Philippine Roxol ethanol plant start-up delayed

Roxol Bioenergy Corp., the bioethanol arm of Philippine sugar conglomerate Roxas Holdings, has delayed the start-up of its ethanol plant from February to the end of March, a Roxas official said. The delay is due to a lack of availability of raw material required for the plant, the official said. Construction of the 100,000 liters per day plant is almost complete and the company expects to meet the end of March schedule. The ethanol plant is located in Negros Occidental and is being built by India-based KBK Chem-Engineering Pvt. Ltd. Roxol’s plant will be the Philippines’ third ethanol plant and its start-up will alleviate some of the massive ethanol shortage plaguing the country. (February 25, 2010)