Alfa Laval wins contract to build ethanol plant in Vietnam

The Petrochemical and Bio Fuel JS Co. (PBFJS) has won a contract to build Vietnam’s first ethanol plant. PBFJS is a joint venture between three companies including Swedish engineering group Alfa Laval AB, U.S.-based ethanol technology firm Delta T Corp. and state-owned oil monopoly Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam). Under the contract, Alfa Laval would construct the US$80 million ethanol plant, located in the northern province of Phu Tho, in 18 months. The plant, which will use sugar cane and cassava as feedstock, would have a capacity of 100,000 cubic meters per year, the government said. The project is part of Vietnam’s efforts to produce 250,000 tons of ethanol and biodiesel by 2015, to meet 1% of the country’s petroleum demand, and 1.8 million tons of these products by 2025, to meet 5% of total petroleum demand. (June 11, 2009)