Malaysia gives grants for biodiesel facilities

The Malaysian government has disbursed 1 million ringgit (US$321,954) each to five petroleum companies to bolster the production of palm oil-based biodiesel. The five oil majors are Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil and BHP. Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said the money has been given out via the Malaysian Palm Oil Board so that the oil giants can start to build new or upgrade existing biodiesel facilities at their respective depots. “I want this project to start right away so that biodiesel can be sold to the public by June 2011,” Dompok said. The biodiesel facilities will be built at existing oil depots in the Klang Valley, Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Malacca, and will be expanded nationwide later on. (October 5, 2010)