Flying V sets opening of first biofuel center

Flying V Corp. will open next month the first Bio-Fuel Center which will also serve as a pumping station for BioDiesel Premium fuel.

The center is a partnership between Flying V and the Philcoa Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PEMC).

Flying V director for special projects Paul S. Tanjutco said the center will likewise house its pioneering efforts in the promotion and propagation of the use of bio-fuels, particularly bio-diesel.

It will also be the venue for year-round seminars, exhibits, and presentations by its partner-advocates, such as USAID-Sustainable Energy Development program (USAID-SEDP), Clean Cities Coalition, and the Fuels for Life Movement.

With the recent passage of the Bio-Fuels Act, Tanjutco believes the general public’s acceptance of alternative fuels will be greatly hastened.

At the same time, the center’s pumping station will assure the availability of bio-diesel for the government offices and agencies in the area in their compliance of Presidential Memorandum Order (PMO) 55, instructing all government vehicles running on diesel to use a one-percent blend of coco methyl ester.

Meanwhile, PEMC president Roel Rosales said that as apart of the center’s pre-operating program, seminars on coco bio-diesel and free smoke emission testings will be conducted on Oct. 20, 24, and 27 in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Chemrez.

USAID-SEDP will hold an exhibit on alternative fuels starting Nov. 3. Other informational activities are being lined up at the center in coordination with the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), and DENR.

Flying V launched its first pre-blended BioDiesel Premium in August 2005 at its Cainta station. On that occasion, Flying V chairman Ramon F. Villavicencio promised to champion the cause of alternative fuels as well as roll-out the product in its 42 gasoline stations nationwide.