ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors aim to explore the potential for modern energy production from sugarcane in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In rural areas of SSA, nearly 90% of households rely on traditional biomass due to a detrimental combination of poverty and biomass abundance. The authors built different scenarios from an average sugarcane mill to quantify socioeconomic and environmental impacts associated with wider access to electricity and ethanol for transportation and cooking. The baseline scenario represents a sugar-based production model, which produces – through cogeneration using bagasse as fuel – just enough electricity and process steam to meet the mill's needs. The production of ethanol for transportation may enable countries to implement ambitious blending policies and alleviate expenditures with the gasoline importations. Despite significant socioeconomic and environmental benefits, the development of modern energy in rural Africa – through bioenergy production – remains challenging. High investment demands coupled with an unstable socioeconomic and political environment are important challenges.
