Boosting science and technology in Africa to tap continent's bioenergy potential
No doubt it is interesting to know that sub-Saharan Africa has a large technical bioenergy potential (earlier post), and it might be good to understand that it may boost economies, alleviate poverty, reduce greenhouse gases and strengthen energy security. But exploiting the continent's bioenergy potential in an efficient and economical way requires a great number of resources that must be optimalised: from institutional capacity building, to investments in infrastructures, over technology transfers and the creation of markets, - the challenges are enormous.
It would also be unsound to stand by and see a one-way traffic develop whereby foreign knowledge, technology and capital are the main input, while Africa just 'offers' its land, labor and biomass resources to outside actors. Instead, a strategy in which local capacities are strengthened will yield much better long term results. One of the most important sectors in Africa that needs strengthening in this respect, is that of basic science and technology (S&T). Without performant S&T capacities, the continent will remain reliant on outside expertise for its development. The world may well see an African Green Revolution in the 21st century, but will it be driven by Africans themselves?
The challenges of boosting S&T in Africa
In order to make sure it will, several initiatives are underway. Today, a major congress on science and technology in Africa kicks off in Cairo, Egypt, organised by the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology (AMCOST) (which has a comprehensive bioenergy program). The congress builds on the earlier three-day Congress of African Scientists and Policymakers, organised by the African Union in Alexandria, Egypt, from 27-29 October. At this event, African scientists and politicians proposed a wide range of measures to boost S&T on the continent, ranging from more flexible visa laws for greater mobility of scientists, to the creation of a continent-wide scientific advisory committee.
One proposal recommended that every member set aside one per cent of the annual gross domestic product to fund science and technology programmes to aid Africa's development. To encourage the African diaspora to contribute to their homeland's scientific development, African countries should facilitate low-cost direct remittances to send funds back home, the delegates said:
bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: science :: technology :: development :: African Union ::Africa ::
The delegates put forward 50 individual suggestions, of these 10 were chosen to be submitted to a meeting of African science and technology ministers that was recently held in Cairo, Egypt. If approved, the suggestions will also be presented at the next AU summit meeting of heads of state being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2007 under the theme of science, technology and innovation.
Several speakers urged that African governments make their own commitment to increasing support for science and technology, rather than leave this to the private sector or international finance institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
"To change the face of Africa, this is the chance," said Nagia Essayed, AU Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology. "We might not have enough financial resources, but unless we put our own money into this, we won't get others to believe in us."
The conference drew up a declaration urging African governments to "create favourable conditions for mobility of scientists, engineers and technicians" by introducing more flexible visa laws for scientists and dedicating future summits to science, technology and innovation.
Other recommendations included strengthening intellectual property rights to encourage innovation, establishing specialised research centres for developing local technologies and upgrading science and technology education in schools.
Over 120 scientists and politicians attended the conference, from nearly all of the AU's 53 member states. The conference saw much lively debate over how to best use science and technology to alleviate the suffering of the majority of the continent's 880 million people.
Africa lags in development because it remains colonised, argued Sadeg Faris, a Libyan emigrant and chief executive officer of eVionyx, a New York-based energy company. "If you look around you in Africa, you will not find anything that was invented or developed here," says Faris. "That's because the continent is forced to sell its raw materials cheaply in order to buy expensive technologies developed in the West. It's a vicious cycle."
But mathematics professor Aderemi Kuku, a Nigerian emigrant working at Miami University in the United States, said Africa's problems had a simpler origin, namely that it was unprepared to invest enough in scientific infrastructure. "Where there's a will, there's a way," said Kuku. "But our countries have never demonstrated this will."
Boosting basic science
The African Union congress on science and technology led to today's congress held in Cairo. African scientists have urged leaders to carry out science initiatives that will improve the lives of Africa's poor, and to popularise science and technology at grass-root level.
The participants — scientists and representatives from nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) — said governments should cooperate more with NGOs to implement 'basic science' initiatives that improve the lives of Africa's poor by using science to solve everyday problems.
