Neste Oil starts construction of Singapore plant

March 6 marked the first day of construction for Neste Oil Corp.’s largest biodiesel plant in Singapore. The Finnish company’s plant, which will initially cater to the European market and is scheduled to be operational by 2010, will have an annual capacity of 800,000 tons per year. The company is also constructing a plant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, which will be completed in 2011. Meanwhile, Neste said it plans to buy about 250,000 tons of palm oil from Malaysia to supply its second renewable diesel plant in Porvoo, Finland, which will be operational in the fourth quarter of 2009. It has also secured supplies of animal fat from Australia. (February 25/ March 6/12, 2009)