Japanese consortium to build ethanol plant

A consortium backed by Japanese firms plans to build the largest ethanol processing plant in the Philippines. Erwin Co, Green Future Innovations (GFI) project development manager, said that the company will invest more than US$100 million to construct a 54-million liter per year or 200,000-liter per day ethanol plant in San Mariano, Isabela province. GFI is a joint venture between local investors and Japan’s Itochu Corp. and JGC Corp. GFI would be utilizing sugarcane as feedstock for its ethanol plant, which is projected to be completed in two years. The company is setting up its own sugarcane plantation in Isabela. The company plans to break ground for the plant in December. (September 22, 2009)