URC begins construction of new bioethanol plant in the Philippines

Universal Robina Corporation (URC), which is part of the Gokongwei group, is building a bioethanol plant at its sugar milling complex in Negros Oriental in the Philippines. The company said it will also open a new factory in Burma. URC President Lance Gokongwei told reporters that the company has begun construction of a US$27-million bioethanol plant in Manjuyod, Negros Oriental. The bioethanol plant will have a capacity of 100,000 liters of fuel a day. The plant is expected to be fully operational by the latter part of next year. The Phillippine conglomerate is also in the process of incorporating a unit in Burma, which is expected to begin operations by 2013. “Burma has 60 million people and it’s part of our strategy to set up infrastructure for manufacturing and distribution in all the large population countries in the ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations]. We think Burma is opening up. It would be probably be worthwhile to enter, start planting seeds earlier rather than later,” Gokongwei explained. The company’s international sales went up by 38.9 % to US$443 million last year. Thailand and Vietnam are its two biggest markets, and business in both countries accounted for 75.3% of total overseas sales. (April 19, 2012)