Last week, U.S. Grains Council staff traveled to Maputo, Mozambique and met with high-ranking government officials from the U.S. and Mozambique to discuss the country’s intention to implement a 10 percent ethanol fuel blend by August.
The event, culminated in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the Council, Pivot Clean Energy Company and the Mozambique Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME) in the presence of U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small and U.S. Ambassador to Mozambique Peter Vrooman.
“This MOU is a wonderful example of the Council’s partnerships with likeminded parties as we look to facilitate transitions to ethanol blending in countries around the world,” said Mackenzie Boubin, USGC director of global ethanol export development. “This region is enthusiastic about the benefits that ethanol can provide such as rural economic improvement, positive human health impacts, reduced reliance on imported oil and agricultural feedstock demand. The Council is ready to support this growth in Mozambique and beyond for years to come.”
The MOU establishes a cooperative agreement to exchange technical expertise and best practices related to the biofuels industry and clean energy policy development. The Council will work closely with the MIREME to strengthen technical and educational support for the country’s ethanol initiatives for ground transportation as well as in-home uses such as clean cooking stoves.
Clean cooking stations were a prevalent topic at the conference due to their ability to produce food without soot or smoke, which lowers overall air pollution and limits users’ airborne health risks. Other presentations centered on ethanol’s contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, the global ethanol production chain and pathways for domestic ethanol production.
Event participants included Mozambican governmental representatives from the energy, environmental and agricultural sectors, along with representatives from local fuel distributors, technology companies, national refineries, agro-industrial industries, oil and gas, finance, logistics and transportation.
“This event was a major success thanks to the dedication of the Council and its outstanding partner organizations. Participants were engaged in the topics and learned a lot about ethanol’s various benefits, applications and logistical implementation,” said Mohamed Salah Bouthour, USGC deputy regional director – Africa. “I very much look forward to continued collaboration with the Mozambican government as they strive to reduce GHG emissions and improve human health.”
Learn more about the Council’s ethanol work in Africa here.
About The U.S. Grains Council
The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. With full-time presence in 28 locations, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture’s profitability. Detailed information about the Council and its programs is online at www.grains.org.