PNOC to focus on growing jatropha

PNOC-Alternative Fuels Corp., the alternative fuels arm of state-owned Philippine National Oil Corp., has decided to change its business strategy and focus on the production of jatropha oil rather than become a vertically integrated biodiesel producer, a senior PNOC-AFC official said. Nonetheless, the company is setting up five small jatropha oil extraction facilities, aiming to produce 11.25 million liters of biodiesel by mid-2010, Clovis Tupas, general manager and vice president of PNOC-AFC, said. (November 13, 2009)