Potential non-edible oil feedstock for biodiesel production in Africa: A survey

Abstract

Africa is a continent full of untapped natural resources ranging from biodiversity to vast water bodies but faced with food and energy crises. Prices of fuel are also escalating. With researchers and experts scrambling for the solution, biodiesel from vegetable oil will receive more attention. But the edible feedstock as the obvious cheapest choice will not be sustainable enough for the increasing energy and food demand; hence, there is a need for guaranteed feedstock. This study was therefore undertaken to explore feedstock that would not be suitable for food but useful for biodiesel in Africa. Among the highlight areas of the study include current energy situation in Africa, technologies of biodiesel production, current state of biodiesel in Africa, driving forces for increase in biodiesel production, current existing problems of biodiesel commercialization, potential benefits of biodiesel processes, need for non-edible oil plants, potential non-edible biodiesel feedstock, biology, distribution and chemistry of the selected non-edible oil plants. The study also throws light on the implication of biodiesel on the environment and the outlook. From the study, the use of non-edible oils can be guaranteed as sustainable feedstock for biodiesel since most of the non-edible plants can be grown on wastelands to reclaim them, not compete with food crops for limited lands, are relatively cheap, available and offer similar or even higher yields of biodiesel and fuel properties as the edibles. Developing biodiesel industry in Africa can help curb the high rate of unemployment through job creation as well as increase in income level of the rural populace. Weaning African economies from oil import dependencies could also be an economic achievement. It can be deduced from the study that there are promising non-edible oil resources in the system for biodiesel industrialization in Africa.