CONTROVERSY has engulfed players in the car industry and biological fuels producers over the issue of fuel blending ratios.
While biofuels producers argue that an increase in blending ratios would help bring down fuel prices at the pump, car manufacturers are concerned about its effect on engines.
Biofuel producers insist that proposed blending ratios of above 20 percent for petrol and five percent for diesel would enable them to break even.
Prices of blended fuels are high in the country due to high production costs among other factors.
Current blending ratios are pegged at 10 to 15 percent for petrol.
Motorist Tendai Moyo (44) said more has to be done to support the production of biofuels.
“Zimbabwe has high fuel prices and this is frustrating for motorists, especially considering that the fuel seems not to last. The prices must come down and it is good that new companies are coming on board to produce biofuels, competition will bring prices down,” Moyo said.
In a fast growing green world where biofuels have become the in-thing, most car manufacturers are now manufacturing flex fuel engines that can cope with biofuels.
Brazilian vehicles, for example, are running on slightly higher blends of biofuels.
Experts opine that biofuels producers will be successful in the country as most cars will not be adversely affected by the fuels.
The claim is supported by the Betchel Report of 2012 which recommended over 10 percent blending ratios for the fleet in Zimbabwe.
Most of the vehicles in the country have been imported from Japan.
Biofuels producers contend that most of the imported cars fully function as many developed countries have been using biofuel for a long time.
For example, neighbouring South Africa has gone a step further by manufacturing trucks that run on biodiesel.
However, car manufacturers and engineers say an increase in the blending ratio must be put on hold until the sector can begin manufacturing cars with engine blocks that conform to the high blends.
The car manufacturers said given at least five years they can produce cars with engine blocks that can withstand any effect of biofuels.
Some car manufacturers have, reportedly, had an increase in sales of certain vehicle parts, among them fuel pumps, which could be an indicator of the negative effect of high blending ratios.
While the increase in the sale of fuel pumps does not necessarily translate to the biofuel being a problem, awareness programmes on the advantages and negative effects must be carried out.
Brazil and many other countries currently have their cars running on blending ratios of above 25 percent.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development Patson Mbiriri said the use of biofuels in the country arose out of the need to make fuel readily available.
“The use of biofuels in Zimbabwe came about because of the need to provide adequate and constant supply of energy from renewable and non-renewable resources but with the need to lower the use of, and dependency on the use of fossil fuels because of its impact of climate change and global warming,” Mbiriri said.
“The widespread use of biofuels will create employment and reduce poverty, hence our need to keep the Chisumbanje ethanol project thriving.”
The use of biofuels began in 1966 when the then Rhodesian government embarked on blending using sugar cane molasses.
The project was terminated as a result of droughts and was resuscitated in 2005.
An attempt to have jatropha as a biofuel some years ago did not produce expected results.
This was despite support from government which set up a processing plant at Mount Hampden.
Blending ratios depend on season and availability of the biofuels.
According to experts, for blending to be effective, there is need to build up stocks of ethanol, which is not possible at the moment due to lack of working capital.
Zimbabwe soils are suitable for all biofuels feedstock among them soya, cotton seed, maize and cassava.
Producing biofuels can create a large market for agricultural produce and enhance the energy sector, improve the national trade balance and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
According to Mbiriri, the prescribed current policy is that all petrol in the country is blended with ethanol at a given rate from time to time. Statutory instrument 147A allows for mandatory blending.
Adjustments to blending ratios depend on supply of ethanol otherwise the country would have migrated to 20 percent mandatory blending on March 31 2014.
Meanwhile, Sunbird Bioenergy Limited has entered into an agreement with Government and China’s New Energy to develop a bioenergy project which will produce 120 million litres of fuel grade ethanol from cassava and potatoes.
The project will be in the Mushumbi Pools area in Mashonaland Central.
The project will result in the building of an ethanol production plant and a 36-megawatt (MW) biomass power station.
Sugar processor Hippo Valley has also expressed interests in the ethanol producing industry and is currently engaged with Zimbabwe’s energy regulator to acquire the relevant licences.