Pacific Bio-Fields and Bio-Energy NL to plant 1.3 million acres of coconuts in the Philippines, biodiesel producers seen as major customers for oil

In the Philippines, Pacific Bio-Fields and Bio-Energy NL will convert 1.3 million acres of bare land into coconut plantations in a multi-year plan that will begin shortly with an initial 200,000 acre planting. The plantations will be located in Barangay Caunayan, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, in Northern Luzon.

The Philippine Coconut Industry Investment Fund Oil Mills Group said that it would partner with the UK’s International Fuel Technology to develop a process to use medium chain fatty acids from coconut oil for biodiesel.

The current process, which uses long chain fatty acids, is a process developed for other oils such as soy or palm. The group intends to significantly reduce the production cost and performance characteristics of coconut oil-biodiesel.

The Philippines have a B1 and E5 mandate scheduled to go into effect in 2009, rising to B2 and E10 in 2011. Philippine demand for biofuels is expected to rise to 187 million galls of ethanol and 54 gallons of biodiesel by 2011.

Eight Philippine companies have pledged more than $350 million towards biofuels production investment. The companies include: Bio-Energy NL, Inc.; E-Cane/Pampanga Industrial Park Corp.; Philippine Agricultural Land Development and Mill, Inc (PALM, Inc.); and Zambo Norte Bioenergy; Philippine National Oil Company-Alternative Fuels Corp., Guidance Management Corp., Fuel, Inc. and Eastern Petroleum.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

Pacific Bio-Fields OK’d for 400,000 hectares of coconut biodiesel in the Philippines

In the Philippines, Pacific Bio-Fields Holdings announced that it has received approval to cultivate 400,000 hectares of unused public land in Luzon for coconut biodiesel production. The company said ...

Philippines launches $83 million coconut biodiesel plantation, processing project

In the Philippines, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo launched the country's first coconut biodiesel project, a $10.4 million processing plant in Pasuquin, as well as a $73 million plantation in more ...

Indonesian, Thai and Philippine palm cultivation to increase to 5 million acres to support biodiesel production

A roundup of Southeast Asian biofuel plans shows that Indonesia plans to reserve 13.5 million acres for biofuels by 2010, of which 3.7 million acres will be palm oil plantations. Thailand has indicate...

Abundant Biofuels inks deal for 1.2 million acres of jatropha in the Philippines

In the Philippines, Abundant Biofuels reached an agreement with the national government to acquire 1.2 million acres for jatropha cultivation on Mindanao....

Greenpeace releases “Cooking the Climate” report; says Indonesia is third-worst greenhouse gas emitter due to deforestation for biofuel cultivation

Greenpeace released its "Cooking the Climate" report which concluded that forest clearance in Indonesia for palm plantations has made the country the third largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions...

Jatropha cultivation to increase to 28 million acres by 2015, study projects

The Global Exchange for Social Investment (GEXSI) has projected that worldwide cultivation of jatropha will increase from 2.2 million acres in 2009 to 28.2 million acres by 2015. The group said that i...