An examination of ethanol Gelfuel as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel use in informal settlements

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY : Socio economic factors ansmg from a combination of a legacy of apartheid, rapid urbanization and dramatic levels of poverty force many South Africans living in shackenvironments to make energy choices that are often unsafe and unsustainable. This study sets out to establish why this is the case and then to determine the viability of an alternative energy carrier, an ethanol based gel fuel. The aim was to ascertain through a set of indicators the levels of sustainability of the product both under lab conditions and then through a pilot study in the Joe Slovo Informal settlement in Cape Town. Hundreds of thousands of Informal settlement dwellers rely on paraffin to meet daily energyrequirements and suffer dramatic fires, child poisonings and the noxious fumes that come from burning a fossil fuel in closed cramped environments. Although this work examines ingreat depth the reasons behind paraffin choice specifically within the Western Cape it also provides a commentary on other energy carriers used throughout the country. The purpose of both the pilot and lab study were to present the empirical evidence backed by a social commentary largely justified by the available literature into the need for providing more sustainable energy choices particularly for the poor. Critical to the intentions of the outcomes of the document was to ascertain and measure thesustainability of ethanol Gelfuel and its potential future utilization. This assessment examines the economic, social and environmental parameters of the product under currentconditions and then sets out to establish what conditions and criteria are required for its future distribution. Although the evidence regarding a definitive answer on the future of gelfuel in South African environments could not comprehensively be established through a single work such as this, it is hoped that this thesis and other limited material on the subjectact as inspiration towards future research in this field.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University