Fred Oladeinde, president of The Foundation for Democracy in Africa, a US-based NGO, said governments and NGOs have separate strengths, and should work together to promote science in Africa.
"Governments should not get involved in implementation, they're not efficient. And that's where NGOs should come in and leave the legislation to the politicians," he told SciDev.Net.
Delegates recommended establishing continent-wide exchange programs for students and researchers, and creating a database for science and technology experts in Africa and among the diaspora.
Other proposals included holding innovation competitions at national, regional and continental-level, and strengthening science curricula in African schools.
African Union summit on science, technology and innovation
From these two congresses, a final list of proposals will be drawn up and submitted to the landmark African Union summit meeting in January 2007 on science, technology and innovation. It is expected that at this meeting, African heads of states will unite to form a comprehensive and continent-wide strategy to promote science on the continent.
A forum, created by Scidev.net allows experts, stakeholders and ordinary readers interested in African S&T issues to debate topics they would want to see discussed at this important AU summit. The forum can be accessed here.
More information:
Congress of African Scientists and Policymakers - Alexandria, Egypt 27-29 October 2006
African Ministerial Council on Science & Technology (AMCOST)
AMCOST: Building a sustainable energy base - a look at the AMCOST bioenergy program
SciDev.net: AU congress suggests how to boost African science - November 2, 2006
Article continues
It would also be unsound to stand by and see a one-way traffic develop whereby foreign knowledge, technology and capital are the main input, while Africa just 'offers' its land, labor and biomass resources to outside actors. Instead, a strategy in which local capacities are strengthened will yield much better long term results. One of the most important sectors in Africa that needs strengthening in this respect, is that of basic science and technology (S&T). Without performant S&T capacities, the continent will remain reliant on outside expertise for its development. The world may well see an African Green Revolution in the 21st century, but will it be driven by Africans themselves?
The challenges of boosting S&T in Africa
In order to make sure it will, several initiatives are underway. Today, a major congress on science and technology in Africa kicks off in Cairo, Egypt, organised by the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology (AMCOST) (which has a comprehensive bioenergy program). The congress builds on the earlier three-day Congress of African Scientists and Policymakers, organised by the African Union in Alexandria, Egypt, from 27-29 October. At this event, African scientists and politicians proposed a wide range of measures to boost S&T on the continent, ranging from more flexible visa laws for greater mobility of scientists, to the creation of a continent-wide scientific advisory committee.
One proposal recommended that every member set aside one per cent of the annual gross domestic product to fund science and technology programmes to aid Africa's development. To encourage the African diaspora to contribute to their homeland's scientific development, African countries should facilitate low-cost direct remittances to send funds back home, the delegates said:
bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: science :: technology :: development :: African Union ::Africa ::
The delegates put forward 50 individual suggestions, of these 10 were chosen to be submitted to a meeting of African science and technology ministers that was recently held in Cairo, Egypt. If approved, the suggestions will also be presented at the next AU summit meeting of heads of state being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2007 under the theme of science, technology and innovation.
Several speakers urged that African governments make their own commitment to increasing support for science and technology, rather than leave this to the private sector or international finance institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
"To change the face of Africa, this is the chance," said Nagia Essayed, AU Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology. "We might not have enough financial resources, but unless we put our own money into this, we won't get others to believe in us."
The conference drew up a declaration urging African governments to "create favourable conditions for mobility of scientists, engineers and technicians" by introducing more flexible visa laws for scientists and dedicating future summits to science, technology and innovation.
Other recommendations included strengthening intellectual property rights to encourage innovation, establishing specialised research centres for developing local technologies and upgrading science and technology education in schools.
Over 120 scientists and politicians attended the conference, from nearly all of the AU's 53 member states. The conference saw much lively debate over how to best use science and technology to alleviate the suffering of the majority of the continent's 880 million people.
