Bioenergy International Asia expo & conference is now in its
second year in the brand new location of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The potential for biodiesel production across Asia is enormous. As
well as Malaysia and Indonesia being the two largest palm
oil-producing countries, the conditions are also suitable for other
feedstocks such as jatropha and biomass.
But despite this Asia’s biodiesel manufacturers are finding
profits elusive in a market characterised by poor demand and rapidly
rising feedstocks. Supplies of biodiesel appear to have outstripped
demand in many countries and many of the new plants that have come
online and now lying idling or not operating at full capacity.
Demand is largely driven by government mandates, which are
severely lacking in many countries – only Thailand and the Philippines
currently have both supply and demand support for biofuels.
Total biodiesel mandates in Asia would amount to 1.7 million
tonnes but due to poor implementation in Malaysia, as well as
Indonesia, mandates are achieving only 500,000 Tonnes – less than 10%
of biodiesel capacity in Asia.
And to add to this biodiesel is now being heavily criticized as a
threat to the region's tropical rain forests.
These are all issues which need to addresses and quickly. Biofuels
International expo & conference is a two day event which will
bring together biodiesel producers, feedstock suppliers, regulators
and investors to discuss how to drive the market forward.
