Perspective of Bioenergy and Jatropha in Uganda William Kyamuhangire, PhD. Associate Professor Faculty of Agriculture Makerere University Uganda

Map of Uganda

Uganda facts  Land locked  Population 29 million, 80% rural  Population growth rate: 3%  GDP growth 6%  Agrarian economy Peasant farming Raw material exports

Energy picture in Uganda  91% biomass based energy Deforestation  Hydro power generation High potential >2GW Installed capacity 280 MW Current <150MW  Thermal 150MW  Hydro and thermal electricity covers 9%  Transport Sector 100% petroleum fuel High import bill Energy insecurity

The National Energy Policy  Accelerated power generation from renewable resources  Development/adoption and utilization of other modern fuels and technologies (bioenergy)  Aims: Socio-economic development especially transforming rural areas Address poverty issues, catalyse industrialization and protect the environment.

Policy and Actions on Biofuels  Biofuels: oils and fats, biodiesel and ethanol  Blend all fossil diesel with up to 20% biodiesel  Govt promoting production of oil crops For edible oil For biodiesel  Biodiesel targeted for transport and for rural electrification

Jatropha Production in Uganda  Grown to support the vanilla crop on small holder farms  Variety not known, seed yield and potetial  Seeds considered useless  Farmers started selling the seeds

Developments in Jatropha Production and Use  Makerere University Extraction of jatropha oil Conversion into biodiesel  Bas Lankveld flower farm Buys seeds Uses Jatropha oil as fuel for farm machinery  MEMD/GTZ Piloting jatropha oil fueled electric generator Policy development and implementation

Developments in Jatropha Production and Use cont.  Feasibility studies MEMD Private initiatives

Barriers to bioenergy development and use  Prospects for petroleum deposits exploitation  Inadequate Legal and Institutional Framework  Limited Technical and Institutional Capacity  Lack of Financing Mechanisms  Underdeveloped market  Lack of Research and Development Support

Expected benefits of deploying biodiesel  Improved national energy security by using indigenous renewable energy sources instead of imported fossil fuel  Create employment and income in rural areas  Promotion of a new source of income to farmers  Support rural electrification strategy  Promotion of technology transfer and skills development

Conclusions  Biofuels are not an absolute substitute to fossil fuels but if produced under adequate policy regimes they offer one of the stepping stones towards a development among poor countries.  Since the collapse of the commodity markets in the 70s, biofuels offer the first expanded market opportunity and rise in commodity prices for poor producer countries.  Least developed countries should take advantage of this window of opportunity to develop their agriculture and industry.  There is need to support the biofuels initiatives in the developing countries in order to realize economic gains.