CO2 emissions and energy use and conservation are matters of global concern. CO2, a greenhouse gas, is emitted whenever fossil fuels are burned, and levels in the atmosphere have increased substantially since the industrial revolution, along with methane, nitrous oxide and ozone, causing an unprecedented rise in global temperatures with potentially harmful consequences for the environment and human health. 

EU and African partners are collaborating to build sustainable non-food renewable bio-oil supply chains for providing combined heat and power (CHP) electricity, and in the future, the chemical feedstocks needed to replace fossil fuels.

Relevant science and technology academics, professionals, decision-makers and support scheme managers from South Africa, Namibia, Ghana, Italy and the UK are being linked in a series of inter-regional and intra-regional workshops over a 36 month time frame. The aims are:

• To develop projects that will increase the supply of sustainable bio-energy resources from second generation non-food sources such as jatropha or microalgae, and to develop new products with high value
• To develop new biofuel skills training programmes for new oil-processing businesses and for energy service companies for the mutual benefit of both EU and ACP countries
• To stimulate investment in new biofuel industries to deliver sustainable CHP electricity based on renewable biofuel
• To link farming and aquaculture communities in Africa with biofuel business demand in Africa and Europe
• To promote the benefits of CHP systems running on biofuels and to stimulate demand by local and regional authorities who procure energy for their communities

This Action is funded under the ACP Science and Technology Programme, an ACP-EU co-operation programme in the field of science and technology. It is implemented by the ACP Secretariat and supported by eight partners from participating countries.

The Namibian operating unit of UNU-INRA at Sam Nujoma Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre, University of Namibia (SANUMARC), is one of the project partners.  The unit is working towards the goal of developing projects that will increase the supply of sustainable bio-energy resources from microalgae. UNU-INRA is supporting this project through providing scientific research and workshops on the subject matter.