The rising cost of lead additives and of gasoline, and the falling cost of
ethanol and sugarcane, have created favorable economic conditions for fuel-
ethanol production. In Africa, where lead additives are still heavily used
and where sugarcane production is high, ethanol can be a cheap source of oc
tane. More than enough sugarcane is produced in Africa to replace all the l
ead used in African gasoline; this would require Africa to produce about 20
% of amount of ethanol currently produced in Brazil, and would require the
shift of some sugar production to ethanol production. At a more modest scal
e, African countries that could replace lead with ethanol using primarily t
heir by-product molasses production include Zimbabwe, Kenya, Egypt, Zaire,
Zambia, Sudan, Swaziland, and Mauritius. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All
rights reserved.