Platinum Energy commissions biodiesel plant

Kuala Lumpur-based Platinum Energy is preparing to start biodiesel production at its recently completed multi-feedstock biodiesel plant in Senawang in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, a senior company official said. It expects commercial production to begin around the second half of February. The company was to have shipped its debut biodiesel shipment of 10,000 metric tons of palm methyl ester to the United States by the end of last year. But the shipment fell through due to a revision in the United States on the cold soak filtration test (CSFT) in October, the official said, adding that the company is taking steps to meet the new regulation. (January 15, 2009)