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Jan 05, 2026
To effectively address the growing demand for energy consumption, the use of renewable energy such as crop-based biofuels has become imperative. In addition, renewables are an increasingly important source of energy for countries seeking to reduce their CO2 emissions and dependence on imported fossil fuels for cooking, heating homes and buildings, and to decarbonize parts of the transportation sector.
The production, storage, transportation, and use of conventional biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) is governed by a set of international standards, and ASTM International is among the top contributors, especially in Africa, where the development of the biofuels industry and the promotion of clean cooking are incorporated in the national economic plans and strategies of several governments.
With support from Pivot Clean Energy, Inc, a global coalition whose mission is to accelerate the transition to renewable bioethanol to meet modern energy demands, the adoption of the standard specification for denatured ethanol for use as cooking and appliance fuel (E3050) has been critical in ensuring energy efficiency in countries like Mozambique.
Prior to the adoption of this standard in 2024, the Instituto Nacional de Normalização e Qualidade (INNOQ), the national standard body of Mozambique, hosted a series of events in Maputo, Mozambique, including a Standards Alliance-funded workshop organized by ANSI and Pivot Clean Energy that attracted key stakeholders including the Ministry of Energy of Mozambique, local ethanol producers/operators, and the World Bank. Maria Jiverage, ASTM’s manager, global cooperation and training, spoke about the role of standards in the development of biofuels.
A five-day retreat culminated in the adoption of five ASTM biofuels standards. The event was aimed at enhancing the growth and quality of the country’s biofuels industry using ASTM standards.
Apart from Mozambique’s adoption of E3050 and other blending standards, other countries in Africa including Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, and Uganda have followed suit. Moving forward, the goal in coming years is to harmonize the adoption of this and other ASTM blending standards throughout Africa to ensure renewable bioethanol production meets the energy demands of the continent.
Pivot used ASTM standards to help open up opportunities for bioethanol use in sub-Saharan Africa for both household energy and blending with gasoline – specifically, standards such as D4806, D5798, D3237, D4814, D8011, and E3050. These were presented for adoption in multiple countries in the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to help standardize ethanol for blending and cooking purposes across these regions and ensure a consistent, safe, high-quality product that consumers could trust.
Not only does the adoption of these standards provide consumer confidence and protection, it also allows for industry stakeholders to understand the quality requirements for any domestic production and distribution of ethanol, allowing them to compete in the marketplace while providing the highest quality products. Governments benefit because they are able to implement around provisions for the ethanol industry and realize policy initiatives such as ethanol-blending mandates. When the correct standards are in place, it opens up opportunities for trade and cross-border flows, interoperability between countries and regions, and economic advancement and competition.
The challenge in sub-Saharan Africa for ethanol was the existence of multiple standards – or no standards for ethanol – meaning the government didn’t understand how to appropriately tax the product or develop and enforce regulatory guidelines, and there were no quality-control measures to ensure a safe, consistent, and affordable product. With the growing interest in implementing around ethanol for both blending and cooking in sub-Saharan Africa, it was prohibitive for industry stakeholders to participate in this market, and it precluded international trade from occurring, even when blending mandates or clean-cooking operations were present.
With the adoption of ASTM or equivalent standards, the opportunity for domestic industry growth (evident in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda) has opened up, as well as the opportunity for international imports to contribute to meeting economic or environmental goals, further advancing industry development for biofuels in these countries. Being able to identify the product through ASTM standards also prevents inappropriate taxation by identifying denatured ethanol as separate from undenatured ethanol, which often has a much higher tax rate. This can result in lower fees when countries import, greater margins for distributors, and a more affordable consumer product.
Over the next 2-5 years, it is hoped that ASTM standards will continue to be utilized to both increase export volumes of ethanol from the U.S. and increase domestic production in sub-Saharan Africa in particular. When looking at clean cooking, Kenya has used an equivalent standard to E3050, which has allowed them to distribute clean ethanol cookstoves to over 1 million homes in Kenya. Pivot has seen biofuels policies develop in Uganda for blending and cooking. They have a 5% blend mandate and are looking to move up to 20% in their gasoline. They also have productive policies around tariffs and domestically produced ethanol for cooking use, which are supported by the standards they have in place. Mozambique now has an E10 (10% ethanol) mandate that they are looking to implement around, and having adopted six relevant ASTM standards, the process will be streamlined as they begin execution around this goal.
There is still a lot of work to do when it comes to classifying ethanol in sub-Saharan Africa and other emerging markets around the world. Harmonization of ethanol standards for fuel and household energy use would be extremely helpful as ethanol exports continue to expand globally year on year. Additionally, as ethanol is identified as a clean energy source in new sectors, there will be a need for continued development of new standards and adjustments to current standards, such as in the aviation, maritime, and chemical sectors. ●
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January / February 2026
