2. Background
Current ways of energy use is unsustainable
Demand for renewable energy sources is expected to rise in future
Biofuel gaining worldwide popularity since first manufactured in
Europe
U.S. promoting industrial biofuel to solve climate crisis
Small scale biofuel projects sprouting in rural communities
3. What is biofuel?
Liquid fuel produced from plant
products
Category: Biodiesel, ethanol,
methanol, pure vegetable oil
An alternative to petroleum
based fuel
Palm seeds
Biodiesel feed stocks:
•Palm
•Coconut
•Jatropha curcas
• Rapeseed/ Mustard seed
•Sunflower
•Corn
•Soybean
•Peanuts
•Algae
•Used restaurant oil
•Animal fats
Coconut seeds
Jatropha seeds
Rapeseeds
Sunflower seeds
Pond Algae
Corn
Soybean seeds
4. How is biodiesel made?
Alcohol (Ethanol, Methanol)
Catalyst
(NaOH/KOH)
& HEAT!
Esters of 3
fatty acid chains
Vegetable
Oil Molecule
Biodiesel
Glycerine molecule which
is separated out
5. Industrial biofuel and environmental degradation
•
Massive deforestation in tropical rainforest in Indonesia to convert to oil palm
plantations
–
•
8% of global CO2 emissions
21% of Brazil’s agricultural land converted to soy bean plantation
–
Displaced over 300,000 people
•
Since Jan 2003, 70,000 km2 of Amazon rainforest cleared for biofuel production
•
Forests and soil store 3x the amount of CO2 than does the atmosphere
More….
• High production costs (energy)
•
Competition between food crop and fuel crop
•
Price increases in world grains, cereals and vegetable oils
6. Can biofuels work sustainably?
I think so…
At the local level in isolated rural communities with
• intermingled with development projects
• effective government policies to protect farmers from competition
• decentralized
• Small scale biodiesel plants in developing countries had led to
• rural electrification
• improving irrigation & agriculture
• job creation
• women empowerment
• power to local community
• self sufficiency
7. Engine driven
oil expeller
An hour of pedaling activity converts
Biodiesel plant to power butter
vegetable oil to biodiesel in an Indian village.
processing equipment, Ghana, initiated
The fuel is used to run irrigation pumps, tillers,
by women’s group and UNIFEM
rice hulling mills and generate electricity.
8. Steps to initiating pilot projects in rural
communities
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mobilize community groups , e.g. 10 to 15 households
Awareness workshops including gender sensitivity
Engage local men and women in interactive dialogue and discussions
Install irrigation pump and oil expeller for each community group
Provide skill training and instruction manuals
Form Village energy committee
Encourage household to plant jatropha plants in their private wastelands or
in poorer sections of their field, e.g. on the borders of the fields
Conduct technical and business skill training to women from preparing
organic fertilizer from oil cake to producing vegetable cash crops to sell in
the market
Establish a small micro-finance bank so villagers can take loans
10. Bibliography
Greg Pahl. Biodiesel: Growing a new energy economy. 2007. Chelsea Green Publishing Company,
White Rive Junction, VT.
Biofuels for transport: Global potential and implications for sustainable energy and agriculture.
Worldwatch Institute. 2007. Camden High Street, London, UK.
Biofuels for sustainable rural development and empowerment of women. 2009. ENERGIA. The
Netherlands.
Vandana Shiva. Soil Not Oil. 2008. South End Press, Cambridge, MA.
