Mozambique plans to start ethanol production

Experts in Mozambique are meeting to discuss strategies for producing clean energy to reduce pollution and costs in the import of fossil fuel.

Mozambique is looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by producing ethanol from sugarcane.

Jaime Himede, the country's deputy energy minister, says: 'Biofuels are of great interest to Mozambique, the reason why the government concentrates part of its work to mobilise the community to cultivate plants such as Jatropha to boost biofuel production and bring down the import of fossil fuels to the country.'

'We can take advantage of the rural experience to produce biofuel, biogas and also food and we can also work to produce energy with agriculture waste like those used in the production of sugarcane,' adds Maria Rebaue, Brazil's representative on bioenergies.