Japanese oil firms to build trial facility for non-petroleum based auto fuels in Malaysia

Cosmo Oil Co., Idemitsu Kosan Co. and other Japanese oil distributors are seeking to produce and sell non-petroleum-based automotive fuels in emerging nations. Cosmo will develop technology to make diesel fuel and kerosene out of coconut and palm oil. Experiments will be conducted in cooperation with Toyota Motor Corp. and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. The project has secured about 20 million yen (US$211,206) in funding from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organizations. Plans call for a trial facility to be built in Malaysia, which has a rich supply of raw materials for the project. The alliance of six Japanese companies plan to commercialize the technology around 2015 should the pilot project succeed. (August 18, 200