Renewable energy
development has became a common agenda across the world. Biomass based liquid
fuels, biofuels are advertised to be a best energy sources alternatives to conventional fossil fuels, especially
petroleum products in form of petrol and diesel. Many scientific findings revealed that Biofuels is very usefully
energy sources for restoring impacts of climate change. It can be used in combusting
automobiles, cooking, lighting, power generation and transportation. Biofuels
by definition are biomass-based fuels that can be in form of solid, gaseous or
liquid. Solid biofuels include charcoal and firewood; gaseous biofuels
include biogas, landfill gas and producer gas; and the liquid biofuels
encompass straight vegetable oils, bio-ethanol and bio-diesel. In developing
countries, solid biofuels in particular charcoal are important fuels.
The
main liquid biofuels in use today are bioethanol and biodiesel. Bioethanol
produced from starch bearing crops such as sugarcane, cassava and sorghum can
be blended with gasoline. Biodiesel from oil seeds such as sunflower, soya and
oil palm can be blended with gas oil.The fact that energy crops like maize,
cassava, sunflower,cashew nut, oil palm, millet and sweet sorghum are also food
crops, biofuels have raised serious concerns about their appropriateness as
feedstock for biofuels (energy) production. Large quantities of biofuels are
presently used in a number of countries and the potential exists to greatly
expand their use in the future.
Given
the cross-cutting nature of biofuels and challenges of its development, the
Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM) coordinates a Biofuel Technical Advisory Group
(BTAG) which provides technical/professional advice to TIC on biofuels
development or investment issues. However, BTAG consists of experts in Energy,
Agriculture, Natural Resources (Forestry,Wildlife), Land, Land Use Planning,
Food Security, Labour, Investment, Water,Industry and Environment. Other
experts are called upon from time to time to advise on specific issues.A
Secretariat led by MEM established and draws members from sectors of Energy and
Agriculture. The Secretariat for the BTAG is responsible for coordinating and
monitoring day to day biofuels related issues. All applications for biofuels
investment will be submitted to the Biofuels One Stop Centre.
Now, it is approaching two year since Tanzania Biofuel guidelines were put into actions for addressing and catering the sustainability issues of biofuel development in Tanzania. The trends of presented guidelines are raising questions of whether it is able to translate the stated rules into action in supporting biofuel production into pro-poor interests, without escalating land grabbing, food insecurity, unprecented energy supply deficit and massive biodiversity loss. Due to structures and capacities of the regulating institution especially Biofuels One Stop Centre (BOSC) which is institutionalized within the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) consistent with it’s (TIC) mandate to ensure observance to these guidelines.
The Biofuels One-Stop Centre’ means an office for providing information and guidance on biofuels’ investment.The organisation has been structured to ensure that development of biofuels in Tanzania is in line with principles of sustainable development. Generally, Biofuels One Stop Centre (BOSC) was structured to enhance sustainable coordination, approval and monitoring of biofuels investments. The truth is very different because the institution seems to fail and on other hand increased complexity of assesing information between investors and local Tanzanian. There is no transparency at all. Similarly, there are limited information flows to relevant stakeholders, especially rural smallholder, mostly affected by biofuels investiment in Tanzania.The clear example is found in Kisarawe District where there are huge conflicts between investor and villagers land.
In some location, Tanzanians have continued to be very unhappy with the approach and/or investiment of large scale agricultural schemes and biofuels developments. These are because, up to date, there are some investors who haven't fulfilled their promises and when it comes to the employment issues, some investors are prefering to employ people from other location instead of local's. I do fear that in the near future Tanzanian will remain to be "watwana" in their own land (village land). A foreseable failures of BOSC in mainstreaming the interests of villagers land bring more questions on the capacitities of BOSC staffs for questioning or responding the investors and local's desires and interests. The indepted sources of these problems could be dissemination of unrealistic information to the investors, poor information flows to local'scommunities as well as less involvement of BOSC in facilitating investiments problems which have recently hampered expectations of local communities.
