Successful biodiesel trials set to lure private sector

Researchers have issued a call for private sector investment after an P18.7 million study funded by government found that biodiesel can be a viable alternative fuel in the country.

Botswana has been on the lookout for climate friendly, low-carbon emission sources of energy as government has committed to global agreements to cut the country’s carbon emissions by 15% by 2030.

Government funded the multi-year research project into the production and use of biodiesel, which was carried out by the University of Botswana (UB) and the National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI).

Speaking at the launch of the study’s findings, the Minister of Minerals and Energy, Lefoko Moagi, said government is pursuing carbon neutrality hence the investment of over P18 million into a search of alternate fuels.

He challenged the private sector to rise to the occasion and take up the findings of the research in order to develop solid business cases around biodiesel.

“The study has shown that it is feasible to produce biodiesel in Botswana and this matches government’s efforts around carbon neutrality.

I thereby implore the private sector to take up these findings and commercialise biodiesel in Botswana,” he said. Delivering the research findings, UB principal investigator, Professor Clever Ketlogetswe, said biodiesel had outperformed petroleum diesel over a number of indicators such as carbon emissions as well as the efficiency of the fuel gaseous emissions into the atmosphere, proving the carbon neutrality of the alternate fuel.

“The percentage of carbon dioxide emitted by a car using B50 biodiesel (a blend of biodiesel and petroleum diesel) was recorded to be far less than a car using petroleum diesel,” he said. “Additionally, we recorded improved efficiency in the consumption of fuel from cars using biodiesel,” he added.

Mining giant, Debswana, has become one of the first private sector players to tap into the new fuel.

The group has challenged local biodiesel producers to tap into its fuel demand of about 100 million litres annually, as its operations transition to cleaner energy sources.

Debswana Energy and Carbon manager, Gaenamele Ganamotse, said biodiesel is in high demand at the diamond mining company because the group wants to meet its carbon footprint reduction commitments.

“A peg has been put on the ground to say that we will be fuelling all the vehicles in the green area with biodiesel this year.

“We are already under pressure, but we have already demonstrated that this product [biodiesel] works,” said Ganamotse.

The percentage of carbon dioxide emitted by a car using B50 biodiesel (a blend of biodiesel and petroleum diesel) was recorded to be far less than a car using petroleum diesel