China to Triple Fuel Ethanol Output by 2010

15 September 2006

Reuters. China plans to increase its fuel ethanol output from 1 million tonnes (333 million gallons US) last year to more than 3 million tonnes (1 billion barrels US) by 2010, according to a division chief from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Speaking at the World Biofuels Symposium—China in Beijing, Liu Qun said that ethanol should replace more than 5% of China’s gasoline consumption, compared with less than 2% now.

China launched a major bio-ethanol program in 2000 based on three issues: fuel shortages, air pollution and development of the rural economy. China now has four government-sponsored fuel ethanol plants with total annual capacity of 1.02 million tonnes.

In China, more than 80% of ethanol is made from grains including corn, wheat, cassava, rice etc. About 10% is made from sugar, 6% from paper pulp waste residue, and the rest from ethylene by synthetic process.

With an initial goal in the national development plan of 11 million tons of bioethanol and biodiesel by 2020, China is pushing for the use of non-food crops as the material for bioethanol production. China Resources Alcohol Corporation (CRAC) recently entered into a joint development agreement with Novozymes and SunOpta for the development of cellulosic ethanol in the China. (Earlier post.)

Resources:

• Chinese development status of bioethanol and biodiesel