Long road ahead before African biofuels take off

Africa has potential to become a major exporter of biofuels, but investors must factor in a need for costly new infrastructure and overcome red tape before the sector takes off, a biofuels expert said on Thursday.

Meghan Sapp, managing director of Brussels-based HG Consulting, told a conference that southern Africa, Kenya and Nigeria were among countries with potential to produce sugarcane- and cassava-based ethanol biofuel for export.
Sapp said that Africa was well-suited to biofuel production because it has plenty of available land, many climates fit for different biofuel feedstocks, and low labour costs.

However, she said poor infrastructure, under-developed legislation and a loose regulatory framework would hamper biofuel investments in Africa.

New biofuel plants will need good roads connecting to ports, and schools and clinics to serve the families of local workforces, such as sugarcane growers.

Later, Sapp told Reuters it could take at least 10 years before biofuel production achieves critical mass in Africa.

Reuters