Belize is looking at Wild Cane as a possible source of biomass energy.
Dr. Osmond Martinez, the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment, recently took a trip to the Orange Walk District. As the National Designated Authority to the Green Climate Fund, he visited a wild cane research plot in San Lazaro Village. The objective of the trip was to discuss the development of a full funding proposal to be submitted to the Green Climate Fund.
Dr. Luciano Chi, the Director and Research Coordinator of SIRDI, was present to receive the CEO, and he gave a progress report on the organization's activities connected to this project, since its inception. Those include land preparation, experimental design, soil sampling, planting, fertilization, and field data collection of plant growth parameters.
Earl Green, a project officer at the 5Cs, stressed that the results of demonstrating the viability of cultivating wild cane as biomass fuel for energy generation would be a major opportunity for Belize in realizing its goals of becoming an energy exporter and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. This project may also help to achieve the country's nationally determined contributions targets, and enable the upgrade of existing infrastructure to provide immediate and direct benefits on national energy challenges. Commercial production and processing of wild cane are contemplated to provide a renewable source of fuel, contributing significant benefits for Belize and the Caribbean.
