SHOULD we be celebrating SA’s unfashionably late arrival at the biofuel party? That all depends on what the regulations the Department of Energy is set to publish by the end of next month actually say.
The greenhouse gas emission reductions are apparently significant — about 35%-65% depending on the processing method, according to European calculations. SA is to build its first biofuel plant outside Cradock this year and a blending plant for it at Coega. But no single step is a panacea to SA’s greenhouse gas emissions problem. What is important is that what is gained through the use of biofuel is not lost in the energy it takes to produce and transport the stuff.
Even Brazil, which has more than 40 years of experience in using bioethanol fuel blends and has certainly created an impressive industry — including creating those jobs that seem so elusive to SA’s government — is not above criticism. Scientists question the effect Brazil’s biofuel cropland expansion plans will have on biodiversity if it presses cattle rangelands into virgin forest, destroying biodiversity and the “carbon sink” provided by trees.
SA’s draft regulations are largely silent on farming methods. These are obviously important if the country is to glean carbon kudos for, among others, making it mandatory for petrol retailers to buy biofuel products. It is good to know, then, that many of SA’s sugar cane farmers have been endorsed by the World Wide Fund for Nature for their sustainable farming practices. That is a good start, and could be broadened.
Feedstock selection is also key. Sugar cane is, by most accounts, a great option, along with bagasse (the remaining wood fibres after the juice is extracted) used for heat energy. Sugar has far less use as a food crop than maize and is getting bad press as a food additive so may need a new market soon, although the biggest culprit from an obesity and diabetes perspective is high-fructose corn syrup. SA’s cane sugar battles to compete against Europe’s subsidised crops, and growing our own fuel could be an industry and a jobs-boosting endeavour that allows the country to sidestep some of Europe’s reluctance to leave its farmers to battle the market alone.
There are concerns that older cars will suffer damage from fuel that contains even 10% ethanol but technologies exist to counter this problem. The long-term trend towards fossil-free motoring is inevitable; the sooner SA starts the journey the better.
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Article source: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=175118