AFRICA - Ecological fuel from seaweed and dates. From north to south African countries launch innovative solutions to guarantee energy for development

Rome (Agenzia Fides)- Africa is joining the market for ecological fuels derived from vegetal organisms. A local South African company hopes in five years time to produce between 16 and 24 billion litres of bio-diesel.
At present South Africa consumes over 8 billion litres of bio-diesel a year. The company already produces an annual 144,000 litres of bio-diesel derived from sunflower seed in a plant in the province of Limpopo. According to the company seaweed has a very high energy yield (circa 15,000 litres per hectare) furthermore if positioned near pollutant power stations seaweed absorbs high quantities of carbon dioxide and has a twofold ecological effect.
The South African company signed a contract to build no less that 90 plants for bio-diesel production localised near power stations. The aim is to exploit the capacity of seaweed to capture 40-80% of the carbon dioxide emitted from the plant and 80% of carbon monoxide.
Algeria on the other hand is planning to produce fuel derived from inedible dates. Work to build the plant will start in 2007 in the region of Algiers. Algeria has 10 million date palms. Besides the variety which produces dates of quality, another variety bears non-edible dates which can be used to produce bio-ethanol.
The company which invented the procedure to transform dates into fuel, plans to cultivate a vast plantation of palms along the railway line which connects the east of the country to the west. The plantation will also serve as a natural barrier against desertification. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 7/12/2006 righe 29 parole 296)