Ethanol production saved Zimbabwe $26.5 million in forex

In Zimbabwe, the local Financial Gazette newspaper reports that even though weather challenges prohibited the production and therefore blending of ethanol in 2017 as planned, the country still cut its fossil fuel import bill by about 2.65% at $26.5 million. The country imports more than $1 billion of fossil fuels annually. Green Field’s ethanol production doubled in 2017 from the year prior to 78.2 million liters from 38.6 million liters in 2016. Ethanol blending has returned to 5% as of January 12, down from the legislated 15% and the 10% level blended before the rainy season caused challenges that dropped ethanol availability even further.