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More coco-biodiesel exports eyed
By Alena Mae S. Flores
The Philippines is looking at
increasing its exports of coco-biodiesel after yesterday's inauguration of
Chemrez Inc.'s P650-million plant, the biggest and most modern facility in
Asia, The new plant, located in Libis, Quezon City, represents an additional
60 million liters of coco-biodiesel production per year.
In her speech during the
inaugural ceremony, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said the Philippines
is looking at the US, Australia and China as potential markets for coco-biodiesel.
Chemrez operations manager
Dean Lao told reporters that the company is also looking at other European
markets like France, Netherlands and Italy. Its existing export markets are
Germany and Japan.
For now, however, Chemrez is
still concentrating on the domestic market as its primary market.
"At this time we want to
focus on the Philippine market," Lao said.
According to Lao, the passage
of the Bio-Fuels Bill mandating the use of 1 percent blend of coco-biodiesel
will serve as catalyst for the expansion of the market.
Due to the continuing uptick
in world oil prices, there has been pressure on Congress to pass the
Bio-Fuels Law this year.
The inauguration of the
bio-diesel plant is a major boost to the Philippines' Energy Independence
Agenda, which outlines the roadmap for the attainment of 60 percent energy
self-sufficiency by 2010.
The country's annual diesel
demand is about six billion liters. It is expected that the country's diesel
consumption will be reduced by 540 million liters per year of every diesel
vehicle in the country will use at least one percent for coco-biodiesel.
The President said this will
"free our people" from the uncertainties of an energy supply heavily
dependent on imported oil.
Chemrez is currently one of
the three Department of Energy-accredited coco-biodiesel manufacturers in
the country with an existing capacity of 15 million liters per annum.
With the additional 60
million liters production per year of Chemrez expected to come on stream in
the next two days, the country now produces about 110 million liters of CME
per year.
Of the 110 million liters, 25
million liters are being produced by Senbel while 10 million liters are
being produced by RI Chemicals.
Energy Secretary Raphael
Lotilla said the inauguration of the plant is one of the country's
sustainable and long-term solutions to the rising oil prices.
"The inauguration of this
bio-diesel plant comes on the heels of soaring oil prices. The use of CME or
coco-biodiesel as an alternative transport fuel will reduce reliance on
imported oil thus more foreign exchange savings for our country," Lotilla
said.
Apart from foreign exchange
savings, the use of coco-biodiesel as alternative transport fuels is
expected to yield savings to motorists in terms of mileage efficiency.
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