as well.
Labels: BIOFUELS ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA, THOMSON SINKALA
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Proceed with biofuel plans, BAZ urges govt business
Written by Nchima Nchito
Thursday, November 27, 2008 12:01:19 PM
BIOFUELS Association of Zambia (BAZ) chairman Professor Thomson Sinkala has urged the government to proceed with the biofuel production plans despite falling prices of oil on international markets.
In an interview, Prof Sinkala said this was the best time for Zambia to attract investments in biofuel production when oil prices had tumbled.
“If anything, development of biofuels should be treated as an urgent matter now because of the current reductions in oil prices,” Prof Sinkala said.
He cited countries like the United States that were now looking towards biofuel production as good examples for Zambia.
“The President-elect of the US recently announced how his government will use biofuels and education to create 2.5 million jobs by 2011. Now the US is one of the biggest consumers of oil and I feel we can learn from their decision to develop biofuels,” he said.
When asked whether the reduction of crude oil prices was not a positive development as it would mean reduced pump prices of fuel on the local market, Prof Sinkala said it was important to look at both sides of an issue.
“It’s good yes, those prices have gone down but we have to understand the issues at hand. Oil is a non-renewable resource, meaning it will run out one day and the only way to keep it in supply is by discovering new oil deposits,” he said.
“Oil explorations are expensive to carry out and according to what I have been made to understand, for an exploration to be financially feasible, oil has to cost in the range of US $100 a barrel.”
Prof Sinkala added that because of the current low prices of oil, there was a possibility that exploration projects would be put on hold till the prices of oil stabilised.
“With this happening, it may in turn lead to shortages, hence pushing the prices of oil back up again. All in all, what I’m saying is that there is no reason for us to relax in our quest to develop biofuels” said Prof Sinkala.
Labels: BIOFUELS, BIOFUELS ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA, FUEL, OIL, THOMSON SINKALA
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Zambia needs to explore other forms of energy, says Prof Sinkala
By Kabanda Chulu
Thursday January 10, 2008 [03:00]
BIOFUELS Association of Zambia chairman Professor Thomson Sinkala has said the country needs to explore other forms of energy because world oil resources were getting towards extinction.
And Aquagro Limited managing director Viswanath Shankar yesterday said Zambia must seriously embark on biofuel production in order to reduce costs related to the importation of crude oil.
During demonstrations by the Young Energy Specialists, YES- Africa at Arcades in Lusaka on how a Leyland DAF truck engine was running on biofuel, Prof Sinkala said Zambia needed to be self-sufficient and embark on full-time production of biofuel.
“This truck we are seeing is from South Africa and its engine is running on oil extracted from rape vegetable seeds, actually it is this self-sufficiency that Zambia must follow because global oil resources are getting towards zero hence the need to explore other forms of energy on a largescale production,” said Prof Sinkala.
And Shankar said embarking on large-scale production of biofuel would help to mitigate costs related to importation of crude oil.
He said cultivation of non-food crops such as jatropha would also uplift the livelihoods of villagers since they would have other sources of income.
“There is need to embark on fully fledged biofuel production in order to reduce costs related to the importation of crude oil and other factors are that biofuel is renewable and environmentally friendly,” Shankar said. “
And once people in the village embarks on jatropha cultivation, there livelihoods will definitely change since they will have alternative sources of income.”
Shankar said Aquagro has in stock various equipment with engines that could be operated on biofuels.
The YES-Africa initiative was founded in 2000 by Arjan Doeswijk and Mark van den Bosch with the objective of promoting the use of jatropha nuts that could be processed into biofuel.
The YES-Africa team has embarked on a mission from South Africa to Djibouti with intentions of planting one million jatropha trees.
“The objective of YES-Africa is setting up and promoting networks of energy specialists in developing countries and this initiative is helping African people help themselves, not by taking over responsibility, but by working together and sharing vision, success and failure, actually jatropha gives people a strong means of generating income and reducing poverty,” said van den Bosch.
Labels: BIOFUELS ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA
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BAZ commends govt for adopting revised energy policy
By Fridah Zinyama
Saturday December 29, 2007 [03:00]
THE Bio-fuel Association of Zambia (BAZ) has commended the government for finally adopting the revised energy policy as it is going to help the renewable energy sector in the country grow. In an interview, BAZ chairperson Professor Thompson Sinkala said the government had held a meeting with stakeholders from the bio-fuel, electricity and biomass industries to discuss the way forward in the energy sector.
Prof Sinkala said the government’s decision to adopt the energy policy would go a long way in helping the bio-fuel sector to decide what percentage of bio-diesel and bio-ethanol would be blended with petrol and diesel.
“As a sector we recommended that government should allow for three percent of blending of petrol and diesel,” he said.
Prof Sinkala said the association was optimistic that the government would be able to save a lot of money once the blending process of renewable fuels started in the country.
“We have been asking farmers across the country to grow Jatropha as it will help them to improve the income generation,” he said. “We have also been promoting non-food plants in order not to tamper with the food security of the country.”
Early this month, BAZ had announced that an Australian company, Oval Bio-fuels, had started producing bio-diesel in Lusaka’s industrial area.
The company had started bio-diesel production from soya oil on a pilot basis in order to test the machines they had brought into the country.
Labels: BIOFUELS ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA, JATROPHA
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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
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