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Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Environment agency arm bats for use of biodiesel
THE Natural Resources Development Corporation (NRDC), the corporate arm of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, on Saturday urged government agencies to use biodiesel or the coconut methyl ester on the coconut methyl ester on their vehicles in compliance with Malacañang's order to save up on gas.
Angelico Salud, NRDC president, said only few government, said only few government agencies are using biodeisel, an alternative fuel, amid an impending oil crisis, despite a memorandum circular of President Arroyo to do so.
But with the oil crisis, he said the use of at least one percent of biodiesel as additive for diesel-type engines as contained in Memorandum Circular 55 dated February 9, 2004, will strictly be enforced through the NRDC.
Among those government agencies that use biodiesel on their vehicles are the Government Service Insurance System, Pag-IBIG Fund and the DENR and its attached agencies and bureaus. These government agencies buy biodiesel from the NRDC at P66 a liter.
But owing to a small number of biodiesel users among government agencies, Salud said the NRDC only earned less than P1 million from the sale of biodiesel in 2004.
"It is a continuing project but it is not being marketed properly because of lack of understanding. They (agencies) through they would use pure biodiesel on their vehicles but biodiesel is just an additive, only one percent of their diesel consumption, although we're encouraging as much as 5 percent,"Salud told reporter in an interview.
"This means that for every 500 liters of diesel, at least 500 milliliters of biodiesel will be mixed," he added.
Salud said the use of biodiesel, which is processed using coconut oil, is economical.
" cleans your engine and you have bigger intervals for (engine checkup so maintenance wise, it's more economical)."
He started sending letters to government agencies to comply with the circular and the August 19, 2005 pronouncement of Arroyo to save on energy and fuel cost.
"The NRDC supports the initiative and offers you our coconut methyl ester biodiesel fuel product. The (biodoesel) is an ideal additive or diesel fuel substitute. It has lubricity, solvency and detergency property resulting in better performance of diesel engine," Salud said in his letter.
Salud said that a five-percent blend of (biodiesel) a liter on petro-diesel will reduce more emission without any power less. The NRDC aims to sell at least 80 million liters of biodiesel or one-liter diesel consumption in the country.
(August 29, 2005 issue)
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