By JUDITH NAMUTOWE –
GOVERNMENT has said it will soon re-advertise tenders on the implementation of biofuels in its continued efforts to develop another alternative source of energy in Zambia.

. Yaluma

Mines, Energy and Water Development Minister Christopher Yaluma said the Government was committed to ensuring that it developed an alternative source of energy in Zambia.
Mr Yaluma said this during the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) chief executive officers’ breakfast meeting in Lusaka at the week.
He was reacting to Biofuels Associations of Zambia (BAZ) chairperson Thomson Sinkala’s appeal to the Government to expedite the issuance of tenders which were floated recently.
Mr Yaluma said the Government had already brought in a Statutory Instrument with regards to the filling stations on how they would be blending.
“We have asked them to start preparing one pump, which will be used as a trial run. I want to assure you that there is an improvement and we are on course on that,” Mr Yaluma said.
Mr Yaluma said a number of people had approached the Government on the need to start blending ethanol.
The minister said there were a number of people who had secured land for growing cassava in North-Western and Luapula provinces.
Mr Yaluma said the Government needed input from all stakeholders on how best the country would move forward regarding the power deficit.
Professor Sinkala said the association had capacity to produce 142 megawatts of power from biofuels and would be able to create more than 168,000 of jobs across the country.