Kenya

From BioenergyWiki

Bioenergy > Regions > Africa > Kenya

Information about biofuels and bioenergy in Kenya.

Events

Issues

News

• Kenya court halts $370m sugar, biofuels project, 13 July 2008 by Reuters: "A Kenyan court has temporarily halted a $370 million sugar and biofuels project in a coastal wetland that conservation groups warned would threaten wildlife and local livelihoods."
  • "The government and the country's biggest sugar miller, Mumias, wants to plant cane on 20,000 hectares in the Tana River Delta to create jobs and plug an annual 200,000-tonne sugar deficit."
  • "But the Malindi High Court ruled on Friday that environmentalists and groups representing local livestock keepers could apply for a judicial review, according to a copy of the order seen by Reuters on Sunday."
  • "Kenya's National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) cleared the project last month. But it has run into fierce opposition from activists who say it threatens 350 species including birds, lions, elephants, rare sharks and reptiles."
  • "Mumias, which owns 51 percent of the Tana Delta project, hopes to produce about 23 million litres ethanol -- which is distilled from molasses, a cane by-product -- there each year."
  • "It says it will also generate 34 megawatts of electricity and create some 20,000 direct and indirect jobs, partly through the construction of an 8,000-tonne a day sugar mill. The government, which has a 30 percent stake, says the project will benefit locals and that it has its full support."[1]

• Biofuel blight threatens spectacular Kenyan wetland, 18 February 2008, by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) (UK): "A flourishing wetland on Kenya’s northern coast is under serious threat from plans to grow vast amounts of sugarcane, partly for biofuel production....Developers want to transform nearly 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) of the spectacular Tana River Delta into sugarcane plantations with other parts of the Delta earmarked for rice." The delta is habitat for 345 species of birds, as well as crocodiles, hippos and lions.
  • "Nature Kenya, with the backing of the RSPB and BirdLife International, has urged Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority, to reject the sugarcane plan."
  • The article quoted Paul Matiku, Executive Director of Nature Kenya, as saying, "This development would be a national disaster, wreaking havoc with the area’s ecosystem and spelling the end for wildlife across much of the Delta."
  • UPDATE: Kenyan Government grants the destruction of Tana’s birds, biodiversity and livelihoods, 23 June 2008 press release by Birdlife International: "The government of Kenya, through the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), has approved a proposal to turn 20,000 hectares of the pristine Tana Delta into irrigated sugarcane plantations. Conservationists and villagers...believe the decision is illegal and are determined to block the development."[2]

• Trees for Clean Energy Project: Kenyan farmers to benefit from biofuels in semi-arid zones , 7 November from Biopact: 950 small farmers are learning how to cultivate jatropha as a new economic opportunity.

Organizations

Governmental organizations

Nongovernmental organizations

• Green Africa Foundation - "founded in 2000 to support ecological and environmental conservation with a particular focus in arid and semi arid lands...The Foundation focuses on capacity development of poor communities through a partnership approach that integrates environmental conservation and community livelihoods."
  • This NGO has been licensed by the Kenyan Government to provide technical support for a jatropha biodiesel project.[3]

Companies

Navigation

Please comment on "Global principles and criteria for sustainable biofuels production"' ("Version Zero") What is bioenergy? | Benefits/Risks | Who is doing what? Events | Glossary | News | Organizations | Publications | Regions | Technologies/Feedstocks | Policy | Timeline | Voices Wiki "sandbox" - Practice editing | About this Wiki | How to edit