Dong Xanh produces first batch of ethanol

Vietnam’s Dong Xanh Joint Stock Co. has successfully produced its first batch of 2,000 tons of ethanol, for blending with gasoline. Dong Xanh began building its 500 billion dong (US$28 million) ethanol plant in the central province of Quang Nam in July 2007, as part of the government’s project to develop biofuels in the country. The plant, the first of its kind in Vietnam, is expected to use 300,000 tons of dried cassava to produce 100,000 tons of ethanol, equivalent to 120 million liters a year. A large volume of the products will be sold in the domestic market, and the rest will be exported to Japan and South Korea. Last year, the company joined hands with PetroVietnam Bio-ethanol Company, an affiliate of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group, to sell on a trial basis imported ethanol-petrol blends in several provinces and cities. (September 4, 2009)