Speech of
the Hon. Devanand Virahsawmy, GOSK, FCCA
Minister of
Environment & Sustainable Development
on the occasion of the
Workshop on
Introducing an innovative process for
Biomass to Bio-Diesel Production
In Mauritius for a cleaner environment
on
Tuesday 22 January 2013 at 10.00 hrs
University of Mauritius
Dr. Dinesh Surroop from the University of Mauritius
Dr. Christian Koch from Alphakat GmbH of Germany
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am pleased to be in your midst to-day on the occasion of this workshop
on “Introducing an Innovative Process for Biomass to Biodiesel
Production in Mauritius for a Cleaner Environment”, organized by the
University of Mauritius in collaboration with Equilibre Bioenergy
Production Ltd. This workshop comes at an opportune time in as much
as Government considers Biomass as one of the most viable options to
replace in the long run the use of fossil fuel in the automotive sector.
It is no secret that vehicle exhaust emission is considered to be one of
the major sources of air pollution in Mauritius, especially black smoke
emissions from diesel- driven vehicles.
It is worth noting that land
transport accounts for about 25% of the total carbon dioxide emissions in
Mauritius, ranking at the second place after the industrial sector. This
problem has been aggravated with the rapid increase in the different
types of vehicles over the last decade. In fact, official statistics reveal
that the size of our vehicular fleet has peaked up to 415,000 in
December 2012 as compared to some 244,000 vehicles in December
2000. It is also to be noted that the import bill of petroleum products for
the land transport sector has increased by about 6 % during the last few
years.
Let me also add that some 250,000 metric tons of diesel and 125,000
metric tons of gasoline are imported annually for transport purposes
representing about 35% of our total petroleum import. Conscious of the
fact that fuel quality is one of the main factors affecting vehicle
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emissions, my Ministry in collaboration with other Ministries concerned,
has taken appropriate measures during the past years to improve the
quality of petroleum products.
As a matter of fact, Government
introduced unleaded petrol several years back.
Subsequently, the
sulphur content of diesel for the automotive sector has been constantly
reduced from 5000 to 2500 ppm then to 500 ppm. More importantly
since March 2012, the sulphur content has been further reduced to 50
ppm. This is a major step for Mauritius for protecting its environment.
It is a matter of great pride that the introduction of this new diesel grade
has placed Mauritius among the first countries in the African Region for
taking this initiative.
Furthermore, this is an important milestone in
Government’s efforts towards improving air quality and consequently
ensuring better protection of our public health.
We are now
contemplating to bring the sulphur content in diesel to an even lower
level, e.g. 15 ppm. We are working seriously to meet this objective and I
seize this opportunity to convey our heartfelt thanks to the United
Nations Environment Programme, for its support in this endeavour.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Mauritius being an upmarket tourist destination, Government has been
well inspired in enhancing the quality of ambient air through the
reduction of black smoke emitted by diesel-driven vehicles.
This
initiative is also in line with the “Maurice Ile Durable” concept which was
coined by the Prime Minister, Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam in 2008.
As
the
coordinating
body
for
environmental
management
and
sustainable development, my Ministry has embarked on a number of
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initiatives to enhance the ambient air quality in the country and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from the land transport sector. Once again
with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme, my
Ministry will implement a project entitled, “Global Fuel Economy Initiative
(GFEI)” as from next month. This project aims at reducing transportrelated CO2 emissions through improvements in automotive fuel
economy.
As part of the MID initiative, Government is also encouraging further
research on the utilisation of bio-fuel derived from ethanol, coconut oil
and waste vegetable oil. With a view to decreasing our dependency on
fossil fuels, this initiative will enhance our national contribution in
mitigating the impacts of climate change.
As you are already aware, Government is coming up shortly with a
concrete MID Policy, a clear 10-Year MID Strategy and a detailed MID
Action Plan shortly. This policy document will provide the necessary
framework for Mauritius to pave the way for sustainable development. In
the course of the MID process, six working groups were constituted in
2011 to work on the following themes: Energy, Environment, Education,
Employment and Equity, commonly known as the 5Es.
