Our Focus
Transportation Fuels
The cost of transportation fuel (predominantly oil-based) is embedded in every product and service in Africa. By diversifying the fuel mix and incorporating cleaner, locally produced fuels like ethanol and methanol, these embedded costs can be decreased significantly. Cars can also be optimized to run more efficiently, saving drivers money, improving air quality and health.
Read our Country-Focused on Transportation Research:
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Cooking Fuels
Cooking with biomass (such as wood) is inefficient, highly polluting and contributes to global deforestation at alarmingly high rates. Women must walk great distances to gather wood, putting themselves at risk of sexual assault. Enhanced domestic production of safer alternatives like ethanol or LPG (liquid petroleum gas) Coupled with business models that can overcome last mile distribution challenges and upfront cost barrier, would save many lives.
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Fertilizer
Lack of affordable and accessible fertilizer is a key driver of low agricultural yields and food insecurity. Alternatives can be developed through local production using indigenous feedstocks such as agricultural waste (biochar), biomass and residual natural gas.
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Electricity Generation
Two-thirds of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa still live without access to electricity, much of which is diesel/gasoline based and comes from small and expensive generators. New business models can harness solar technologies to connect remote localities. Larger diesel generators can be converted to run on cheaper, cleaner locally produced methanol and other fuels.
Read our country focused electricity Research:
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