Africa lags in development because it remains colonised, argued Sadeg Faris, a Libyan emigrant and chief executive officer of eVionyx, a New York-based energy company. "If you look around you in Africa, you will not find anything that was invented or developed here," says Faris. "That's because the continent is forced to sell its raw materials cheaply in order to buy expensive technologies developed in the West. It's a vicious cycle."
But mathematics professor Aderemi Kuku, a Nigerian emigrant working at Miami University in the United States, said Africa's problems had a simpler origin, namely that it was unprepared to invest enough in scientific infrastructure. "Where there's a will, there's a way," said Kuku. "But our countries have never demonstrated this will."
Boosting basic science
The African Union congress on science and technology led to today's congress held in Cairo. African scientists have urged leaders to carry out science initiatives that will improve the lives of Africa's poor, and to popularise science and technology at grass-root level.
The participants — scientists and representatives from nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) — said governments should cooperate more with NGOs to implement 'basic science' initiatives that improve the lives of Africa's poor by using science to solve everyday problems.
Fred Oladeinde, president of The Foundation for Democracy in Africa, a US-based NGO, said governments and NGOs have separate strengths, and should work together to promote science in Africa.
"Governments should not get involved in implementation, they're not efficient. And that's where NGOs should come in and leave the legislation to the politicians," he told SciDev.Net.
Delegates recommended establishing continent-wide exchange programs for students and researchers, and creating a database for science and technology experts in Africa and among the diaspora.
Other proposals included holding innovation competitions at national, regional and continental-level, and strengthening science curricula in African schools.
African Union summit on science, technology and innovation
From these two congresses, a final list of proposals will be drawn up and submitted to the landmark African Union summit meeting in January 2007 on science, technology and innovation. It is expected that at this meeting, African heads of states will unite to form a comprehensive and continent-wide strategy to promote science on the continent.
A forum, created by Scidev.net allows experts, stakeholders and ordinary readers interested in African S&T issues to debate topics they would want to see discussed at this important AU summit. The forum can be accessed here.
More information:
Congress of African Scientists and Policymakers - Alexandria, Egypt 27-29 October 2006
African Ministerial Council on Science & Technology (AMCOST)
AMCOST: Building a sustainable energy base - a look at the AMCOST bioenergy program
SciDev.net: AU congress suggests how to boost African science - November 2, 2006
Article continues
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Deutsche Bank and BP: 21st century will be the era of bioenergy
Dr. Norbert Walter, Chief Economist of Deutsche Bank and Dr. Uwe Franke, Head of BP Germany, forecast that bioenergy, and supporting biomass production, will determine the future of energy to a large extent and on a global scale.
Dr. Franke's keynote speech "Potential and Opportunities for Alternative Energy Resources" [*.pdf] sums up the reasons why bioenergy will play such a significant role in the 21st century and offers the perspective of how an oil company wants to be part of this revolution:
Note that Dr Franke explicitly excludes the developing world from his view, knowing well that the real potential lies there (earlier post). Energy crops grown in the tropics and subtropics yield so much more usable biomass, that next-generation biofuels produced in the North (including cellulosic ethanol) can never compete with biofuels produced in the South (and traded on a global market). The only entrance for the oil industry into the biofuels sector - now largely dominated by agribusiness - is via high-tech, second generation bioconversion technologies (earlier post). This is why the oil industry is not keen on promoting the South's competitiveness (based on first generation technologies; if the South starts introducing second-generation conversion technologies using its own energy crops, it becomes even more competitive).
Norbert Walter's keynote speech, "The 21st Century: The era of bioenergy? Opportunities and challenges for governments, businesses and agriculture" [*.doc] takes a broader perspective and indicates how bioenergy will enhance energy security on a global scale. He also points out that of all renewables, only bioenergy has a sufficiently large potential to replace fossil fuels in any significant way. Walter finally makes a case study on Germany and concludes that biomass and bioenergy already make up 70% of Germany's renewably produced energy:
ethanol :: biodiesel :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: renewables :: climate change :: fossil fuels ::
The 20th century was the age of fossil fuels. At the beginning of the 1970s, that is even before the first oil price shock, fossil fuels such as crude oil, natural gas and coal together met roughly 85% of global primary energy demand. In volume terms, oil was the leading input. Renewables, by contrast, accounted for “only” about 14%, with bioenergy making up the lion’s share (nearly 12%). Since then, energy consumption has roughly doubled. The production volumes of all fuels have expanded.
