The issue of Ethanol driven cars in Malawi is very close to my heart. In case, you want to refer to the previous articles that I have written on this issue, here is Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. This series will continue, albeit with different titles depending on the nature of the post. It is now close to 6 months since my last post in this series. In that post, I promised to come back with another post but I could not manage to do so instantly because I did not have any new information to bother you with. Before I go any further, I would like to find out if there have been any latest developments on this issue. I fear that I may be overtaken by events as I continue with my sojourn in Japan. If you are aware of the latest developments, please feel free to share them with me and others in the comment section.
My last post is attracting a lot of good comments from which I am learning a lot. My understanding of this whole issue is getting better and better by the day. For in stance, a number of people have pointed out that the production of ethanol should not be in conflict with food security. These people also say that one of the reasons for the increase in the price of grains on the world market is the increased demand for ethanol. Suite.com, a highly rated site, also agrees with these observations. In Malawi’s case, ethanol is not produced from grains but from molasses which are a by-product of the sugar production process. I do not think that there will be any negative effect on the cost of sugar. Actually, the increased demand for ethanol will lead to increased sugar production thereby driving the cost of sugar downwards. In a related development, a recent journal publication shows that the production of ethanol from sugarcane is much cheaper than that from crops such as corn, wheat and sugarbeet. Therefore, Malawi seems to be heading in the right direction. Furthermore, as sugar and ethanol production increases, the amount of bagasse, a fibrous residue remaining after sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract their juice, will also increase. Brazil uses bagasse for power generation. It is reported that sugarcane bagasse cogeneration accounts for 3% of the total Brazilian energy matrix. Bagasse is also used as a renewable resource in the manufacture of pulp and paper products and building materials. As you can see, the sugar-ethanol industry in Malawi has huge potential.
The only conflict between the sugar/ethanol industry and other food crops and pasture willbe in the area of land use. Once demand for ethanol starts soaring, there will be a need to increase the land area for sugarcane plantation. This will lead to stiff competion for pasture lands and dambos, which are traditionally used for feeding our ruminant livestock and cultivation of rice and vegetables. The government will need to come up with a good plan for the management of these lands. Otherwise, the supply of rice, vegetables and meat will be affected. Other methods for producing ethanol must also be explored. For in stance, casualblogger, who finds it unethical to make ethanol out of food to fuel cars, blogged about Fulcrum Bioenergy, Pleasanton, CA based company, which has announced plans to build one of the first commercial-scale ethanol plants that will use Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) as feedstock. The authorities in Malawi should be on the lookout for innovative developments like these.
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23 users commented in " Ethanol driven cars in Malawi – Part 5 "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackEthanol is one of the best alternative to imported oil. It’s a welcoming change to the city.
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The debate about food vs fuel is an ongoing one with neither side able to convince the other. I recently read an interesting article that I have now been able to locate for you.
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1701221,00.html
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Clement Nyirenda says:
January 24th, 2009 at 2:26 am
@Nicole: Thanks for this article. This article, however, focuses on solving the biofuels vs. food problem from the US perspective. In USA, ethanol is produced from corn. Therefore using switchgrass, in stead of corn, for producing ethanol seems to be a good idea. Other countries like Malawi can emulate this example once it proves to be a success in the US.
If you have any links discussing the same issue but with focus on sugarcane as a source of ethanol, feel free to share them.
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Short term, i dont see any country or any company would consider working on oil production, with the oil price hitting all time low
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Clement Nyirenda says:
January 24th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
@Andrei:Oil price is so dynamic. Two years ago, who knew that the price of oil would be as low as it is now? Therefore, we cannot tell how it will be at this time next year. But one thing remains unchanged; oil is not good for our environment.
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This gives a balanced view of the situation in Brazil. http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/ethanol/a/ethanolinbrazil.htm
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Clement Nyirenda says:
February 4th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
@Nicole Price: This document, in a way, agrees with my view that the production of ethanol from sugar does not bring any significant negative effect on the cost of sugar. After all, sugar is not a staple like corn, rice etc.It is also quite interesting to learn from this article that the World Bank, OECD, and even the British NGO Oxfam did not put any blame on sugarcane ethanol for the increase of food prices, or for lack of sustainability.
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The only problem is the issue of the ethanol trading affecting the cost of some food produce, like sugar etc! Hey y not we use clean energy completely! Ethanol cars will still produce green gases not a sustainable option for me! Let us use public transport, smaller cars, walk etc! Let us switch off the lights, leave no electronic equipments on standby! Our hunger for oil will be drastically reduced! And our world maybe peaceful! Our environment better than we found it!
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Clement Nyirenda says:
January 26th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
@Levi:It would be even much better if we do what you suggest and forget about fossil fuels completely by powering our cars with ethanol and other clean alternatives.
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Very interesting post Clement.
I never knew ethanol ran cars in Malawi.
That great
Rob
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Ethanol is much better than crude, because it’s much cheaper than the Dubai crude. That’s why here in the Philippines some driver’s prefer Ethanol than gasoline.:)
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My second suggested link seems to have escaped your attention. Any comments on how that can be emulated in your country?
Nicole Price´s last blog post..The Offensive Israeli
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Clement Nyirenda says:
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:31 pm
@Nicole: I will bounce back in a few days time. I was busy changing residence.
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The only thing that confuses me is the price of sugar going up if the returns on ethanol offer greater interest to farmers.
Nicole Price´s last blog post..The Offensive Israeli
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Clement Nyirenda says:
February 5th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
@Nicole Price: I seem to have the same confusion as well. My understanding has always been that, in the case of sugar cane, ethanol is produced from molasses which are a by-product of the sugar production process. Therefore, as the demand for ethanol increases, more sugar cane plantations are opened and more sugar is produced thereby driving the cost of sugar downwards while on the the other hand, more ethanol is produced from the increased amounts of molasses.
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This is superb news! I think, though, that ethanol powered cars could well have been in a more full use now. I believe oil companies may be responsible for holding back development.
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Here’s my question…If a country like Chile can get 95% of their cars to run on ethanol based products, why can’t the US?
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Ethanol is one of the best alternative to imported oil. It’s a welcoming change to the city.
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Ethanol is much better than crude, because it’s much cheaper than the Dubai crude. This is a simple solution to reduce co2 emissions.
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Fuel is the adrenaline of any car, truck or engine. Thus, it is every vehicle owner’s wish to enhance the fuel of their car and save more of it as well. With this in mind, the most innovative fuel-saving tool in the automotive industry was conceptualized and created: the Tornado Fuel saver. An automotive air channeling tool that creates a swirling air motion, the Tornado Fuel Saver allows the air to move in a faster and more efficient way by whirling air around corners and bends. Hence, more fuel is saved.
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in my country, hybrid cars regardless whether it runs on ethanol, hydrogen or battery are still very expensive.
It’s still a long way, but at least, we have options.
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As long as no government or major government has a change of heart nothing will be done. No one has that kind of power in the world. Anyway, sooner or later we must step in and find a new fuel source.
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I agree with the quote someone posted above: “If a country like Chile can get 95% of their cars to run on ethanol based products, why can’t the US”
The answer is in money. US oil companies are earning sooo much money with oil that you can not imagine. They will do everything it takes to prevent other fuel variants (LPG, ethanol, hydrogen or electric) to come in a everyday usage.
It will happen someday, but not just yet. I predict after 2020.
Best, K.S.
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