Mekong company produces biodiesel from catfish fat

Biodiesel production in the Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta in Vietnam is being restored as the domestic market struggles with rising petrol prices. Minh Tu Ltd. Co., located in Can Tho City, researched and successfully manufactured biodiesel fuel way back in 2006. The company invested in building a biodiesel plant and signed contracts with domestic partners and a Cambodian company to supply a total of two million liters per year (lpy) of biodiesel from catfish fat. At present, the price of a 20% blend of biodiesel was 300 dong (US$0.02) per liter cheaper than mineral oil. Director of Minh Tu Ltd. Co., Trinh Minh Tu, said that the Mekong market alone consumed five million liters per day (lpd) of diesel, and biodiesel would be an indispensable choice for most Vietnamese people if the government did not subsidize petrol prices. The General Department of Quality Measurements is still working on drafting Vietnams biodiesel quality standards. Another difficulty was the price and supply of catfish fat. In the meantime, Minh Tu has sought out other sources of feedstock such as jatropha, to replace catfish fat. The company has set up a 10 hectare plantation in An Giang Province to grow jatropha. (August 20, 2008)