Leyte Agri to resume Philippine production of fuel-grade ethanol

The Philippines’ Leyte Agri Corp., (LAC) said it will resume production of fuel-grade ethanol by the end of September. Fuel-grade ethanol production was stopped in November 2009 after the price of molasses reached Php9,500 per metric ton (US$221/mt). LAC Vice President Ruben Villanueva said, “Now that the price of molasses has gone down to Php4,500/mt (US$104/mt), the economics of producing fuel grade ethanol are manageable.” He also said that Leyte Agri Corp. supplies fuel-grade ethanol to a Philippine oil company and has an order for the Visayas in the fourth quarter of this year. LAC is the smallest ethanol producer in the Philippines. (September 14, 2011)