Hi Rajabu. Thank you for initiatives through your post. I read these biofuel Guidlines and to me it seemed like they were too general. They could not show how they should be implemented. In addition to that, I am not sure if villagers were consulted to have their contribution and experiences in the guidlines. In this case, how will TIC and BOSC implement and measure the results of biofuel investments? To me it seems as a trial and error game. These people (TIC etc.) need to invest more on research and stop fast decicions which do not make any sence to poor Tanzanians and environment.
ReplyDeleteNeema Usiri Iversen
Hi Neema,
DeleteThank you so much for your comment.The biofuels guidelines are table made. No any concerns of poor Tanzanian and environment. I absolutely agree with your way forward to TIC.There are several things need to be shaped in order to mirror the interests of Tanzanian and environment.
Almas wrote: "Wandugu have you heard of Bioshape and the massive land grabbing in Kilwa Distirct? or the story of SEKAB in Bagamoyo? hawa jamaa ni wajanja tu wanatafuta ardhi warudi tena kutawala."
ReplyDeleteBy Daria Lebedeva
ReplyDeleteThe author rightly posed a queston in the title of the article: whose benefits will bring the campaign on biofuels. The question however is still open. At least for two main reasons: on the one hand, the commitie on solving the set problem - implementation of biofuel development in Tanzania - has come up with the dillema of corresponding the intersts of investors and local communities. But on the other hand, speaking of the benefits for both sides, they are not calculated yet
Undoubtedly the very approach is ecologically friendly and optimistic: to replace the fossil fuel with bio fiels. However, the following doubts appear: First off, the used energy for production biofuel is not "bio" in direct meaning of the term,in other words, in the process of producing such kinds of biofuels as bioethanol and biodiesel the gasoline and gas oil are blended. Second off, the large amounts of natural feedstock - such as sugarcane, cassava, sorghum,sunflower, soya and oil palm - might be directed to the of satisfaction of consumer's needs. What is more profitable to use feedstock in unchanged way or to manufacture it to biofuel. In my view, the pragmatic economic calculation will put accent and what is more profitable for the domestic economy and for local people, consequently must be embodied into practice. As it is shown the issue is still under hot debate.
By Daria Lebedeva:
ReplyDeleteThe author rightly posed a queston in the title of the article: whose benefits will bring the campaign on biofuels. The question however is still open. At least for two main reasons: on the one hand, the commitie on solving the set problem - implementation of biofuel development in Tanzania - has come up with the dillema of corresponding the intersts of investors and local communities. But on the other hand, speaking of the benefits for both sides, they are not calculated yet
Undoubtedly the very approach is ecologically friendly and optimistic: to replace the fossil fuel with bio fiels. However, the following doubts appear: First off, the used energy for production biofuel is not "bio" in direct meaning of the term,in other words, in the process of producing such kinds of biofuels as bioethanol and biodiesel the gasoline and gas oil are blended. Second off, the large amounts of natural feedstock - such as sugarcane, cassava, sorghum,sunflower, soya and oil palm - might be directed to the of satisfaction of consumer's needs. What is more profitable to use feedstock in unchanged way or to manufacture it to biofuel. In my view, the pragmatic economic calculation will put accent and what is more profitable for the domestic economy and for local people, consequently must be embodied into practice. As it is shown the issue is still under hot debate.
By Daria Lebedeva
ReplyDelete"The author rightly posed a queston in the title of the article: whose benefits will bring the campaign on biofuels. The question however is still open. At least for two main reasons: on the one hand, the commitie on solving the set problem - implementation of biofuel development in Tanzania - has come up with the dillema of corresponding the intersts of investors and local communities. But on the other hand, speaking of the benefits for both sides, they are not calculated yet
Undoubtedly the very approach is ecologically friendly and optimistic: to replace the fossil fuel with bio fiels. However, the following doubts appear: First off, the used energy for production biofuel is not "bio" in direct meaning of the term,in other words, in the process of producing such kinds of biofuels as bioethanol and biodiesel the gasoline and gas oil are blended. Second off, the large amounts of natural feedstock - such as sugarcane, cassava, sorghum,sunflower, soya and oil palm - might be directed to the of satisfaction of consumer's needs. What is more profitable to use feedstock in unchanged way or to manufacture it to biofuel. In my view, the pragmatic economic calculation will put accent and what is more profitable for the domestic economy and for local people, consequently must be embodied into practice. As it is shown the issue is still under hot debate."