Hainan Province begins selling biodiesel on trial basis
Shanghai. November 19. INTERFAX-CHINA - China's southern island province of Hainan began selling biodiesel earlier this month, local state media reported Nov. 18.
According to a Hainan Daily report, CNOOC New Energy Investment Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC), sold the first batch of biodiesel produced at its plant in the province to several local service stations on Nov. 8 on a trial basis.
If the trial proves to be successful, the company will sell its biodiesel products throughout the province.
In June 2008, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) gave the go-ahead to the construction of three biodiesel projects, namely China National Petroleum Corp.'s (CNPC) project in Sichuan Province, China Petrochemical Corp.'s (Sinopec Group) project in Guizhou Province and CNOOC's Hainan project.
The CNPC project is designed to produce 50,000 tons of the biofuel each year, while both Sinopec Group's and CNOOC's projects will produce 60,000 tons. The CNOOC project is the first of the three to have begun operations.
All three projects are fed by jatropha, a plant which produces oil-containing seeds.
-TW