Region
KwaZulu-Natal
South Africa
uThungulu District Municipality

Sector
Biotechnology

Summary:

The uThungulu District Municipality is hoping its new biofuels initiative will have the three-fold effect of providing employment and finance for families in the region, providing a more sustainable fuel source, and all without diminishing food crops.

Contact
Anushka Makka

Email
Anushka@uthungulu.co.za

Tel
+27 35 799 2500

The emergence of Biofuels as an energy source has been propelled by increasing awareness of global warming from fossil fuels as well as the cost, as unstable fuel prices and dwindling oil supplies make the commodity more expensive.

However, the topic of food vs fuel has so far played a part in restricting the biofuels sector. As a result the uThungulu District Municipality is hoping to deal effectively with these issues, whilst also prioritising the Biofuels industry accordingly.

The municipality has identified a possible project in the region through the establishment of a Moringa Nursery, Plantations and Biodiesel processing facility in the region.

Three potential project localities have been identified:

• uMlalazi – Entumeni area
• Ntambanana – vicinity of Heatonville
• Mbonambi – Patane area

A partner, Vuthwa Biofuels, has already designed a biodiesel production project in a way that is aligned to the South African National Biofuels Strategy as well as the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (ASGISA). 

The project is a social and rural development project as well as a commercial venture and the uThungulu District Municipality is now scheduled to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with Vuthwa.

The Moringa tree is native to India but has naturalised across tropical and subtropical regions.  The tree has incredible nutritional value, low demand for water and prolific growth and biomass production. 

As the seeds do not form a staple food source, the food for the people or food for fuel issue is argued to be not relevant.  Also, the tree is able to grow in marginal lands and the leaf litter has the potential to improve the quality of the soil and is documented as having improved the size and quality of vegetable crops that have been intercropped with Moringa.

The process for the establishment of a Moringa Nursery, Plantations and Biodiesel processing facility is summarized:

• Establishment of local nursery for raising seedlings for a period of about 6 months.
• While seedlings are being raised, planting sites will be prepared for planting.
• Trees take about two years before significant harvest is available although some harvesting does take place sooner

Loans are to be provided to the cooperatives to cover the cost of the nursery, planting and production as well as a minimum 26% share in the production facility.  Should additional funding be secured from the Corridor fund then the percentage share of the community can increase beyond 26%.
 
Objectives of the Moringa Project:

• The project entails the establishment of 3000 hectares of Moringa trees that will improve the lives of roughly 1,500 families.
• Growers will be organized into cooperatives with 5 members per cooperative and each cooperative being responsible for 10ha.
• Estimated direct income of R7500 per family per annum, equating to R11.25m into the community from the 1,500 families involved.  At the nursery about 35 women can also be employed as well as a nursery manager and dispatch manager.
• The option of intercropping is also being investigated to provide further opportunities to the families involved. Intercropping will also assist to bridge the period from planting to the first significant harvest after 2 years.

For more information about the Moringa project contact Mr D Lubbe on lubbed@uthungulu.co.za or by tel: on +27 35 799 2500.

For more information on other initiatives currently underway in the uThungulu District Municipality contact Anushka Makka, on Anushka@uthungulu.co.za or by tel: on +27 35 799 2500.