Singapore needs biofuel market: Trafigura

Global trading giant Trafigura said that Singapore must create a local market for biodiesel in order to support the many investments that have been made in biodiesel refining capacity in the country. Henri Bardon, trading manager for biodiesel with Trafigura, said that Singapore has been surprisingly slow to create a local biofuel market, after many years of successfully convincing investors to build plants in the country. The Singaporean government has not yet required the use of biodiesel blends in vehicles. According to Bardon, >”despite inviting foreign investors here to build plants to produce biofuels, Singapore itself is not using any. Singapore can mandate that all diesel fuels sold here are [blended with] biodiesel as such fuel can be produced on Jurong Island…This would require no changes to pumps or cars as biofuel blends are used in many of the countries where cars Singaporeans drive are made.” (May 19, 2009)