Toyota seeks jatropha project in the Philippines

Posted by Jatropha HQ 1 day 8 hours ago
Source: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com View profile

Added 1 day 8 hours ago - TOYOTA Tsusho Corp., the trading house of the Toyota group of companies, is poised to join the government’s biofuel program by investing in a large-scale jatropha plantation and biodiesel refinery in the Philippines.

Toyota Tsusho, the sixth-largest trading company in the world, plans to initially conduct trial cultivation of jatropha in a one-hectare area and conduct a detailed feasibility study on the biodiesel refinery, according to a draft of an agreement it plans to forge with the government.

It will be the sogo sosha’s second biofuel project in the country after forming a joint venture with Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. to set up a $2.4-billion ethanol plant in Bukidnon using cassava as feedstock and producing 100,000 liters per day.

Alsons president Tomas Alcantara said a total of 10,000 hectares of farmlands would be needed to meet the requirements of the ethanol. His company is also looking at the possibility of putting up a second plant in southern Mindanao after completing the first.

A draft memorandum of understanding has already been crafted to set the basic terms for a definitive agreement between Toyota Tsusho and the National Development Co. on behalf of the Philippine government.

NDC, the investment arm of the Trade and Industry Department, will assist the Japanese firm in identifying areas suitable for jatropha plantation and importing the necessary equipment for refinery processes.

The draft agreement stated that the amount, timing and other terms of the investment would be subject to negotiations, results of which would form part of the definitive agreement.

The agreement will cover areas of cooperation in jatropha cultivation and experimentation, full-scale alternative energy production, and other services.

According to the document, Toyota Tsusho will provide the necessary investments during the trial cultivation phase and will involve Philippine researchers during the experimentation, feasibility research and product development to ease technology transfer.

The trading company may also seek the assistance of PNOC Renewables Corp. and the Institute of Renewable and Natural Resources of the University of the Philippines System and other state-run institutions as resources for research and development.

Both the NDC and Toyota Tsusho may also jointly explore potential partnerships with other investors for the large-scale production of biodiesel