Technologies for the Sustainable Production of Biofuels
Experts and specialists from the fifteen SADC (Southern African Development Community) countries will attend the Regional Workshop on Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Biofuels and Added-value Bioproducts from Agricultural Waste and Algae in the SADC Region to be held in Pretoria, South Africa from 24 to 27 July 2012.
The Workshop is being organized by the International Centre for Science and High Technology (ICS) based in Trieste, Italy which operates within the legal framework of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in cooperation with the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) of South Africa, and will take into consideration SADC’s interest in the issues of energy security and energy access in the region, in particular for the development of biofuels. Emerging technologies, based on scientific knowledge and engineering know-how, for chemical transformation of biomolecules from agricultural and forestry wastes, and for growing microalgae are the basis of a sustainable biobased industry. This new industry has the potential to provide energy, chemicals, drugs and nutrients and could become an important source of income for emerging economies in the near future.
The global trend in the development of biofuels and biobased energy in general is to switch from the production of crops competing with food to the use of agricultural waste, which is available in large quantities, and to look into alternative crops and forms of biomass such as algae. Agricultural waste, is rich in lignocellulose, which can be converted into next-generation biofuels such as ethanol and hydrocarbon liquids, while fermentable waste can be transformed into biogas and methane. Furthermore, a multitude of products including nutrients, drugs and chemicals, as well as energy can be obtained from microalgae, which are several times more productive than traditional crops and do not subtract agricultural lands for their cultivation.
The objective of the Workshop is to increase awareness on both S&T and sustainability aspects among different stakeholders, in order to support the efforts of SADC and its member countries and their institutions in the development and adoption of new green technologies and in the development of regional and national policies on biofuels.
The programme will include sessions on:
- R&D and emerging technologies for conversion of agro and forestry waste into advanced biofuels and added-value products
- Technologies for algae cultivation and applications in the production of food and energy
- Applied technology case studies and best practices for valorization of agrowaste and algae
- Sustainability of biobased industry and resource availability
- Selected case studies on progress in R&D and applied technologies and best practices in SADC countries in the field of exploitation of agrowaste and algae
For further information: www.ics.trieste.it