China will this year invest more in biomass ethanol projects over maize-based ones because of a lack of grain.

 

"The current maize-ethanol production capacity has far surpassed what the corn output can provide as an important grain resource," Du Ying, vice-minister of National Development and Reform Commission, said.

 

In Jilin Province in Northeast China, there are more than 50 maize ethanol enterprises, totalling the yearly production capacity of 30 million tons.

 

"We are still piloting biomass, namely straw, chaff and stalk, ethanol projects in some areas," the official said.

 

"We also support clean energy projects such as clover-ethanol and straw-methane ones."

 

Though the minister admitted that technological development in biomass ethanol research was relatively new and less advanced compared with the likes of Brazil and the United States, an official with Ministry of Agriculture said there might be technological breakthroughs in the near future.

 

"We are researching all kinds of biomass energy options, and others include sorghum ethanol and cole diesel oil projects," Yang Xiongnian, deputy director of science and technology, education and rural environment department of the ministry told China Daily.

 

"But establishing new maize ethanol projects should be temporarily stopped."

 

The Ministry of Finance held a special work conference yesterday to discuss funding policies for future biomass energy projects.

 

Both Du and Yang contributed to discussions between four state ministers and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

 

Besides being the top advisory body, CPPCC is also the country's think tank with senior experts from all sectors, such as Ren Yuling, from the State Council.

 

"With the technologies we have developed so far, China is capable of producing 50 million tons of ethanol a year, equal to a Daqing oilfield in northeastern Heilongjiang Province," Ren said.

 

Ren's calculation was based on the consumption of 350 million tons of biomass from the total 1 billion tons produced in China each year.

 

"We don't have sufficient stale grain, not to say the amount of maize," Ren said in his proposal for more national investment in biomass pilot projects.

 

Ren also said the Chinese Academy of Sciences had acquired some world-class advanced technologies, which could produce one ton of ethanol at a cost of 4,500 yuan (US$562).

 

Ethanol is the main biofuel produced in China, with output hitting 1.02 million tons in 2005. Corn accounted for 76 percent of the raw material. The others were mainly wheat and sorghum.

 

China plans to produce about 6 million tons of ethanol by 2010 and 15 million tons by 2020 in addition to 5 million tons of biodiesel, according to sources with the ministry.

 

(China Daily March 8, 2007)