INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOFUELS IN AFRICA

The energy market breakthroughs and the first emerging African biofuel production projects have on one hand boosted the bioenergy sectors, and on the other hand revealed potential risks. The advantages of producing bionergies locally should be enhanced compared to importing fuel products. Risks are due to destabilization, relating to the vulnerability of rural economies engaged in biofuel production and facing both international market and agriculture/energy fluctuations. Unsteady agricultural and fuel prices make biofuel competitiveness and profitability uncertain compared to crop energies (biofuel vs edible oil). In fact, the recent fluctuations of the global markets (agricultural and fuel products) have demonstrated their interrelation which tends to impact on the economic performance of biofuels.  In this unstable context, national authorities are aware that:

1. Though biofuels are not always considered cost effective in the short run, they may represent an outstanding opportunity in terms of development in the long run

2. Relevant measures should be implemented to avoid the potential risks of emerging biofuel sectors. Thus, various countries and regional organizations – ECOWAS and WAEMU – have implemented or are implementing laws and policies in order to be equipped with efficient management and monitoring tools.

With the benefit of hindsight, the assessment of biofuel production prospects seems not only possible but also quite important. Projection and simulation tools depending on technical breakthroughs, and plausible socio-economic development scenarios are needed. So, this third edition of Biofuel Conferences will focus on discussing technical, economic, social, environmental and political prospects of biofuels for Africa ... read more