Total Philippines: Ethanol Supply to Boom in Next Two Years

THE next two years may be the banner year for the local ethanol-supply industry, Ernst Wanten, Total (Philippines) Corp. president and managing director, indicated to reporters in an interview on Friday.

“Though there is an ethanol-supply shortage today, the government needs to encourage more local ethanol producers to put up the needed processing plants,” Wanten said.

The recently appointed Total official said there is a problem in securing ethanol owing to the shortage in local and international supply.

Wanten said his company has already fully complied with the 10-percent ethanol blend as mandated in the Biofuels Act of 2006. He even shared that there could even be a supply shortage in 2011, when all oil companies blend 10 percent of ethanol (E10) in their entire gasoline product line. Read more

Go Ethanol, DOE Urges Motorists

Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes on Friday urged motorists to switch to ethanol-blended gasoline (E10), stressing its economic benefits not only for the government but also for consumers.

Under the Biofuels Act (Republic Act No. 9367), local oil companies are now required to sell gasoline pre-blended with 5 percent ethanol. The new requirement that took effect yesterday is expected to result in the displacement of some 208 million liters of gasoline.

“The bioethanol program is designed to reduce the country’s dependence on costly imported fuel and to help create a new domestic fuel industry,” Reyes said.

Some oil companies had been selling ethanol-blended gasoline as early as last year. Their E10 variants have also surpassed the required 5-percent blending, as oil companies chose to pre-blend gasoline with 10 percent ethanol.

“The production and use of bioethanol can serve a variety of needs,” Reyes explained. “On a national level, bioethanol can improve the balance of payments by displacing imported petroleum with domestically produced fuel. It may also provide more jobs in rural areas and alternative markets for agricultural commodities.” Read more

Nissan Begins Building Flex-Fuel Livina in Brazil

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. kicked off the New Year in Brazil with a new product on the manufacturing line. The Nissan Livina is the first passenger vehicle to be produced through the Renault-Nissan Alliance Plant in São José dos Pinhais. It will be Nissan’s first E100 flex-fuel vehicle capable of running on both petrol and ethanol.

The two-row, five-seat MPV Livina will be available at Nissan dealerships in Brazil by March 2009. It will be available with a 1.6-liter K4M engine with manual transmission or a 1.8-liter MR engine available with automatic transmission.

Nissan do Brasil plans to continue bringing more locally produced models to market. Among these will be the three-row Grand Livina, which offers seating for seven. This MPV will be available for customers later this year. Read more

Chevron Philippines to invest $20M in Ethanol Program

Chevron Philippines Inc. (formerly Caltex) will invest some $20 million for its ethanol-related initiatives.

During the launching of its E-10 blended gasoline, Chevron brand manager Dominic Timbancaya said the amount will cover expenses for pipes and tanks for ethanol processing over the next two years.

Local oil firms have been investing capital to comply with the mandated 10 percent blend of ethanol under the Biofuels Act to be carried out in January next year. Read more

Petron Procures Ethanol from Leyte Agri Corp

Petron Corp., the country’s largest oil refiner, has started the procurement of locally-produced ethanol from Leyte Agri Corp. (LAC).

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), the publicly-listed Petron said the purchase is consistent with its commitment to promote the use of indigenous alternative fuels.

Petron said they would use the fuel grade ethanol from LAC to blend with its E10 Premium gasoline. Read more