“Made in Vietnam” biopetrol

In September 2009, after two years of construction and infrastructure investment, the people of Dai Tan commune, with Dai Loc district government, were pleased to welcome the success of the first biopetrol products of Dai Tan ethanol plant which was invested by Dong Xanh JSC with the total investment capital of more than VND500 billion (the working capital is expected to reach VND900 billion). Dai Tan ethanol plant is considered an "enormous" project which will bring great benefits to the industry of Dai Loc district.

After the initial surprise of biopetrol, many people of Dai Tan now understand clearly and can introduce fluently about this product. Nguyen Quang Son (a citizen living near the plant) said: "When we first heard of biopetrol, we felt a little afraid. But then, we saw people carry dried cassava and it smelled like food for pigs when fermented, we were really at ease. In recent days, seeing many petrol tankers coming in and out of the factory and TV continuously informing that biopetrol has been sold in the market and knowing that more than a half of them is from Dai Tan ethanol plant, we are very proud! We have never expected our cassava to become gasoline".

Dai Tan ethanol plant has the area of 17ha and is located on a prime location with the Vu Gia river on one side with abundant water, which is very suitable for each stage of production. The other side is convenient traffic, near Da Nang port. With the capacity of 100,000 tons per year (equivalent to 125 million liters of gasoline), the byproduct of liquefied CO2 (20 thousand tons per year) and fertilizer (40,000 tons per year), the plant has created jobs for more than 300 local workers with the average income per capita of over VND1.5 million per month.

"This is one of the major projects which brings economic benefits for Dai Loc. It not only increases industrial development level of the district, but also opens new directions for many people in the area. Especially when the plant operates at full capacity, the output of the cassava material area will definitely be stable, creating more jobs for farmers here", said Mr. Nguyen Van Truc – Head of Dai Loc district People's Committee.

Energy solutions

The project "Development of biofuel by 2015, vision 2025" of Dong Xanh JSC - Quang Nam was approved by the Prime Minister in 2007 with the support of highest investment incentives. The first batch of biopetrol was officially produced in September 2009. Technical indicators were beyond requirements of the national standard TCVN 7716-2007.

"Biopetrol is not only the common needs to find alternative energy solutions but also the enthusiasm of our company. Turning cassava into gasoline is one of the most amazing measures to make the launch of E5 product possible. Besides, it is also associated with the life of farmers. With the capacity of 100,000 tons per year, it is estimated that we can consume nearly 1 million tons of dried cassava per year. We have committed to purchase fresh cassava with the price of 1000 dong per kilogram, so the output of this product will be stable", shared Mr. Luu Quang Thai, Chairman of the Board of Dong Xanh JSC.

With the official launch of the first made-in-Vietnam bio-fuel product with the rate of absolute alcohol of 99.8%, Dong Xanh JSC has marked an important breakthrough in the search for alternative energy in the time of serious energy crisis. Besides business benefits, the company always puts environmental issues on the top.

"We have been following this plant since it was only on the paper. Up to now, I can confirm that this is one of the companies which always consider environmental issues the top priority. The factory is designed with three advanced technologies which are applied in Vietnam for the first time, including absolute alcohol products of 99.8% (water content is less than 0.5%), circulating fluidized boilers using 50 - 60% of renewable fuel which is biogas utilized from waste and the complex wastewater treatment system which filters 99.8% of the COD, BOD content in the water", said Prof. Dr. Phan Quang Son (University of Da Nang).

Shortly after being officially available in the market on 1st August, E5 biopetrol has appealed to the large public. Questions about the origin and technical indicators of biopetrol are always top priority of consumers.

"E5 petrol (95% gasoline, 5% ethanol) has very low content of water, only about 0.0015 mg per liter, so it will not have any effects on any vehicle motors. Currently in the world, people have been using E85 fuel, but we have not. In the coming time, we will proceed to use E10 fuel when possible. This solution not only saves money for consumers but also makes our environment cleaner with biological products", said Dr. Tran Thanh Hai Tung, who directly researched the effects of E5 petrol on car and motorcycle engine.

According to Mr. Luu Quang Thai, PVB Company (under PV Oil Corporation) has committed to purchase all biofuel products of the plant, except for part that the company has signed export contracts with Japan and South Korea. "In the future, we will continue to build two more biopetrol plants in the Central and Central Highlands provinces to meet increasing demands for biofuel", he added.

By Minh Duc