December 18, 2006

China to expand non-grain biofuels

China has launched a series of pilot programmes to encourage planting of non-grain crops as raw materials for biofuels, reported the China Daily, citing Yang Jian, a director at the ministry as saying.

The country plans to plant sorghum, cassava and other biofuel crops on lands that are unfit for grain production, according to reports.

China, which relies mostly on polluting energy sources like coal, has set a goal of producing about 6 million tonnes of cleaner-burning substitutes such as ethanol by 2010 and 15 million tonnes by 2020.

The programmes come amid concern over increasing amounts of grain crops being used for biofuel. The trend has contributed to prices for corn, soy, wheat and other essential foods nearing record highs in recent weeks.

Corn accounted for 76 percent of the 1.02 million tonnes of ethanol produced last year.

Yang repeated government statements recently that the government would not allow grain crops to be converted into biofuel at the expense of limiting food supplies.