Panama and South Africa are set to cooperate on biofuels. A delegation consisting of vice-minister of Foreign Affairs Azis Pahad, of Finance, Jubulai Moreketi and of Finance, met with Panama's vice-chancellor Ricardo Durán to discuss joint biodiesel and ethanol production and distribution. Panama's goal is to become a hub for internationally traded bioenergy, making use of the strategic position of the Canal.
Chile and the U.S. to cooperate on biofuels development
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and his delegation of U.S. Department of Energy officials conclude their tour of South America by signing [*Spanish] a biofuels research and development cooperation agreement with Chile. Earlier they visited Brazil where the previously signed U.S.-Brazil ethanol agreement was further discussed. However, Brazil did not succeed in persuading the American delegation to plea for a reduction of U.S. farm subsidies.
Paulson met with Chilean president Michelle Bachelet and stressed that the U.S. bioenergy initiative is focused on the entire Latin-American region. It will be managed by the Department of Energy (USDOE).
Noting that a number of Latin American nations struggle to meet energy demand, Paulson said the region has a common interest in sharing technology and developing new energy sources - especially clean and renewable ones.
In Chile, the U.S. wants to help develop biofuel research and production from new, non-food crops that thrive in arid environments. Both countries could greatly benefit from this, as both in Chile and the U.S., new farmland is scarce, but semi-arid zones are plenty. Technologies will be shared to convert biomass into liquid fuels and other biomaterials.
Chile currently suffers under a great energy deficit, and has had to take emergency measures to get both natural gas and liquid fuels supplied from neighboring countries. Lack of investment in energy infrastructures during previous governments is partly to blame. High energy costs and energy dependence are factors as well.
For the U.S., Paulson stressed, energy security is not only a national issue; the security of supplies in other countries is important for geostrategic reasons. "All of us stand to benefit from security of energy supplies", Paulson said.
Some analysts see Washington's biofuels initiative in the region as a way to counter the rising influence of Venezuala's Hugo Chávez, who is an outspoken critic of the U.S. and who uses petroleum as a geopolitical weapon:
energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy security :: geopolitics :: United States :: Chile ::
Meeting with Finance Minister Andres Velasco, Paulson praised Chile's committment to neo-liberal market economics, despite Bachelet being a social-democrat and despite the region's turn to the left.
The Secretary further visited Urugay and Brazil, where new bilateral relations were discussed. The Brazilian government, who leads the G20 group of developing nations in trade negotiations, aims to get the U.S. to reduce its annual farm subsidies from the current $17billion to $12 billion - a precondition for the G20 to accept any Doha deal. The American delegation did not signal any way forward on this longstanding issue.
The U.S. delegation met in Montevideo with Uruguay's president Tabaré Vázquez, and with the Ministers of Economy of Uruguay, Mexio and Chile to discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation on other fronts. Paulson stressed the U.S. is willing to cooperate with Latin American countries, on the condition that they are clearly committed to free market economics.
References:
Ministerio de Hacienda: Chile y Estados Unidos anuncian colaboración energética centrada en desarrollo de biocombustibles - July 13, 2007.
Gobierno de Chile: Presidenta Bachelet se reunió con secretario del tesoro de Estados Unidos - July 13, 2007.
U.S. Dept. of the Treasury: Treasury Secretary Paulson Visits Brazil, Uruguay and Chile This Week - July 11, 2007.
Paulson met with Chilean president Michelle Bachelet and stressed that the U.S. bioenergy initiative is focused on the entire Latin-American region. It will be managed by the Department of Energy (USDOE).
Noting that a number of Latin American nations struggle to meet energy demand, Paulson said the region has a common interest in sharing technology and developing new energy sources - especially clean and renewable ones.
In Chile, the U.S. wants to help develop biofuel research and production from new, non-food crops that thrive in arid environments. Both countries could greatly benefit from this, as both in Chile and the U.S., new farmland is scarce, but semi-arid zones are plenty. Technologies will be shared to convert biomass into liquid fuels and other biomaterials.
This initiative is aimed at cooperating and jointly researching biofuel development. We will focus on biofuels that have the following characteristics: they are clearly 'clean' [i.e. they help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution], energy efficient and at the same time are derived from new, non-food crops. - Andres Velasco, Chile's Finance MinisterThe cooperation will be coordinated by a consortium of universities, research organisations and industry, united in the Corporación de Fomento de la Producción (CORFO), already active in researching renewable energies.
Chile currently suffers under a great energy deficit, and has had to take emergency measures to get both natural gas and liquid fuels supplied from neighboring countries. Lack of investment in energy infrastructures during previous governments is partly to blame. High energy costs and energy dependence are factors as well.
For the U.S., Paulson stressed, energy security is not only a national issue; the security of supplies in other countries is important for geostrategic reasons. "All of us stand to benefit from security of energy supplies", Paulson said.
Some analysts see Washington's biofuels initiative in the region as a way to counter the rising influence of Venezuala's Hugo Chávez, who is an outspoken critic of the U.S. and who uses petroleum as a geopolitical weapon:
energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy security :: geopolitics :: United States :: Chile :: Meeting with Finance Minister Andres Velasco, Paulson praised Chile's committment to neo-liberal market economics, despite Bachelet being a social-democrat and despite the region's turn to the left.
The Secretary further visited Urugay and Brazil, where new bilateral relations were discussed. The Brazilian government, who leads the G20 group of developing nations in trade negotiations, aims to get the U.S. to reduce its annual farm subsidies from the current $17billion to $12 billion - a precondition for the G20 to accept any Doha deal. The American delegation did not signal any way forward on this longstanding issue.
The U.S. delegation met in Montevideo with Uruguay's president Tabaré Vázquez, and with the Ministers of Economy of Uruguay, Mexio and Chile to discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation on other fronts. Paulson stressed the U.S. is willing to cooperate with Latin American countries, on the condition that they are clearly committed to free market economics.
References:
Ministerio de Hacienda: Chile y Estados Unidos anuncian colaboración energética centrada en desarrollo de biocombustibles - July 13, 2007.
Gobierno de Chile: Presidenta Bachelet se reunió con secretario del tesoro de Estados Unidos - July 13, 2007.
U.S. Dept. of the Treasury: Treasury Secretary Paulson Visits Brazil, Uruguay and Chile This Week - July 11, 2007.
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