Colombia conducts successful biofuel testing in public transport

The Colombian Oil Institute (ICP) of the state oil company Ecopetrol (CLB:ECOPETROL) participated in successful tests on the use of biodiesel in public transport, Ecopetrol said on Wednesday.

The tests were conducted with 15 buses of the local public transporter Transmilenio over 18 months, in which the vehicles used blends of diesel with biodiesel. The biodiesel operated adequately in all engines and showed an improvement in their performance, according to the company.

The used blends conformed to the Colombian standards and the results confirmed the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) and particulate matter (PM) emissions, Ecopetrol's president Javier Gutierrez said.

Publication: ADP News
Provider: AII Data Processing Ltd.
January 29, 2009

Santander and Bolivar Depts To Export 40,000 T Biodiesel

Colombia's northern departments of Santander and Bolivar are seen to start exporting nearly 40,000 tonnes biodiesel a year to the United States and the European Union within the next 16 months, local media reported on April 11, 2008.

Within this period, three palm oil mills and a biodiesel plant will be built in the Magdalena Medio region, as part of a recently signed alliance between U.S. Texas Biodiesel Corp, Colombian Industrias AVM SA and local palm growers' associations.

The mills will be built in Cantagallo, Sabana de Torres and San Pablo with a capacity to process 6.0 tonnes per hour, 10 tonnes per hour and 20 tonnes per hour, respectively.

U.S. Texas Biodiesel Corp will invest $80 mln (50.6 mln euro) in the project, according to AVM market director, Cesar Gomez. A total of 45 pct of the sum will be allocated for the plants' construction and for improvement of the transport infrastructure. The remainder will be spent on technical improvements of the cultivation.

The plants already have secured supply of raw material from over 31 ha of palm plantations and an additional 20,000 ha should be planted in the next years.

Publication: Business Digest
Provider: AII Data Processing Ltd.
Date: April 14, 2008

Colombian CORPOICA Invests $865,900 in Biodiesel Plant

Colombian agricultural research institute CORPOICA invested 1.7 bln Colombian pesos ($865,900/591,400 euro) in a biodiesel plant, which will start operations in the near future, the daily Portafolio said on January 17, 2008.

The plant is expected to produce 2,000 litres of biodiesel daily and it will be sold to the more than 10,000 residents of the municipality Salahonda, in the southwestern department Narino.

If the performance of the plant is good, CORPOICA will study the opportunities to build biodiesel plants in other parts of Colombia as well.

Part of the resources, which CORPOICA invested in the plant in Narino, were provided by the country's Ministry of Agriculture. The plant will use palm oil as raw material for the production of biodiesel.

Biodiesel is an environment friendly renewable fuel for diesel engines derived from natural oils such as soybean oil or animal fats, following strict industry specifications ASTM D6751, and at present Germany is the largest biodiesel producer worldwide.

Publication: Business Digest
Provider: AII Data Processing Ltd.
Date: January 18, 2008