- Title: Malawi embraces ethanol as alternative fuel
- Date: 24th May 2016
- Summary: BLANTYRE, MALAWI (RECENT) (REUTERS) PARKED ETHANOL FUEL DRIVEN CAR MASINKHO MADANITSA, ETHANOL FUEL USER, OPENING A CAR BONNET ENGINE AND BONNET (SOUNDBITE) (English) MASINKHO MADANITSA, ETHANOL FUEL USER, SAYING: "In effect, with that box there, with that conversion kit installed, I have made this car into what we call a flexi-fuel vehicle and can run on both ethanol and petrol or any mixture of the two." MADANITSA DRIVING OFF CLOSE UPS OF MADANITSA IN CAR DRIVING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MASINKHO MADANITSA, ETHANOL FUEL USER, SAYING: "One reason why one should go for ethanol is that it is an environmental friendly fuel. One it's renewable; it's a renewable fuel and also it burns better." EXTERIOR OF ETHANOL FACTORY, PRESSCANE LIMITED PRESSCANE LIMITED SIGNAGE EXTERIORS OF ETHANOL PROCESSING PLANT VARIOUS OF SUGARCANE FIELD VARIOUS OF DR. CHRISTOPHER GUTA, GENERAL MANAGER, PRESSCANE LIMITED WORKING ON LAPTOP (SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. CHRISTOPHER, GENERAL MANAGER, PRESSCANE LIMITED, SAYING; "Malawi going the renewable energy route, will be in tandem with what is happening at a global level. And I think we can only say our contribution will be a major contribution to mitigating climate change issues with respect to Malawi; Malawi's obligation at the international level." TRAFFIC SCENES CLOSE UP OF CAR STICKER READING: "ETHANOL FLEX-FUEL CAR: I USE ETHANOL OR PETROL OR COMBINATION OF THE TWO AS FUEL" PETROL ATTENDANT FUELLING CAR (SOUNDBITE) (Chichewa) HENRY MALANGE, BLANTYRE RESIDENT, SAYING: "As a motorist I welcome this development and I know that I will save on fuel and take care of my family better." MORE OF FUEL ATTENDANT PUTTING FUEL IN CAR (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANDREW VELE, BLANTYRE RESIDENT, SAYING: "Yes, it will from the cost of view it will. It will save for the economy for the person but again the consumption rate increases. I have used it before in Zimbabwe. We have seen that the consumption rate is worse off."
- Embargoed: 8th June 2016 16:17
- Keywords: ethanol biofuel bio fuel petrol gasoline
- Location: BLANTYRE AND LILONGWE, MALAWI
- City: BLANTYRE AND LILONGWE, MALAWI
- Country: Malawi
- Topics: Science
- Reuters ID: LVA0014J633VF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Masinkho Madanitsa checks the hood of his car to make sure everything is okay before he leaves for work in the morning. Madanitsa uses ethanol to power his car. Flexible fuel vehicles like this one can run on either ethanol or petrol or a blend of both.
"In effect, with that box there, with that conversion kit installed, I have made this car into what we call a flexi-fuel vehicle and can run on both ethanol and petrol or any mixture of the two," he said.
Malawi launched a renewable fuels program in 2015 as part of the government's efforts to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil and move to cleaner energy sources.
Madanitsa was one of the first drivers to participate in the new program.
"One reason why one should go for ethanol is that it is an environmental friendly fuel. One it's renewable; it's a renewable fuel and also it burns better," he added.
Presscane Limited is a processing plant in Blantyre, Malawi that produces ethanol from sugarcane biomass, a by-product of the sugar manufacturing process.
Ethanol is an alcohol fuel made from plants such as corn, grasses or sugarcane.
Dr. Christopher Guta is the General Manager of Presscane Limited.
"Malawi going the renewable energy route, will be in tandem with what is happening at a global level. And I think we can only say our contribution will be a major contribution to mitigating climate change issues with respect to Malawi; Malawi's obligation at the international level," Guta explained.
At a climate change conference in Paris last year, countries signed up to reduce rising carbon levels, gradually reducing the world's reliance on fossil fuels.
Like most of the world, Malawi depends on petrol. Fuel shortages in the past have had a drastic impact on the economy of the small southern African nation. Hikes in the petrol and diesel prices also affect the costs of goods and food.
While some drivers were reluctant to adopt ethanol fuel, others were more optimistic.
"As a motorist I welcome this development and I know that I will save on fuel and take care of my family better," said Henry Malange, a Blantyre resident.
"Yes, it will from the cost of view it will. It will save for the economy for the person but again the consumption rate increases. I have used it before in Zimbabwe. We have seen that the consumption rate is worse off," added Andrew Vele, another Blantyre resident.
Proponents of the program like economist, Abel Mwanyungwe say it has the potential to create jobs and in turn improving the livelihoods of many Malawians.
"Perhaps may be the domestic sort of production of this oil that will be a substitute would lead to the stabilization of oil prices in the long term which perhaps these benefits could be passed on to the consumers that is the motorist themselves. But again if you look at the plans of these companies in terms of their production capacity and the plans then perhaps you could also see that there could be a trickle down effects of the employment of jobs and therefore perhaps this will trickle down to the income of local people in those areas," he explained.
Dr. Chikumbusko Kaonga, an environmental expert says ethanol reduces greenhouse-gas emissions and reduces dependence on foreign oil.
"Petrol has more dangers as compared to ethanol. So, even in ten years the dangers that we can get from using petrol far outweighs the ones that we can get from ethanol. So, ethanol, still more comes first to me."
Still, critics of the program say ethanol provides less energy than petrol and requires more frequent refuelling, which reduces a car's efficiency.
They also question whether greater amounts of land would be used to grow sugarcane rather than food. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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