Can the Fijian economy gain from ethanol production?

Stauvermann, Peter J. and Kumar, Sunil (2009) Can the Fijian economy gain from ethanol production? School of Economics, the University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji.

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Abstract

Fiji is totally dependent on imported fossil fuel for its transport sector and options for alternative motor fuels are limited. Currently, any prospect for local refinery or exploration for fossil fuel is non-existent. In the past, as fuel prices soared, there have been discussions at various levels to explore alternative sources of transport fuel. These attempts at alternatives fuels in Fiji may have been sporadic but the seriousness of these issues should not be understated. The economic viability of options such as production of ethanol from sugar or cassava including other bio-fuels needs detailed economic analysis that could give direction to future discussions. A cost-benefit analysis is necessary to assess the viability of these options. This paper evaluates the feasibility and sustainability of bio-ethanol production from sugarcane and cassava. The analysis in this paper are influenced by the experiences of Brazil, Thailand and the United States in ethanol fuel where it is used as transport fuel at a commercial scale. The foreign exhange savings potential of this fuel option in Fiji is also explored and the economic analysis is based on the 2005 study of the Dutch Sustainable Development Group commissioned by the Dutch government.

Item Type:	Other
Additional Information:	Working Paper 2009/05.
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Divisions:	Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) > School of Economics
Depositing User:	Unnamed user with username admin
Date Deposited:	19 May 2009 04:32
Last Modified:	30 Jun 2012 05:59
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/1447

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