Growers harvest first Vernicia seeds for bio-diesel
Growers harvest first Vernicia seeds for bio-diesel
The Luang Prabang Teak Tree Import and Export Company is ready to receive its first delivery of Vernicia (mak kao) seeds from which to make bio-diesel, after first encouraging farmers to grow the trees in 2008.
A ceremony was held last week in Luang Prabang province to mark the occasion, attended by agriculture and forestry officials and local authorities.
The company plans to buy Vernicia seeds from growers in Huaphan and Xieng Khuang provinces after the ASEM Summit this week.
“We're encouraging people in the central and northern provinces to grow more than 12,000 hectares of Vernicia, with most of them in Luang Prabang, Huaphan and Xieng Khuang provinces,” company President Mr Vongphet Xaykeryachongtour said.
“We're asking growers to plant Vernicia in unforested areas where crops have not been grown before and where it is only necessary to clear brush,” he added.
Locals grow Vernicia under the ‘2+3' system, whereby farmers contribute the necessary land and labour, while the company provides them with seeds, training and a market.
The Vernicia is a fast-growing, leafy tree, which grows 12-15 metres high and lives for up to 70 years. It's also recognised as helping to prevent landslides and save water.
After processing, the waste from the trees can be used to make fertiliser, animal feed, and in the manufacture of bio-concrete roofing tiles.
The company has a processing unit in Luang Prabang capable of producing 100 litres of oil a day, with an eventual targeted output of one tonne per day.
The oil will be sold to the Lao State Fuel Company, as well as other domestic and overseas buyers.
“We've tested the quality of both the B10 and B100 biodiesel grades in vehicles and tractors and haven't encountered any problems yet,” Mr Vongphet said.
The government believes Laos may be the first country to produce bio-diesel from Vernicia.
It intends to promote bio-diesel use in Laos to reduce dependence on fuel imports and cater to future demand, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mines' Renewable Energy Promotion Department.
The government plans to increase the rate of renewable energy usage to 30 percent of all energy sources, and bio-diesel is expected to supply 10 percent of this amount.
vientiane times
