Biofuel Production
I cast my support to the growing bipartisan clamor for alternative energy supply. Although I hailed President Arroyo for signing Republic Act (RA) 9637 or the Biofuels Act, I am expressing my concerns that there may not be enough raw materials to support production of ethanol and biodiesel required by the transport sector. For this reason, I am urging the government to develop additional acreage devoted to sugarcane and coconut
With the compulsory use of biofuels blended with diesel and gasoline fuels, we need to produce more coconuts and sugarcane to meet the demand for bio-diesel and ethanol. We have to expand our plantations for sugarcane and coconut to ensure steady supply of these products.
To meet the demand for bio-diesel, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) estimates the country needs to develop some 122,000 new hectares of coconut plantations to produce some 70,000 metric tones of coco-diesel.
We have no problem as far as producing sugar and coconut is concerned. The country has been exporting these products and their by-products but with the demand for bio-diesel and ethanol expected to increase upon the implementation of the Biofuels Act, we might face scarcity of supply of sugarcane and coconut as biofuel sources.
February 21st, 2007 at 7:28 pm
from what i have read, soy can be used for the production of ethanol (i think taiwan has started using soy as a source of ethanol in fuelling public transportation). our mere taho and tokwa as sources of energy!
on my point of view, research and development on how to tap alternative energy sources is scarce. let’s start from the roots. research and further studies on these alternative sources can show us how we can tap them well. the only problem is that we lack the funding for R&D.
and another question, where do we get the increase in acreage for the production of sugarcane and coconut? agri lands have been turning into real estate.
i highly recommend the use of alternative energy sources. we have to be at least partially independent from the middle east oil. also, it’s a plus for our environment, we don’t have to burn too much fossil fuels.
ayun lang po, sir.
many thanks by the way for putting up these issues here. more power in the upcoming elections.
mariel from up masscomm