Clariant cellulosic ethanol donation: 1,000 Malagasy Families Cooking Safer, Cleaner
In Germany, Clariant and Project Gaia announced the donation of approximately 24m3 of cellulosic ethanol from Clariant’s pre-commercial sunliquid plant in Straubing, Germany to a commercial ethanol cooking program in Madagascar, run by Project Gaia’s partner, Clean Cooking Madagascar (CCM). The donation will provide a month’s worth of cooking fuel for 1,000 Malagasy families. The Clariant cellulosic ethanol is made from agricultural residues, resulting in greenhouse gas savings of about 95% without competing with food and feed production or for arable land.
Ethanol cooking stoves offer a clean and sustainable alternative for household cooking. In response to this, a Norwegian carbon finance company, Green Development AS, through its local implementing entity CCM, developed the Madagascar Ethanol Stove Program to promote ethanol cooking in Madagascar, aiming to deliver 100,000 ethanol stoves in five years’ time. The program also encourages the development of local ethanol supply chains through the establishment of small or micro distilleries.
Green Development is supporting these activities through the issuance of carbon credits that will be sold to the World Bank’s Carbon Initiative for Development or “Ci-Dev” program, which is designed to increase access to carbon finance in developing countries. Ci-Dev is administered through the World Bank. Project Gaia is acting as an advisor to the program, consulting on ethanol micro distillery procurement and ethanol supply chain control. Project Gaia was an author of a seminal report prepared for the Government of Madagascar and the World Bank in 2011 on the opportunity for cooking with ethanol in Madagascar. This report gave rise to the National Ethanol Stove Program, which is run by the Government of Madagascar. The Green Development activities are a private sector, business-driven initiative that is closely aligned with the government’s program.
Madagascar is one of the most bio diverse countries in the world; however, it also has high rates of deforestation. Land clearance, slash and burn agriculture, wildfires, and over-harvesting of wood for charcoal and fuelwood are all to blame. While forest reserves are on the decline, the demand for fuelwood and charcoal is rising dramatically. Madagascar’s population has tripled since 1950, and fuel alternatives are scarce. Low and middle income households rely on firewood, while urban households almost exclusively use charcoal for cooking. Nearly 12,000 deaths per year in Madagascar are attributed to diseases caused by kitchen smoke. Of these deaths, 10,000 are children under 5 years of age.
Reaction from the stakeholders
Martin Mitchell, Business Development Manager Americas, commented: “Clariant is pleased to support Project Gaia’s initiative in Africa with the cellulosic ethanol donation. Cellulosic ethanol is not only a sustainable household cooking and heating solution for the developing world, it is also a healthier alternative to reduce diseases caused by kitchen smoke produced from charcoal.”
Harry Stokes, Executive Director of Project Gaia, stated: “We are very pleased to have this Clariant on board. By combining Clariant’s expertise in second generation ethanol with Project Gaia’s familiarity with African markets, we can together chart new opportunities for ethanol in Africa and particularly for the household energy market.”
Category: Fuels
