http://news.goo.ne.jp/news/nna/kokusai/20051004/20051004myr002A.html
2005年10月 4日 (火) 03:00
バイオックスは現在、オランダ国内にバイオ燃料発電所（発電電力量50メガワット＝MW）4基を建設中。来年末に完成予定で、稼働後は1基当たり年間8万～10万トンのバイオ燃料が必要になる。同氏は「バイオ燃料需要は欧州を中心に高まっている。東南アジア地域のパーム油価格は安定し、地元関連企業への恩恵を受けるだろう」と述べた。
同社は現在、英国、スウェーデン、フィンランド、ベルギー、ドイツなど欧州諸国に年間50万トンのバイオ燃料を供給している。同氏は「（先進国の温室効果ガス削減目標を定めた）京都議定書発効により、バイオ燃料需要は一層高まるだろう」と語った。
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/10/3/business/12199061&sec=business
Monday October 3, 2005
BioX seeks palm oil biomass supply
BIOX Group BV (BioX), Europe's largest and fastest-growing supplier of special biofuel blends for the energy sector, has mapped out big plans for Malaysian oil palm biomass - the prized raw material for its four soon-to-be-constructed 50MW biofuel power plants in the Netherlands.
BioX director group finance and head for Asian region Edgare Kerkwijk said the group was seeking a plantation of about 20,000ha in Malaysia that would ensure consistent and sustainable supply of 80,000 to 100,000 tonnes annually for one of its biofuel plants.
It also plans to undertake a technology transfer whereby local power plants currently utilising fossil fuels like gas and diesel can switch to palm oil wastes or by-products to generate energy.
“I believe the significant emergence of biofuel usage worldwide will enhance the value of Malaysian palm-based products, stabilise the crude palm oil prices and raise the valuation of local plantation companies in the near term,” he told StarBiz in Kuala Lumpur.
“It is going to be an exciting phase for us (BioX) in this region, as we have strong confidence in palm oil-based products, particularly with the current hype in the European market, which is actively looking at ways to switch from fossil fuels to biofuel or green energy.”
He said the group, instead of just being a major trader supplying about 500 million tonnes of palm-based products as biofuel to Europe's energy sector, would now venture into downstream activities by producing its own biofuel products and also getting involved in the upstream activities of oil palm plantations, possibly in Malaysia and the rest of South-East Asia (SEA).
He said that while developing biofuel plants in the Netherlands, the group would strengthen its relationship with resource suppliers and develop more energy assets in the region. “Our ultimate goal is to have sustainable palm oil and vegetable oil supplies and also one day, own energy plants in SEA ,” he added.
Edgare Kerkwijk
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“Currently, we are looking for interested parties to venture into these areas in a big way to ensure the success of biofuel energy,” he said.
On its new biofuel power plants, Kerkwijk said BioX is investing 70 million to 80 million euros on each plant, utilising in total about 80,000 to 100,000 tonnes of palm oil annually. These plants will be located near Vlissingen in the Netherlands - the third largest seaport in the Netherlands.
“We plan to start construction by February or March next year,” he said, adding that even before commencing operations, BioX had already secured biofuel offtakes with several major energy players in Europe.
Kerkwijk said BioX looked at Malaysia as the preferred major resource market for palm oil-based products (compared with Indonesia) due to its consistent and abundant supply resulting from active palm oil mill operations in the country.
In preparation for the huge sourcing from Malaysia, he said BioX recently rented a storage facility near Pasir Gudang, Johor, to stock up to 100,000 tonnes of palm-based biomass products from the Felda Group.
In addition, the Malaysian Government's serious focus on biodiesel, with the promise of incentives, has prompted many local oil palm plantation players to seriously look at Europe as a new market to export their palm products.
In the Netherlands, Kerkwijk said, BioX was working closely with Unimills BV and its parent company, Golden Hope Plantations Bhd, on the possibility of setting up a bio-diesel plant for Unimills, the second largest edible oil refining group in Europe.
The production of “green electricity” and biodiesel in the Netherlands has the potential to boost demand for palm oil by an additional one million tonnes per year. To-date, electricity generation already accounts for about 400,000 tonnes of palm oil utilisation in the Netherlands.
“I believe Malaysia's current palm oil stocks of between one million and 1.4 million tonnes can be easily absorbed by Europe's power generating sector in the current biofuel era,” he said.
He believed that through close cooperation with major palm oil producers, BioX was moving closer towards achieving the status as one of Europe's leading biofuel companies with a fully integrated production chain, from owning biomass production to green power facilities based on sustainable and environmental friendly practices.
Reflecting its long-term commitment and confidence in Malaysia, BioX Group Asia (Malaysia) office will be officially opened in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 24.