Deputy Minister for Energy, Mr. John Sanie, has stated that energy security and climate commitments have thrust sustainable biofuels to the centre stage as one of the practical solutions for transport decarbonization around the world.
He made this observation when he addressed the National Biofuel Stakeholder Forum on Friday 30 August 2024 at the National Petroleum Authority’s auditorium in Dzorwulu, Accra. He was representing the Minister of State at the Ministry of Energy, Hon. Herbert Krapa.
The Deputy Minister, who is also the MP for Mpohor, observed that a local biofuels industry will slash our petroleum products import bill and our current account deficit; provide another source of income for farmers; create regional industry and employment; and give us security of supply.
“What’s more, biofuels can be made from a variety of raw materials and introduced gradually in low-level blends without any change to engines”, he added.
On government’s efforts in the biofuels industry, Hon Sanie revealed that On June 6th, 2024, the Ministry of Energy, in partnership with six (6) Ministries – Transport; Food and Agriculture; Environment, Science and Technology; Trade and Industry; Finance; and Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate on the development and commercialization of biofuels in the country.
“The signed MoU does not only maximize inter-governmental cooperation. It publicly demonstrates high-level support from relevant sector ministries and promotes national ownership of the project. This is crucial for the assurance of the private sector and the investor community for the initiative moving forward”, he stated.
The one-day event drew participants from the Ministry of Energy, NPA, the College of Engineering at the KNUST and various institutes from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), among others.
