Zimbabwe: Non-food crop for fuel production

  1. Posted on Wednesday 1 April 2009 - 09:28
    Sam Banda Junior
    Image of Sam Banda Junior
    Sam Banda Jnr, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi Photo: Shepherd Tozvireva
    In an effort to improve fuel production, Zimbabwe is said to be planning to use a non-food crop, Jatropha, to produce fuel. According to available data, the crop can be grown on semi-arid land and possess less of a threat to food production than other biofuel feed stocks such as grains and vegetable oils.
    Zimbabwe Photo: Shepherd Tozvireva
    Jatropha is said to have oil that can be used to produce biodiesel.

    The southern African country which is said to be looking for assistance of about $ 10 billion to rebuild its economy, will use Jatropha to produce up to 10 percent of the country’s fuel needs.

    Zimbabwe’s National Oil Company was quoted by Reuters as saying that they plan to meet a 10 percent national target or roughly 100 million litres per year by 2017.

    "We plan to meet our 10 percent national target or roughly 100 million litres per year by 2017," Abisai Mushaka, the state-owned company's biofuels official said.

    Zimbabwe plans to use Jatropha to produce up to 10 percent of the country's fuel needs or 100 million litres of biodiesel per year by 2017, the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe said on Monday.

    Media reports said biodiesel would substitute 10 percent of the southern African country's fuel imports.

    Zimbabwe the once mighty nation of Africa is struggling to build itself and has seen several departments of its economy collapse.

    Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has however assured Zimbabweans that he would make sure he brings the economy back in shape.

    Tsvangirai, who suffered another setback recently as he was involved in an accident which killed his wife, has since appealed to donors and other well wishers to assist Zimbabwe.

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