“It makes strategic sense to look south”

Last Wednesday, our Co-Chairman Martin Schoeller had the honour of opening the energy panel at the EurAfrican Forum in Portugal. In his keynote, he highlighted the “enormous potential for synergies between the two continents” and added: “Against the backdrop of growing tensions to the east and west, it makes strategic sense for Europe to look south.”

He went on to outline a vision of how closer cooperation between Africa and Europe could help drive a global energy transition that is fair, sustainable and economically viable.

“I firmly believe that biofuels can make a significant contribution to the energy system of the future,” he said.

One of the key counterarguments – particularly in Germany – is the so-called food-versus-fuel dilemma.“There are concerns that biofuels compete for agricultural land that is needed for food production.”

“A Game Changer for Africa and Europe”

Martin Schoeller argued that this challenge can be addressed. According to his remarks, just one per cent of Africa’s land area would be sufficient to meet the continent’s own fuel requirements. Two per cent could be enough to supply Europe with 200 million tonnes of biofuels – equivalent to the volume currently sourced from the Middle East.

“That would be a game changer for both Africa and Europe. Africa’s biofuel potential needs to become a reality rather than remain merely a topic of political debate.”

Beyond land availability, technological progress is another important driver. Innovative approaches are enabling biofuels to be produced from waste, algae and other feedstocks. At the same time, advances in agriculture are reducing the amount of land required for production, helping to offset the loss of usable land caused by global warming.

For Schoeller Ventures, the broader message is clear: closer economic cooperation between Africa and Europe can create new opportunities for investment, strengthen energy resilience and accelerate the transition towards more sustainable value chains.