The oil share of total consumption has diminished. By contrast, the nuclear energy share has increased substantially from a low level and the natural gas share, too, has risen on higher demand. The renewables’ share has remained stable. Above all, this is thanks to bioenergy, as bioenergy generation has inceased just as strongly as overall global energy demand.
True, fossil fuels are good, but in the long run they are not good enough to ensure sustainable energy policies – at least as technology stands today. As the global demand for energy will continue to rise strongly over the coming decades, environmental and supply targets in particular call for an improved energy mix – not only globally but also at the national and European levels.
Primary energy consumption is forecast to rise by roughly 60% by 2030. In order for bioenergy to double its share by that date, additional volume expansion in excess of 200% would be required. This fact clearly illustrates that we cannot rely on bioenergy alone in the 21st century. Worldwide, the usable farmland and forests for example set a limit that can only be increased by using tools like green biotech, higher-yield fertilisers or agricultural machinery. Still there is no doubt: We are on the threshold of a new “era of bioenergy” in the 21st century. Bioenergy is one of the great hopes for improving our energy mix.
Renewable resources enable a more economical use of fossil fuels and thereby help reserves to last longer. When they are burnt their impact on the global climate is far less negative than that of fossil fuels. The only jack-of-all-trades among the renewables, bioenergy has huge potential in all areas of use:
-Bioenergies are used primarily for decentralised applications in the power and heating sectors. They thus offer at least local and regional protection against large-scale power outages like those recently in North America and Europe. Moreover, bioenergies reduce the vulnerability of entire economies to surges in the prices of oil and natural gas, heating oil and fuels.
-The early promotion of bioenergies in Germany and the EU is giving us a technological edge. These investments could prove highly lucrative if technology exports to the energy-hungry and populous countries of China and India can be successfully organised. The range extends from small-scale heating plant for households to high-volume production facilities for manufacturing biodiesel for the booming car markets in emerging nations.
-The renewable energy segment offers traditional farmers an interesting alternative source of income given that farm subsidies will tend to decline in future. If established farmers and forestry engineers become modern “energy managers”, two birds can be killed with one stone: the energy of the future, biomass, would receive the necessary expert support and the financial prospects for rural inhabitants would be stabilised.
-Biomass is much more important for the energy mix in Germany than often assumed and it is already undergoing constant expansion at breakneck speed. In 2005, for example, biomass supplied the bulk (almost 70%) of all energy (electricity, heating and fuel) generated from renewable sources. Biomass benefits from its diverse range of applications. The bioenergy share of primary energy consumption in 2005 was, however, just 3.3%.
• Biomass is – in volume terms – the only important renewable source for the manufacturing of fuels. In 2005 the biomass share of final energy consumption in the transport sector rose to 3.6% (2003: 0.9%). In Brazil, for example, ethanol covers around 30% of total demand of fuel.
• Biomass dominates the segment for heating generated from renewable sources. Its share of the heating market reached 5.1% in 2005 (2003: 3.8%). There is however still no effective heating legislation. Only in power generation is biomass not the leading renewable source of energy. This segment is dominated by windpower and hydropower. The biomass share of electricity generated is 2.2% (2003: 1.2%) – thanks to a significant boost from the amendment to the energy law. This all goes to show what is possible if the state sets the right course for the economy, farmers and forestry engineers. Bioenergy is therefore likely to play a pivotal role in the German government’s new energy concept, which will be unveiled in mid-2007.
Article continues
posted by Biopact team at 8:53 PM 0 comments links to this post