China Built 1st Non-grain Bioenergy R&D Center in Guangxi

China’s first non-grain biological energy technology R&D center was inaugurated in the southwestern city of Nanning, Guangxi Autonomous Region, yesterday, in line with the national energy and grain safety as well as long-term scientific technology development strategies. From now on, the newly-built institution will mainly study the technologic and economic problems involved in non-grain bioenergy crops, including the cassava and sugarcane in south China as well as north China’s sweet sorghum. Engaged in the generic technology development, incubation of scientific results, industrialization demonstration, talent training, and technological services, the Nanjing-based center is expected to help China keep a fast, healthy, and sustainable growth in the non-grain biological energy industry, said people familiar with the matter. In the entire 2006, Guangxi accounted for nearly one seventh of the country’s total fuel ethanol output, and the first 200,000-ton non-grain cassava fuel ethanol project in China started operation in the autonomous region in 2007. (June 15, 2009)