I am made to understand that working Group No. 1 on Energy, chaired
by Dr. Khalil Elahee from the University of Mauritius, debated extensively
on the issue of bio-fuel and biomass. Members of this working group
raised concerns about our strong dependency on imported fuels which
accounts for 82.5% of our total primary energy requirement.
The
importance of the sugar cane sector was acknowledged and participants
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were of the opinion that, in the long run, we should move from a sugarbased industry to a bio-mass industry.
Bio-fuels presently under consideration in Mauritius are ethanol and
biodiesel. Up to now, ethanol has been produced either for export or for
use in the manufacture of rum. With the increase in oil prices, ethanol is
becoming a viable alternative to gasoline for use in vehicles or even for
imported diesel.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The use of oil presents a different challenge given its importance for
transport. Mauritius relies heavily on petroleum-based fuels to meet its
transport energy needs. Although this reliance on petroleum fuel will
continue well into the future, fluctuating oil prices and concerns about its
supply have aroused keen interest in looking for alternatives to fossil
fuels. With the recent oil price increases, some developing countries,
particularly Small Island Developing States which are very vulnerable,
have now redefined their budget allocation priorities.
With the uncertainties over the availability and cost of oil, as well as its
negative impacts related to climate change, there is a need to diversify
energy sources. Bio-fuels have therefore become an attractive option.
They offer the prospect of domestic energy generation while being at the
same time a renewable and a reliable source of fuel. They also have the
potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, generate new industries
and create new employment prospects as well as new sources of
income, thus very effective in promoting sustainable development.
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Many countries are putting in place measures to stimulate bio-fuels
production for the domestic and international markets. The challenge is
to increase bio-fuels supply while ensuring that these new sources of
energy are developed in a clean, competitive and sustainable manner.
Many developing countries are already launching bio-fuel programs
based on agricultural feedstock, namely sugar and grains for ethanol
and grape seed and soya bean for biodiesel. Besides, low-cost bio-fuel
crops like sugar cane and palm-oil grow abundantly in many developing
tropical countries. As such, bio-fuels produced in the right place under
favourable conditions could be the answer for many countries.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
One of the greatest challenges in the generation of bio-fuels is that such
businesses have to compete for the same lands that are used for food
production. This competition is not so intense for the time being, but
food security could be seriously compromised if lands for food crops
have to make way for bio-fuel crops.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, there are some
854 million under-nourished people in the world. Most of them live in
developing countries and mainly in rural areas. The FAO is striving hard
to improve food security as the bio-fuel revolution may lead to an
increase in the cost of imported food staples.
Problems would arise if agricultural producers draw higher incomes from
bio-fuel crops. This would in turn lead to an increase in the price of food
and of feedstock needed for animal rearing. There is also a real danger
that land with high conservation and carbon sink value, such as
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rainforests, could be used for mono cropping to produce bio-fuels or that
prime lands could be converted to large scale oil palm plantations.
Such a situation would result not only in a loss of crucial habitat, but also
in higher greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation.
This would
adversely do far more damage to the environment and to the climate
than the use of petrol.
It is known that deforestation in developing
countries is already responsible for one-fifth of the global greenhouse
gas emissions and about half of these emissions come from Asia.
With energy demands set to soar in developing countries, we have no
alternative but to work collectively for concerted
actions on climate
change. Bio-fuels will certainly contribute to the mix of energy sources.
While for some countries they might be the answer to their energy
problems, for others, the growing of crops for bio-fuels could lead to
further impoverishment. This is why we believe that there is not one
single answer to the world's energy problems.
It is therefore very important that we strike the right balance between
economic
development
and
environmental
impacts
including
greenhouse gas emissions, and the livelihood of local communities.
Lots of research and discussions are underway regarding the agricultural
and the ecological impacts of bio-fuels.
I am confident that your
deliberations to-day under the expert guidance of Dr. Christian Koch
from Alphakat, GmbH, Germany, will contribute positively and effectively
to this important debate.
I therefore invite you to give serious thoughts on this important theme:
“Introducing of an Innovative Process for Biomass to Biodiesel
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Production in Mauritius for a Cleaner Environment”. I also look forward
to your contribution and support in promoting this initiative for a
sustainable development of our country
I thank you for your attention.
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