With the launching of the bio-ethanol facility project at MMSU, the Philippines is one step closer towards becoming an energy independent nation, and in creating more jobs in the countryside.

This was the gist of the message of Mario C. Marasigan, director of the Renewable Energy Management Bureau  of the Department of Energy (DOE) during the launching and commissioning of the MMSU Multi-Feedstock Village-Scale Bioethanol Facility on Sept. 28.

Marasigan expressed hopes that this will soon be realized as the country, which has enacted laws requiring the blending of biodiesel and ethanol in diesel fuel and gasoline, has become a regional pioneer in renewable energy in Southeast Asia.

Marasigan recalled that eight years after the implementation of the Philippine Biofuels Law, there has been no compliance with the mandated two percent biodiesel blend in diesel fuel despite the abundance of coconut oil in the country. He said that a higher blending requirement for this mixture is likely to happen by 2016.

The DOE Director laments that in spite of inadequate facilities for bio-ethanol production in the country, he expects an additional 60 million liters of ethanol production capacity by the end of 2016 with the completion of the two new distilleries.

“But even with this anticipated additional capacity, local ethanol production will still fall far short of meeting the projected demand of almost 380 million liters,” he conceded.

The present trend in ethanol production in the country and in the world is the use of sugarcane and molasses for feedstock. However, sugarcane is not available throughout the year and the volume of molasses available for bioethanol production is limited.

“Thus, this multi-feedstock bioethanol facility project of MMSU is in line with the objectives of the Biofuels Act of 2006 and with DOE’s thrust of developing and utilizing indigenous, renewable and sustainably-sourced clean energy sources to reduce dependence on imported oil,” Marasigan said, praising MMSU researchers “for being at the forefront of incredible changes that are taking place in this country.”

Marasigan emphasized that being the first country in Asia to legislate and mandate the use of biofuels, “we shall continue to produce premium quality biofuels from the finest feedstock and design superior technologies for biofuel production and utilization in the country.”

“I thank MMSU for this first-of-its-kind initiative. Together, we shall continue to take the lead and support the development of a competitive biofuels industry in both commercial and village-scale level, locally and globally,” Marasigan enthused. (By Reynaldo E. Andres)