Thailand Aiming to Become an Aviation Hub by Increasing Bio-fuel Production

Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Department, a government unit of Thailand established to develop policies and deliberate on various energy projects, has declared that Thailand will start producing bio-fuel for jet planes from the year 2012 in coordination with the European aviation policy of using green fuel in airplanes.

Presently, Thailand consumes approximately 4 billion liters of jet fuel annually. The current bio-fuel production of the country does not fulfill its demand. According to the report the country is scheming to appreciate the area of its palm oil plantations or will start cultivating other bio-fuel crops such as algae or sweet sorghum. Until now it is managing its bio-diesel requirements with its crude palm oil output and its B3 oil blend requirements with 3% biofuels. Thailand aims to achieve the next biofuel content level, B5, by January next.

Twarath Sutabutr, who leads the Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Department as its deputy director-general, said that Thailand wanted to become an aviation hub for South East Asia and has understood the need to provide airplane friendly bio-fuel for airlines from other countries. He added that his country is in the process of developing such fuels. He was skeptical about obtaining more palm oil production for biofuel production and said that the government intends to extend palm oil production to areas which now grow low yield crops such as longans and lychees. He added that efforts are on to develop biofuel from algae in those areas that are not suitable for palm tree plantation.