Summary: “The 2003 Malawi Energy Policy recognizes the role of renewable energy in the country’s development, with bioethanol having been produced in the country since the 1980s and biodiesel having a more recent history of production. The Energy Regulation Act and the Liquid Fuels and Gas Act are among the laws in place to govern the production of biofuels.
However, the development of biofuels in Malawi is currently being hampered by the lack of a specific policy on biofuels. Whereas there exist initiatives by the Government and stakeholders to develop a policy and regulatory framework for biofuels development through organisations such as the Biofuels Advisory Council and the Biofuels Association of Malawi, much remains to be done to develop regulations and standards that will promote and regulate the biofuel industry in Malawi. The action to be taken includes the inclusion and harmonization of the views of all relevant stakeholders in the policy-making process, and the replication of pro-poor laws and policies that have worked in other developing countries.”
The attached Working Brief written by Clarice Wambua was based on research conducted in June 2010 for a dissertation towards the award of M.Sc. Africa and International Development at the Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh and published by Policy Innovation Systems for Clean Energy Security (PISCES).
PISCES is a five-year Research Programme Consortium funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) to develop new knowledge for sustainable use of bioenergy to improve energy access and livelihoods in poor communities. PISCES is led by the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) Kenya with lead partners Practical Action, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), the University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Edinburgh together with a network of national and international partners and collaborators.