Hi Keith, The proposal actually is all about methyl/ethyl ester form of biodiesel. The straight veg.oil blend is only part of the whole package, or even a small part of it. The blends get more attention as we try to find cheap fuel for farmers for use with low-rev farming equipments, and as you know we have approx. 30m farmers here in Thailand. In the long run, however, I think we will have to use the ester, not the blend. Samai --- Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Samai > > The list won't accept attachments, sorry. I found > this though, from > today's Bangkok Post - but it's all about blends, no > > transesterification. > > Best > > Keith Addison > > Biodiesel standards a step closer > ENERGY / ALTERNATIVE FUELS -- Looking at incentives > for commercial use > Srisamorn Phoosuphanusorn > > Quality standards for biodiesel fuel are likely to > be in place soon, > following a meeting of key energy planners today. > > The National Energy Policy Committee is due to > discuss the > specification for biodiesel blends, waiving excise > tax in order to > encourage the development of the industry, and other > incentives to > promote commercial use of the product. > > After the committee agrees on a plan, the Commercial > Registration > Department will set standards for the industry. > > A key official, Pongpisit Viseshakul, said the > approved specification > was likely to be diesel oil blended with no more > than 10% vegetable > oil. > > In contrast, most biodiesel produced at community > level contained as > much as 70% to 80% vegetable oil, said the director > of energy > conservation and alternative energy at the National > Energy Policy > Office. > > The state-run Petroleum Authority of Thailand's > trial formula uses > 10% palm-oil content, but some properties were not > compatible with > diesel oil, Mr Pongpisit said. > > The government has required the agency to buy palm > oil at 12.65 baht > a litre, and coconut oil at 10.18 baht, from > factories in order to > make the trial biodiesel fuel. State agencies and > state enterprises > are required to make biodiesel their top fuel > choice. > > However, a senior official at the Commercial > Registration Department > said that it would be difficult to set firm > standards for biodiesel > fuel until trials of various blends had been > completed. > > "The department has to sort out the problems for > vehicles using > biodiesel before implementing any quality > regulations." > > Biodiesel of various kinds is being used by farmers > in provinces > around the country, "but it can't be produced > commercially as it > hasn't been certified by state authorities as > meeting any industrial > standards". > > The official said that based on the department's > initial criteria, it > would be prepared to guarantee biodiesel containing > less than 10% > palm oil or coconut oil. > > However, problems had to be overcome because in a > number of cases > impurities had affected oil flow in the engines, > retarding > performance. > > "We have to ensure that there will be no engine > glitches before we > set any standards," the official said. > > In the meantime, the PTT will start distributing > diesel blended with > 10% palm oil at its petrol station on Ramkhamhaeng > Road, opposite the > Sammakorn Housing Estate, in Bangkok on July 11. > > PTT chairman Manu Leophairote said the agency hoped > to sell about > 6,000 litres a day of the trial product to the > public at 0.50 baht a > litre less than diesel oil. > > Apart from encouraging the use of the alternative > fuel, the PTT's > project is intended to support the prices of palm > and coconut oil by > absorbing a surplus of the products. > > The PTT will buy palm oil from Morakot Industry Co > at 13 baht a kilogramme. > > Mr Manu, who is also the permanent secretary for > Industry, said the > PTT planned to supply biodiesel to the Bangkok Mass > Transit > Authority, the State Railway of Thailand and the > state-run Transport > Company which require daily a total of one million > litres of fuel. > > Various ratios of diesel oil to palm oil will be > tested in the next > six months to determine the optimum blend. The > effect on engine > performance will be monitored throughout the period > before the > selected mixture is launched commercially. > > Three Thai companies that are interested in > producing ethanol as an > alternative fuel for vehicles _ Khon Kaen Sugar, > Northeastern Sugar > Industry and Sura Maharas Plc _ are preparing > detailed proposals for > submission to the national ethanol development > committee which is > developing a number of energy policy options. > > As well, the Australian government has offered a > long-term funding > programme to build an ethanol production plant to > promote alternative > energy sources in Thailand. > > The Intellectual Property Department has granted His > Majesty the King > a patent for his formula for blending palm and > diesel oils as a > vehicle fuel, an energy initiative that is currently > being followed > up by the government and state energy planners. >
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