Massive Bio-fuel Project Aimed for the Eastern Cape

Bio-fuel is derived from biomass. Biomass are recently living organisms or their metabolic by-products, such as manure from cows. It is a renewable energy source, unlike other natural resources such as petroleum, coal, and nuclear fuels. Like coal and petroleum, biomass is a form of stored solar energy. The major advantage of bio-fuel over most other fuel types is that it is biodegradable, and therefore relatively harmless to the environment if spilled.

The production of bio-fuels to replace oil and natural gas is in active development in South Africa. The burning of it does not result in a net increase of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. Therefore, it is believed by many that a way to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is to utilise bio-fuels to replace non-renewable sources of energy. The potential of bio-fuels to accelerate economic activity has been recognised countrywide.

The Eastern Cape agriculture department has allocated R17, 6-million to develop the bio-fuels industry.

R9, 6-million will be allocated as seed funding for the development of feedstock production from grain and R8-million for the development of sugar beet-based ethanol production in collaboration with the Central Energy Fund and Industrial Development Corporation.

In addition, a bio-fuels body will be established this year to supervise the development of the industry in the province.

The MEC has also allocated R56 million for projects in the fields of agricultural infrastructure, food security, livestock, irrigation development as well as land care and resource conservation.

Other monetary allocations include R100 million for food security in the next financial year, under R112 million for infrastructure development with R39-million of this going to the recovery of irrigation schemes.

All these exciting upgrades will serve as anchor infrastructure development for respective public-private partnership initiatives.

Situated in the Eastern Cape, the Nelson Mandela Bay is sure to benefit from this massive and exciting project.