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By Euan Paulo C. Añonuevo, Reporter
To jumpstart its biofuels program
for the country, Malacañang directed the Philippine National Oil
Company-Alternative Fuels Corp. (PNOC-AFC) to take the lead in
developing “green” sources of fuel.
With the country heavily reliant
on imported oil for most of its fuel needs the government deemed it
crucial to tap alternative fuel sources that are relatively cheaper
and cleaner than imported fossil fuels.
Pursuing its mission, PNOC-AFC, a
wholly-owned subsidiary of the state-owned oil corporation, has
placed all its cards on the jatropha plant, a nonfood crop whose
seeds are rich sources of biodiesel and the cheapest among other
feedstocks.
A study conducted by the
Technological University of the Philippines’ Integrated Research
and Training Center (IRTC) and Chemrez Technologies Inc. (ChemrezTech),
found that the properties of the jatropha biodiesel they produced
were within the specifications in EN 14214 (European Biodiesel
Standards) and ASTMD 6751 (American Biodiesel Standards).
This means that oil extracted
from local jatropha seeds can be converted to quality biodiesel.
This biodiesel can be used for the now required blending of
biodiesel into all diesel engine fuels under the Biofuels Act of
2006.
“The Philippines is capable of
producing jatropha biodiesel that can pass international standards.
What is more important to note is that we used seeds from the local
jatropha variety,” IRTC Director Philip Argamosa said.
PNOC-AFC plans to plant over
700,000 hectares of idle land with jatropha and put up refining
facilities under a five-year program.
“Jatropha can grow anywhere in
the Philippines—even in idle and marginal lands. That is why
jatropha, known to us for many, many years as tuba-tuba, is being
re-discovered as the new pin-up boy of alternative energy
proponents,” Dr. Renato S. Velasco, PNOC-AFC chairman, said.
A study conducted by the Asian
Development Bank earlier found that six million hectares of land in
the country are unfarmed. Additionally, 15 million hectares, or half
of the country’s territory, are denuded forests.
With oil prices soaring high to
record levels—to $103 per barrel at one point last week in the
international market, the search for cheaper alternative fuels is
also spreading across the region.
Environmentalists have, however,
begun to warn against the encroachment of biofuels into the
rainforests of Southeast Asia. Parts of rainforests, the homes of
endangered animal species, have been destroyed by farmers and
corporations to cultivate plantations for food oil and biofuels.
Velasco said this problem does
not arise in the Philippines. Unlike the other Asean countries,
which have damaged rainforests to set up palm oil and biofuel-source
plantations, the Philippines’ thrust to propagate jatropha will
not destroy wildlife habitat for the PNOC-AFC projects do not
require converting forested areas into plantations.
“We want the farmers to
continue growing rice, sugar, and others. What we intend to do is
give farmers additional income by developing idle lands by planting
jatropha,” he added.
The PNOC-AFC official said that
jatropha’s innate qualities allow it to grow on slopes and idle
lands with little maintenance, making it a suitable alternative in
reforesting mountains and utilizing marginal lands.
These lands, he added, can be
utilized to promote livelihood and spur growth in the countryside.
Company estimates put it that a hectare of jatropha plantation needs
about P30,000 to P50,000 in development expenses. Returns, on the
other hand, go up to more than P20,000 per hectare a year. The
jatropha plant can live up to half a decade.
“Ideally, one worker would be
needed for every hectare of land utilized for jatropha. But it will
generate a lot of employment—from planting to managing, in the
cultivation and in the seed centers,” he said.
Farmers hesitant
The P20,000 per hectare per year
revenue from planting jatropha is not attractive to farmers now
planting traditional crops like rice, corn and vegetables.
Rice farmers can realize up to
P40,000 per hectare per year on two croppings, while vegetable
farmers can earn as much as P80,000 per year on four croppings. The
use of hybrid seeds for rice can also increase rice yields by almost
100 percent.
Malunggay plantations can
generate revenues of P100,000 to P200,000 per hectare year from the
sale of seeds during the first two years of planting. Revenues from
malunggay plantations can also double in the fourth year from the
time the trees start producing seeds. Additional revenues can also
be generated from the sale of malunggay leaves as livestock feeds.
(See related story “A closer look at coconut and malunggay” on
Page A1.)
For those reasons farmers are
hesitant to plant jatropha. Those who will go into biofuels farming
would most likely follow the lead of the Department of Agriculture
which is promoting cassava, sweet sorghum, and coconut for biofuel
production and, perhaps because experts in the local biotechnology
community are enthusiastic about them, malunggay and sago.
(See
related story “Agriculture sector gears up for massive biofuels
production” )
Mindanao bonanza
If the jatropha plant’s promise
holds true, Mindanao will be reaping a huge bonanza. For PNOC-AFC
plans to put up most of its plantations there.
Citing a recent study conducted
by the Food and Agricultural Organization, Velasco said Mindanao was
found to be the most suitable area for jatropha production because
of its large tracts of idle arable lands and favorable climatic
conditions.
“We have already started
planting jatropha in Cagayan de Oro and we aim to establish an
aggregate amount of at least 700,000 hectares of jatropha
plantations all over the country, the bulk of which will be in
Mindanao,” he said.
Clovis Tupas, PNOC-AFC general
manager, said that the government’s biofuels arm is likewise
planning to put up seed centers all over the country, one of which
will be located in Mindanao, the country’s second largest island.
“We are considering putting up
a seed center in Mindanao due to its strategic location. The company
will be informing the public as to where the other jatropha seed
collection centers will be located in due time,” he added.
The company has so far
established a total of 787 hectares of jatropha
nursery-cum-pilot-plantations in Cagayan de Oro and Nueva Ecija.
These are the biggest jatropha plantations in the country to date.
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