It is no secret that many African countries are looking to Brazil for help to build the biofuels industry on the continent, but it is not a process that can be completed in one year or even 10 years.
At the World Future Energy Summit held in Abu Dhabi from January 18-21, Suani Teixerira Coelho, the Executive Secretary of the Centro Brasilero de Referencia en Biomasa (CENBIO), said that Brazil began its biofuels program in 1975. The South American nation farms biofuel crops on only 1% of the country’s arable land, but produces about 50% of the nation’s fuel needs. Gasoline in Brazil must contain 22% bioethanol which helped the industry become one of the world leaders in the biofuel sector.
African countries can look to Brazil as an example, but must realize that the process will take much longer. Oil-rich Nigeria announced in September that it was looking to partner with Brazil in order to implement reforms in the energy sector (Brazil Extends Influence in Nigeria). Yet Nigeria should recognize that after almost 35 years since the start of the initial Brazilian biofuels program, the South American country continues to make amendments in order to advance its technologies.
Subsidies should be offered in start-up countries initially to get the program off the ground; however, with time a step-down program should be implemented to become solely sufficient and independent. Coelho noted that in the beginning, Brazil did have subsidies in order to create an investor-friendly atmosphere, but now subsidies have been taken out of the country’s program altogether.
Brazil is working on bringing its knowledge to the international community, especially in the developing world, but proper regulations and execution should be met by countries and governments.
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