GIRAFFE BIOENERGY
LOCATION
KENYA
SECTOR
AGRICULTURE & CLEAN COOKING
YEAR OF INVESTMENT
2024
Giraffe Bioenergy, Kenya is establishing local manufacturing of ethanol cooking fuel from cassava to serve the growing clean cooking market in Kenya, thereby impacting rural livelihoods.
Despite having all the resources necessary for robust domestic production, Kenya currently imports the majority of its ethanol cooking fuel. Once the biorefinery is operational, the company will contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation by promoting the use of bioethanol, which substitutes fossil fuels and helps reduce deforestation caused by reliance on firewood.
Giraffe Bioenergy is currently focused on cassava production by teaching and integrating best practices to ensure sufficient supply ahead of constructing its biorefinery plant. Kenya is facing a significant supply-demand gap in the production of cassava products including flour, animal feed and ethanol cooking fuel. Cassava is climate resilient and grows well in idle semi-arid land where there is no competition from fruits and vegetables or wildlife conservation. Additionally, cassava is considered as a famine-reserve crop due to its resilience in infertile soils, drought conditions, and unpredictable rainfall, along with the option to delay tuber harvesting until needed.
The company’s mission is to women’s income in farming communities through large-scale cassava farming and to accelerate the adoption of ethanol as a safe, affordable, and environmentally friendly cooking fuel, transitioning away from traditional harmful fuels such as wood, kerosene, and charcoal.