Negros Green Energy Resources to build 37 Mgy sweet sorghum ethanol plant in Philippines

In the Philippines, Negros Green Energy Resources will commence a 37 Mgy sweet sorghum ethanol plant in Negros Occidental. Project cost is a P3-billion , on a site at a 15,000 hectare farm. The promoters point out that sorghum has a 100-day growing season, compared to 265 for sugar cane. Ultimate plant capacity is 75 Mgy.

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.
Recently, a food-versus-fuel controversy erupted in the Philippines. Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri Tuesday said that oil companies are financing a campaign suggesting that biofuel production will affect Philippine food production. Zubiri said that oil companies such as Petron have launched a fund to lobby against biofuels because it represents competition. The chairman of Philippine National Oil Co.-Alternative Fuels Corp. (PNOC-AFC) confirmed that the Philippine focus on jatropha, which is grown in areas that cannot support many food crops and has a higher yield per acre than food, will assure that the Philippines can produce both food and fuel.

The Department of Agriculture recently said that as of last August, 38,000 hectares were being developed for biofuels, primarily in North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat provinces and Gen. Santos City.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

Tata Chemicals to build 3 Mgy sweet sorghum plant in Maharashtra, India

In India, Tata Chemicals will establish a sweet sorghum-based ethanol plant in Nanded, Maharashtra with an initial capacity of 3 Mgy....

India’s Tata joins sweet sorghum consortium as feedstock gains traction

In India, Tata Chemicals (TCL) said that it would join the Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Research Consortium. TCL recently began construction of a sweet sorghum-based ethanol plant in Nanded, Maharashta. By ...

Rusni Distilleries, United Bio Fuels expansions take India’s sweet sorghum ethanol capacity to 38 Mgy; the feedstock grows in popularity worldwide

In India, Rusni Distilleries is planning to double its sweet sorghum ethanol capacity to 8 Mgy in March 2008, and Ultimate Bio Fuels has announced a 19 Mgy sweet sorghum facility in Visakhapatnam. ...

Southeast Renewable Fuels to build 100 Mgy sweet sorghum ethanol capacity in Florida

In Florida, Southeast Renewable Fuels announced a plan to construct three sweet sorghum ethanol plants, with a combined capacity of 100 Mgy.  The company said that the plants are expected to be in pr...

India’s Tata Chemicals to expand in a “big way” if 2.7 Mgy sweet sorghum ethanol plant is successful; exploring jatropha

Tata Chemicals will invest $12.7 million in a 3 Mgy sweet sorghum ethanol project in Nanded, Maharashtra. The facility, which will be constructed by Praj Industries, will open in 2010. Tata said that,...

China to produce 3.8 million metric tons of ethanol from sweet sorghum stalks.

China released details of its biofuels plan, calling for production of 3.8 million metric tons of ethanol from sweet sorghum stalks. The selection of sweet sorghum stalks comes amidst increasing sc...