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Strategies
needed to fight price increases in oil - Amporfo
Twumasi
Accra, Dec. 11, Ghanadot/GNA - Ghana would remain hooked to
the vagaries of the global oil market unless concerted
efforts were made to develop sustainable fuels, Mr. Kwame
Amporfo Twumasi, Deputy Minister of Energy, said in Accra on
Tuesday.
He said the security of energy supply in Ghana was an issue
of increasing concern since the country currently imported
all of its petroleum requirements in the form of crude oil
and petroleum products.
"The economic impact of rising oil prices cannot be
overemphasized and we would remain hooked to the vagaries of
the global oil market unless we develop sustainable
alternative fuels," he said.
Mr Twumasi was addressing about 50 participants attending a
three-day workshop on "Biofuels: Research and Development
Technologies for a Sustainable Development in Africa".
The participants, drawn from Ghana, Botswana, Burkina Faso,
Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Malawi, Senegal, Tunisia and Zimbabwe
are expected to survey technologies for the exploitation of
renewable feedstock with focus on biofuels from energy
crops.
Other participants are from Europe, USA and Latin America.
They are also expected to evaluate capacity building needs
in Africa and exchange information on the successful
experiences in applied technologies for biofuels and
bio-based products in Africa and other countries.
The workshop is under the auspices of the International
Centre for Science and High Technology (ICS) of the United
Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO) in collaboration with the Institute of
Industrial Research (IIR) of the Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) of Ghana.
Mr. Twumasi said there were certain oil bearing plants such
as the oil palm, Soya beans and the Jatropha Curcus, which
did well in Ghana and so the country could put them to good
use.
"The Jatropha Curcus, in particular does well even in
wastelands and if we could produce enough fuel from this
plant to supplement our national demand, it would reduce the
foreign exchange bill for crude oil products imports.
"The increased use of biofuel would also create avenues for
job creation and opportunities for increased investment by
local entrepreneurs," he said.
"The Ministry in collaboration with the Energy Commission
and other stakeholders has drafted a Biofuel Policy which is
in the process of being presented to Cabinet."
Mr Twumasi said government would ensure that the biofuel
industry was developed on a sustainable base devoid of the
need for subsidies, which could be detrimental to food crop
production.
Mr Daniel Baffour-Awuah of the UNIDO Office in Ghana, said
the recent increases in oil prices were an important
rationale for considering biofuels for Africa, since some
countries could spend as much as 50 per cent of their export
earnings on petroleum imports.
"There is a growing realization in the region that
dependency on imported fuel is having a negative impact on
the regional economic development. Out of 47 of the world's
poorest countries, 38 are net oil importers - majority of
them from Africa," he said.
Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, former Chief Executive of Volta
River Authority and an energy expert, who chaired the
function, said Africa's major challenge was development.
He said it was energy use that pushed the development of
most of the developed nations and Africa could speed up its
development if its energy needs were properly addressed.
Dr Wereko-Brobby said Ghana should learn how Malaysia was
able to use its oil palm industry as energy to propel
development.
"We need to set targets for ourselves in terms of achieving
some leverage in the biofuel industry where all fuel
stations would have an attached biodiesel unit to serve
cars, especially the commercial ones, with biofuel to reduce
the dependence on imported petroleum products," he said.
Dr Essel Ben Hagan, Director, IIR of CSIR, in a welcoming
address, said the workshop was aimed at identifying
appropriate strategies, policies and initiatives for the
exploitation of renewable bio-resources in selected
sub-Saharan African countries
GNA
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