Southern Online plans third biodiesel plant

Indian internet service provider and biofuel producer Southern Online Bio Technologies Ltd. plans to build a third biodiesel plant by year-end. Managing Director Satish Kumar said that the proposed third plant requires an investment of around Rs1.5 billion (US$30.27 billion), which would be raised through equity and debt in the ratio of 1:1.5. Currently, the company produces 36,000 liters of biodiesel per day, which it supplies to the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corp. and South Central Railways, among others. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Singapore-based company to identify around 50,000 acres in India for planting. (May 1, 2009)