Nairobi — Kenya has come up with a new strategy for developing biodiesel industry as a clean source of energy. The move is aimed at reducing over dependence on fossil fuel imports. Biofuels have global significance as they attempt to address changing patterns in energy supply and demand as well as cut down emissions of green house gases articulated by the Kyoto Protocol.

Kenya's five year strategy developed by the Ministry of Energy aims to drive processing and marketing environmentally friendly green fuel made from Jatropha curcas among other trees grown locally. According to the ministry, the government is aware of the current developments across the globe in search of green energy and the strategy provides a framework of activities to develop the industry.

"It is my hope that the strategy leads to transformation of the country from an importer of liquid petroleum fuels to local self sufficiency and exporter," said Energy permanent secretary Patrick Nyoike. National Energy Policy (Sessional Paper No. 4 of 2004 on Energy) and Energy Act of 2006 recognise the importance of biodiesel development.

Kenya will borrow from experiences in other countries. The document crafted with stakeholders' input, aims to address global warming through substitution of petroleum fuels and diversification of income sources with farmers growing jatropha for biodiesel production.

It identifies the plant as suitable non-food crop with seedlings as viable feedstock. Bio-refineries are expected to improve the economy through among others building of good roads and providing access to portable water.

Most promising

A study done by Energy for Sustainable Development Africa at the Coast indicates that jatropha is the most promising due to minimum requirements for inputs and ability to grow in otherwise unproductive land. Kenya is a net petroleum importer. The country's fuel bill increased from Sh113.7 billion in 2006 to Sh121.8 billion in 2007.

The strategy says that research and development need to be supported for Kenya to come up with home grown solutions with private sector participation encouraged in production, distribution and marketing of biodiesel. The government has registered Kenya Bio-Diesel Association to (KBDA) as an apex body for research institutions, planting materials suppliers, growers, processors, marketers and distributors.

Mr Nyoike said the strategy aims to fast-track development of biodiesel to increase security of energy supply by reducing vulnerability resulting from dependence on imported fossil fuels. "About five per cent reduction in imported diesel can be achieved by 2012 through substitution with biodiesel.

To achieve this, blending fossil diesel with biodiesel can begin with five per cent as a starting point," he said. Current diesel engines can run on a fuel blend of 20 per cent biodiesel and 80 per cent diesel without modification. To enhance acceptance, the process will start with fleet operators and fuel outlets stocking biodiesel.

Development of rural enterprises will encourage direct utilisation of biodiesel in un-modified stationery engines. Production of oil for electricity generation to power rural enterprises will be encouraged. The glycrine from processing of biodiesel is a raw material for soap making while seed cake is to be used to make cattle feeds. Jatropha trees also enrich the soil and improve greenery in dry areas.

The challenges of biodiesel industry development include adoption and uptake of any new technology, avoiding competition with food production and conflict with environmental policies in Kenya. Mr Nyoike said others are sustainability, protection of exchequer incomes, maintenance of standards, job creation using manual labour, building ownership in communities and strategic infrastructure development.

Key issues identified in jatropha value chain are availability of land and clean planting material, stakeholder sensitisation, resource mobilisation, processing, marketing, distribution and utilisation. Mr Nyoike said KBDA will coordinate setting up of buying centres and set the price of feed stock. The centres will serve as collection points for transport to oil extraction facilities and some will offer extraction services.