Golden Hope Plantations Targets 120M Gallons Biodiesel Production by 2008; Discusses Collaboration with Indonesian President
06 August 2006
Bernama. Malaysia’s Golden Hope Plantations Bhd (GHP) expects to produce close to 400,000 tonnes (about 120 million gallons) of palm oil biodiesel by 2008. By way of comparison, total US biodiesel output in 2005 was 75 million gallons, although production capacity was much higher (about 395 million gallons).
GHP chief executive Datuk Sabri Ahmad said that a total of 20 biodiesel plants will be in operation by next year, fed by about two million metric tons of palm oil for feedstock.
Thus, Sabri said there “is still a long way to go” to achieve the six million [tonnes] crude palm oil (CPO) [utilization] that the government aims to allocate as feedstock for the production of biofuel and biodiesel. [Earlier post.]
Golden Hope will export its first shipment of biodiesel to Japan in mid-August.
Sabri made the remarks during a visit by Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to a GHP biodiesel plant. The two were exploring business opportunities for the two countries, which together control about 80% of the world’s production of palm oil.
We see the opportunity in biodiesel. We have the opportunity to develop the new industry to become the world leader in terms of supplying biodiesel.
—Datuk Sabri Ahmad
Separately, Indonesian Energy and Natural Resources Minister Dr Purnomo Yusgiantoro said that the country has decided to offer 6 million hectares (23,166 square miles—slightly smaller than the area of the state of West Virginia) of land to local and foreign investors to develop plantations for biofuel.
A good step for the rim to be taking. It is also interesting to note that Malaysian palm oil is largely owned by... US interests. Offering an entirely new revenue stream if they're savvy enough.
Posted by: RC | 06 August 2006 at 03:25 PM
"the country has decided to offer 6 million hectares"
another 6 million hectares of rain forest into drain. We cant have perfect solution can we?
Posted by: rexis | 06 August 2006 at 05:37 PM
Demonstrate where it says that the land being donated is currently rain forest, please.
Posted by: csendak | 06 August 2006 at 11:06 PM
23,166 sq miles of 752,410 total in Indonesia. That has to come from somewhere. Perhaps it is from abandoned land, but more likely it is from more productive areas, or newly cleared forests. By newly cleared forests, I mean it may had been illegally logged/cleared leand.
_
___On the larger scale, as oil prices rise, and fossil energy production declines, trends suggest that Southeast Asia will shift to biofuels to augment supplies. Since they also have to feed their citizens, and want to continue/expand current agricultural production/exports, they may resort to clearing even more rain forests.
_
___They may go another route, algae oil/biomass, once the consequences and costs become unacceptable. An earlier post may be the way to go:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/08/greenfuel_techn.html
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