By Riza T. Olchondra
MANILA - The Philippines is looking to expand its prospects in biofuels by exploring nontraditional technology and investments from the United States.
Philippine Agribusiness Development and Commercial Corp. (PADCC), the investment arm of the Department of Agriculture, is set to invite American investors to explore the possibility of acquiring cellulosic technology, which uses wood, grasses, and the non-edible parts of plants to produce ethanol.
PADCC president Mariz Agbon said the new technology could boost biofuels production in a fast-growing market such as the Philippines.
He said cellulosic technology focused on using agricultural waste to lessen the pressure on food stock.
“That kind of investment will come here simply because there’s so much waste,” Agbon said.
He said the DA was arranging an investment mission composed of government and industry representatives to the US, where cellulosic technology was being commercialized.
“They (US experts) are talking about plants that can generate five million gallons (of ethanol) a year,” Agbon said. “We will plan out a road show and an investment mission for them (US investors).”
Earlier, the DA revealed that a South Korean firm was investing $300 million in what could be the largest bioethanol facility in Asia capable of generating its own power supply.
It is the first Korean investment in bioethanol production in the Philippines.
The sugarcane-fed bioethanol plant to be built in Clark will have a capacity to produce 150 million liters a year.
“It is effectively the biggest (bioethanol plant) in the country, (and) possibly in Asia,” Agbon said. “It will be comparable to the ones in Brazil.”
Agriculture officials refused to reveal the name of the Korean company, saying that the foreigners preferred to maintain a low profile at this early stage of the facility’s development.
The plant in Clark is set to be commissioned in 2012. It will have a power generation component capable of supplying 40 megawatts to other consumers, including the Clark economic zone.
A local partner, Central Luzon Bioenergy Corp., will manage the agricultural side of production. It will oversee a total of 30,000 hectares of sugarcane fields in Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, and Tarlac.
The sugarcane will be used as feedstock for the bioethanol plant in Clark.
Copyright ©2010 INQUIRER
