BIODIESEL AS A POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCE IN HOUSEHOLDS STOVES OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Abstract

Abstract: There is an increasing interest to search for suitable renewable fuels that are eco-friendly in every country. In many parts of the developing countries like Ethiopia, wood-based fuels will remain leading sources of energy. Dependence on biomass resulted in a high pressure on forests for supply of domestic energy. To satisfy the basic need of increasing population like housing and land for agriculture, let the forests to be cleared and deforested. In this background, the role of liquid biofuels as substitutes for firewood and charcoal, to help reducing pressure on woody biomass and contributing to a better energy security of rural communities. One of the emerging energy alternatives being explored is biodiesel, which has been produced from varieties of plant and animal resources which is reliable and sustainable energy source. Similarly, in Ethiopia, lots of consideration were given by the government to support foreign and local investors to produce biodiesel in a large scale from jatropha curcas. This work assesses the potential of biodiesel extracted from Jatropha curcas can replace domestic energy supply for cooking and lighting. Field survey, interviews and structured questionnaires are applied to get responses from households about energy consumption customs, cook and lighting devices, costs of fuel and burden in entire family especially women and children to source firewood. This paper concludes that jatropha curcas hedges have a significant potential for the substitution of kerosene or paraffin for lighting. The data analysed using inferential statistics and recommendations are formulated.