AsPac coco growers push for hiked output

The Asia Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), which includes the Philippines, has approved a resolution pushing for increased coconut production to meet global bio-diesel demand.

The resolution was arrived at during the recently-concluded 41st APCC conference in Santo Island, Vanuatu. APCC is the umbrella organization of coconut growers in the Asia Pacific region.

Philippine delegation head and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) administrator Danilo Coronacion said the APCC agreed to organize positive steps that will lead to increased production and allocation of coconut oil as feedstock to the growing bio-diesel industry.

The APCC resolution called for supporting initiatives to reduce the global greenhouse gas emissions through the use of coco feedstock in bio-diesel production; promotion of the widespread use of bio-diesel for the power and transport sector; and the promotion and adoption of sustainable methods of bio-diesel production, from cultivation of energy plants to refining.

It likewise includes inter cropping of high-value energy plants with coconut; continued research and development efforts in the effective use of coconut oil as alternative energy source in combination with other energy plants and trees; and establishment of pilot bio-diesel refineries to support energy requirements of island economies.

Coronacion said the resolution was a result of the presentation of PCA deputy administrator Carlos Carpio on bio-diesel developments and the opportunities for the Philippine coconut industry.

Biodiesel technology provider D1 Oils Ltd. based in the United Kingdom has just organized its Asia Pacific operations with Manila as its base. D1 Oils is currently organizing a pilot project in bio-diesel production in the Philippines under an agreement with PCA, with the Bondoc Peninsula as one of the targeted sites.

D1 Oils has offered its services to APCC to establish pilot projects in the Pacific Islands to promote and demonstrate the effective use of coco diesel as an alternative energy.

"Despite the proven advantages of coco bio-diesel as a diesel fuel substitute or quality enhancer, there is no widespread utilization in coconut producing countries of coco diesel as an alternative energy," Carpio noted.

Coco bio-diesel, in its pure form or as blended with other bio fuels, offers excellent lubricity, solvency and detergency.