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Cane Resources Network for Southern Africa (CARENSA) |
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| Maria M. Morales, SEI | | Download (click on the image) |  | | Category | Renewable Energy | | Description | Summary The last introductory presentation on the Cane Resources Network for Southern Africa (CARENSA - www.carensa.net), was made by Ms. Maria Morales of SEI, Sweden. She explained the motivation for the formation of CARENSA as being the growing need for multi-product, multi-sector strategies to promote sustainable development and enhance global competitiveness in the sugar industry. The objectives of CARENSA are to: - Compare current and potential cane resource use in southern Africa
- Develop benchmarks for system inputs, production, and performance
- Evaluate competitiveness via multi-purpose production strategies
- Capacity-building and technology transfer for SADC region
- Promote south-south co-operation with key producers (Brazil, India)
- Characterise policy environment and identify incentive schemes
- Compare socio-economic and environmental impacts across scenarios
- Identify implementation strategies and sources of support (CDM)
- Evaluate co-product strategies with financial and sustainability criteria
- Provide a regional and global forum for discussion and exchange
For the sugar industry, it is not only sugar that can be produced, but also ethanol (from molasses and sugar juice), and electricity (from bagasse). The presentation showed that Africa stands to benefit from the sugar industry. Paricularly for Southern Africa, the driving forces are rural development / economics, employment creation, entrepreneurial skills, population/resource pressures, energy security, health (e.g. get rid of lead), urban environment (reduction of urban air pollution), rural environment (cane burning), social and community development, future competitiveness of the sugar industry, Climate Change - investment opportunities through CDM, and dependence on fossil fuels in increasingly volatile market.
In the fuel self sufficiency scenario, Zambia would benefit from biofuels as follows: - Job creation : 150 thousand (one per hectare);
- FOREX savings : 0.2 billion USD per year (15% of the imports);
- Growth in GDP: 5 percent (GDP = USD 4.4 bn).
- An average investment of two thousand dollars per hectare is necessary to put land under energy crops. Hence the country's agricultural investment would be USD 0.6 billion.
In connection with the CARENSA presentation, there was a query on who would sprearhead the ethanol production in Zambia. It was explained that the only sugar company that can immediately start is Zambia Sugar, since it has been in operation for over 20 years.
Proceedings This presentation is part of the proceedings from the Partners for Africa meeting held in Lusaka in December 2004. See the library item here.
| | File size | 391 kB | | Date | 17-04-2005 at 20h33 | |
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