GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines A local firm in partnership with Japanese and Korean investors will venture into biofuel production initially in Sarangani province, officials said in a statement Monday.
Sarangani Vice-Governor Steve C. Solon said foreign investors and representatives of SAFI Agro Industries, Inc. formally presented the jathropa curcas (tuba-tuba) project at the weekend to the provincial government.
Rey Cadorna, SAFI Agro representative, said they formed Sarangani Bio Corp. for growing and processing jathropa as biodiesel feedstock.
"Sarangani Bio plans to acquire and grow 50,000 hectares of the biofuel crop jathropa," Mr. Cadorna said.
He said SAFI has prepared the pilot batch of jathropa seedlings a year ago for a 100-hectare land in Siguel, Maasim town.
Mr. Cadorna added that clearing activity for lands is slated this month and as soon as the manpower requirement is completed, the project will go on full blast, and "manpower will be coming from the local residents."
He said the locality will also be provided with schoolbuildings and infrastructure projects.
Mr. Cadorna said Central Mindanao has an estimated 695,150 hectares suitable for growing jathropa, but the joint venture will first concentrate with the 50,000-hectare target in Sarangani. "A hectare can produce 3,000 liters of crude jathropa oil, which can be refined into 2,400 liters of biodiesel," he added.
Mr. Cadorna said surplus production of biodiesel can be exported at competitive prices since many developed economies will be interested to shift to cleaner biodiesel that comes from renewable sources. BusinessWorld