By Danessa Rivera (The
Philippine Star) | Updated May 7, 2017 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - The
Department of Energy (DOE) has delayed anew the implementation of the higher
blended biodiesel as the government continues to look for feedstock sources.
The DOE said the two percent
biodiesel blending on diesel would be maintained until 2019 based on its
Biofuels Roadmap 2017-2040.
It is only in the medium to long term
the agency has scheduled to revisit the blending requirement.
The DOE said it would continue
conduct of research and development on feedstock sources. Currently, the
Philippines uses coconut as feedstock for biodiesel.
The Biofuels Act of 2006 mandates
the amount of coconut oil for fuel to be blended with diesel may be increased
taking into account the domestic supply and availability of locally sourced
biodiesel.
By 2015, the biodiesel blend should
be at five percent, and would be raised to 10 percent and 20 percent by 2020
and 2030, respectively.
But since 2009, the biodiesel blend
has remained at two percent.
In 2013, the DOE asked the National
Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to conduct an “impact study” for the
implementation of the higher biodiesel blend of five percent from the current
two percent.
The study aims to assess the demand
and supply of coconut biodiesel, the logistics, as well as the impact on
prices.
The agency has also engaged
University of the Philippines-Los Banos economics professor U-Primo Rodriguez
to determine the impact of biodiesel on coconut farmers.
The professor has an established
model that would ascertain benefits of a higher blend in biodiesel “down to the
farmer level.”
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