Multi-agency body formed to promote ethanol

The plan to utilize ethanol as a fuel additive got another boost as the Department of Energy (DOE) has joined a multi-sectoral group that would promote ethanol use in the country, a top energy official said yesterday.

In a press briefing, Energy Secretary Vincent S. Perez said the DOE, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), the private sector led by the Philippine Sugar Millers Association, and the academe have banded together to form the first Philippine Fuel Ethanol Alliance.

The alliance will also include the Center for Alcohol Research and Development Foundation, Sugar Wasteplan Foundation and state-owned University of the Philippines – Los Banos.

Perez said the alliance will further look into the prospects of using ethanol as an alternative fuel.

Early this month, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. filed a bill aiming to establish a National Fuel Ethanol Program.

President Arroyo has earlier ordered the DOE to further develop alternative sources of transport fuel amid the continued upward trend in oil prices. Thus, the promotion and widespread utilization of ethanol and other bio-fuels as alternative transport fuel will support the government’s goal of increasing the country’s energy self-sufficiency level to 60 percent by 2010.

Ethanol is an alternative energy resource produced from crops such as corn, grain sorghum, wheat, sugar and other agricultural feedstock. It can be used as a transportation fuel in three ways: as a blend to gasoline; a component of reformulated gasoline; or a primary fuel with gasoline as blend.

It is the most heavily-produced bio-fuel in the world, with a total output of 18.3 million tons in 2003. Brazil and the United States are the largest producers of ethanol.

In a related development, President Arroyo will send next week a top-level delegation in Thailand to discuss initiatives on the development of ethanol as a possible transport fuel.

Thailand, Perez noted, has started efforts to develop ethanol as an alternative transport fuel as early as 2002. At present, it is already using five and 10 percent blend on gasoline.

Perez said discussions with Thailand’s energy minister Prommin Lertsuridej and officials of the state-owned firm PTT will focus on the experience and technological expertise of Thailand in developing the bio-fuel.

The energy chief said the DOE is in the initial stages of conducting a technical study on the feasibility of ethanol for gasoline-fed vehicles. The study will look at three areas: research, training and capability building; technical considerations (quality specification, engine and emission tests); and infrastructure.

Initially, there are discussions to use ethanol as a five percent blend on gasoline in the Philippines.