Traffic in the central business district of Harare, Zimbabwe. Diesel consumption in Zimbabwe increased 20% to 338.7 million litres in the first three months of the year

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Zimbabwe began trials of blending ethanol and diesel to offset rising costs caused by conflict in the Middle East, the nation’s energy minister said.

The tests are being carried out by the government in partnership with privately owned entity Green Fuel, Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo said in an interview on Monday. Zimbabwe already blends petrol with ethanol.

“The idea is that we increase ethanol production, which we will blend with the diesel,” Moyo said in an interview. “It’s still early stages for us to determine the time lines when this will be completed, but results will guide us on the way forward.”

The initiative highlights ways in which countries are trying to mitigate the impact of the surge in energy prices that’s resulted from the US-Israeli war on Iran, with Brent crude prices surging almost 60% and diesel futures jumping almost 80%. South Africa has introduced temporary fuel-tax cuts, while Indonesia is implementing a biofuel-blending policy and Ethiopia has introduced subsidies.

Diesel consumption in Zimbabwe increased 20% to 338.7 million litres in the first three months of the year, according to official data from the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority. The country imported 163.7 million litres of petrol in the period, compared with 175 million litres a year earlier, it said.

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