More Potential Biofuels Projects for Asia

20 January 2007

Shortly after the signing of sixty-seven contracts representing US$12.4 billion in investment for biofuels development in Indonesia earlier in January (earlier post), more potential Asian biofuel projects in Indonesia and in the Philippines are emerging.

Reuters reports that Japan’s Kanematsu Corp. is considering building an ethanol plant in Indonesia that will use cassava as a feedstock. The plant will have the capacity to produce 100,000 liters (26,400 gallons US) of bioethanol per day—about 9.6 million gallons US per year.

The company is looking for 50,000 hectares (123,600 acres) of land to be planted with cassava for feedstock. Kanematsu is already constructing a cassava-based bioethanol plant in Thailand with output capacity of 200,000 liters per day.

The Philippine Star reports that Brunei National Petroleum Co. has expressed interest in a joint venture with the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) to put up a biodiesel plant in the Philippines.

During a recent ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE) meeting in Indonesia, PNOC officials discussed a variety of projects for the development of renewable energy and alternative fuels with potential investors.

PNOC is also exploring possible cooperation with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in the area of biofuels development, especially on sweet sorghum for ethanol production, and jatropha.

President Arroyo has directed the PNOC to take the lead in biofuels development