Philippine government pledges $30 million to expand San Carlos sugarcane ethanol plant to 19 Mgy

In the Philippines, the central government signed a $30-million agreement to expand capacity at the FE Clean Energy/Bronzeoak Clean Energy sugarcane ethanol plant in San Carlos, Negros Occidental to 19 Mgy, from 14 Mgy.

In the Philippines, local reports say that the country will have to import biofuels to meet targets, due to an internal shortage. Projected imports from the United States, China or India were not disclosed. The Philippines passed the Biofuels Act in 2006, which called for a minimum E5 standard in 2009, and an E10 standard in 2011. 1 percent locally-sourced biodiesel. The additive requirement will be increased to 2 percent in 2010. Gasoline, on the other hand, is required to have a mix of 5 percent locally-sourced bioethanol in 2009, which will be hiked to 10 percent in 2011.

In the Philippines, the author of the country’s Biofuels Act said in January that the Bill has been overhyped and she is calling on the country to slow down implementation to ensure that biofuel production is sutainable. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said that biofuel production will compete with food production and that the government had to apply the brakes to development by strengthening the Biofuels Oversight Committee and prioritizing wind, solar and other renewable energies ahead of biofuels.

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