ISSN 2027-1238
E-Newsletter No. 5
October 2009

The first vehicle completely powered by a biofuel made from cassava roots is on the move in the department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. The test run is being carried out using a CIAT pick-up truck and fuel produced in conjunction with Clayuca (Latin American and Caribbean Consortium to Support Cassava Research and Development).

The fuel was produced using ethanol prepared by Clayuca's pilot plant at CIAT's headquarters in Cali, which has the capacity to produce an average of 300 liters of hydrated ethanol (containing 4%-5% water) per day.

The processing plant is part of a major project to develop rural social bio-refineries—low-cost fuel production plants that use cassava, sugar sorghum, or sweet potato as feedstock. As well as powering vehicles, cassava biofuel can also be used to generate electricity—a lifeline for rural communities in developing countries lacking access to the national grid. Waste products from fuel production can be used to make fertilizers and nutritional blocks for livestock.

"The potential impact is enormous if we consider that, according to the United Nations, nearly 2 billion people worldwide still do not have access to electric power. Any rural community that is not yet connected to electricity power can set aside 3-5 hectares to grow cassava as an energy crop and what they would produce would be sufficient to provide electric power for 6 hours a day, all year round."

The biofuel requires the use of inedible high-starch cassava varieties, developed by CIAT researchers for industrial use, meaning there is no direct trade-off between fuel and food. The stems of sugar sorghum and sweet potato can also be used.

You can see the full story here.

Contact:
Bernardo Ospina, b.ospina@cgiar.org