Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
biofuelslatest news & developments
The department of international relations announced that 93 South Africans have been repatriated. But others are still waiting to get back home.

What has SAA been smoking now?

A strain of tobacco holds the promise of biofuel for South African Airways’s fleet of planes, but raises issues of feasibility and economic viability.

Science department launches SA’s bio-economy strategy

Science Minister Derek Hanekom has launched a road map on how to develop South Africa’s natural biological resources into commercial products.

Aritia Reyneke’s bio-fuel cooking solution is more affordable than coal or paraffin.

Individual young designers

The Young Designers: Individuals Award is for school-goers with a creative idea, programme, design or prototype for the efficient use of energy.

Fuel for thought: Using water and productive land for biofuels will jeopardise Southern Africa’s food security. (Delwyn Verasamy, M&G)

On full tanks and empty bellies

South Africa’s move to foster bioethanol is self-defeating and unneighbourly.

Arguments over whether biofuels are a sustainable use of crops have raged for the past decade

Biofuels plant will cut UK’s reliance on imported feed

A new biofuels plant near Hull will be the United Kingdom’s biggest buyer of wheat, and the biggest supplier of animal feed.

Large-scale production of biofuels in South Africa could create at least 15 000 jobs.

Biofuel firms’ perseverence set to pay off

The announcement of the construction of two factories producing bioethanol from sorghum, costing about R1.6-billion each, appears to be imminent.

Towns with names that represent men who were brutal towards black people

Award winner: Biofuel plant backfires on community

It started out with a bang, but land deals went sour and farms lie barren as the project stalls, writes Sipho Kings.

R2bn ethanol plant planned for completion by 2014

R2-billion has been set aside for an ethanol plant to help South Africa’s budding biofuels sector, which could reduce its reliance on imported fuel.

Biofuels land grab in Kenya’s Tana Delta fuels talk of war

Villagers vow to resist as wildlife vanishes and they are driven from their land to make way for water-thirsty crops.

A spoonful of sugar (could) make the world go around

The current frank discussions internationally and in South Africa on the role of biofuels are both timely and welcome, writes <b>Emile van Zyl</b>.

Tanzania’s biofuel project’s promise proves barren

A project to produce clean energy for The Netherlands and Belgium has degenerated into a controversial abuse of natural resources in Africa.

SA farmers see depressed maize prices in 2011

SA’s maize prices, which have largely been depressed this year, will remain under pressure in 2011 unless the country secures new export markets.

SA body against use of maize for biofuels

South Africa should not review its biofuels policy to include maize as this would fuel food prices hikes, an industry body on biofuels said on Friday.

Minister mulls using excess maize for biofuel

SA needs to re-examine its current policy on biofuels which would see the country use its excess maize without threatening food security.

Electric cars win hype

Electric cars win hype, staying power questioned

Electric cars are riding high, as incentives and new models make them a realistic option, but the fresh attention may highlight flaws.

One quarter of US grain crops fed to cars, not people

One-quarter of all the maize and other grain crops grown in the US now ends up as biofuel in cars rather than being used to feed people.

Make biofuels while sun shines

The initial euphoria over the potential of biofuels to replace fossil fuels has died down.

Biofuel production could threaten fynbos

South Africa’s unique fynbos vegetation could be threatened if canola is introduced as a source of biofuel.

Germany does U-turn on ‘roadmap to biofuels’

The German government has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown over its plans to lead a worldwide biofuels revolution on the roads.

EU panel votes to cut goal for biofuels from crops

A key panel of European Union lawmakers voted on Thursday to lower a target for using traditional biofuels produced from crops in road transport fuel.