San Carlos bio-energy plant to start next mo

The San Carlos Bio-energy Inc. (SCBI), the first integrated cane based ethanol and co-generation plant in Asia, will be commercially operational next month.

SCBI is one of the major investments of state run National Development Co. (NDC) with Brenzeoak Philippines (BP) as the main proponent. BP is a leader in the development, implementation and management of sugar cane-based energy projects in the Asia Pacific region.

The plant features a cane mill capable of milling 450 thousand metric tons a year, a carbon dioxide (CO2) recovery plant, an integrated wastewater treatment plant, and a bio-composting facility for organic fertilizer. 

The project is located within the San Carlos Agro-Industrial Economic Zone in San Carlos City. The facility will use new and state-of-the-art equipment, fully-integrated and designed to ensure optimum energy efficiency and minimum environmental impact.

It will be the first ethanol production facility that is fully dedicated to the transport industry.

SCBI has an off-take agreement with Petron and a supply agreement with sugar planters in Negros.

The Bio-fuel Law is expected to decrease the country’s dependence on imported fuel, stimulate rural development and promote environmentally-friendly fuels. 

It mandates at least five percent blend of ethanol to gasoline from 2007 to 2010 and ten percent blend from 2010 to 2017.

Based on current gasoline consumption, the country needs more than 10 SCBIs,  with an ethanol production capacity of 100,000 liters per day, which will generate an average of 4,600 jobs in the agriculture sector and 4,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector.