Biofuel Development in Vietnam – A Possibility

The government approval in November 2007 of the biofuel development project sets the country to produce around 250,000 tonnes of ethanol and vegetable oil to meet the demand for 1% biofuel mix in 2015. Speaking at the seminar on biofuel development, Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agricultural and Rural Development Director Nguyen Kim Son reiterated the country’s challenge to produce renewable energies in the face of high crude oil prices and the exhaustion of its sources, and the short supply of traditional energy such as electricity, water, coal and nuclear energies.

Vietnam boasts huge potential for bio-fuel development as it has many material plants such as sugarcane, cassava, jatropha, castor-oil trees seaweed, and by-products such as rubber seed, fish fat, used oil and lubricants. However, many participants voiced concern about Vietnam’s food security problems, dwindling agricultural lands and importation of other food crops such as corn. It is thus imperative that a strategy be worked out to develop biofuel with low costs and without negative impacts on the food supply and the environment. A large subsidy from the government is also needed to boost biofuel development in the country.

For details of the seminar see press release at: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2008/07/795810/. Contact Hien Le of the Vietnam Biotechnology Information Center for biotechnology updates in Vietnam at: hientttm@yahoo.com.