From vodka to ethanol
2nd May, 2008
Biofuels International talks to Irish ethanol producer Greenfield about its impressive plans for eastern EuropeWhile the EU has set ambitious targets for biofuels use, both for 2010 and 2020, not so much is heard about policy in the Confederation of Independent States (CIS) and other countries of the former Soviet Union.
That may all change very soon. Russia and other CIS nations are developing a homegrown biofuels industry and are likely to introduce mandated targets for the use of biodiesel and bioethanol in the coming years.
One company which has been keen to investigate the advantages of producing ethanol in the CIS is Irish-based Greenfield Project Management, a project development firm with interests in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
The Belarus project dates back about five years. In 2003 seed capital was raised to research and develop the biofuel and Chernobyl concept. In 2005, representatives of the government asked the company to carry out a study of the local ethanol production sector with a view to reorganising it and developing the production of bioethanol for transport purposes in the form of Tri-Ps (Public Private Partnerships, PPPs).
Existing production facilities consisted of 74 distilleries, devoted mainly to the production of vodka in the former USSR. Following extensive consultations with the government of Belarus, the Irish settled on two locations for the first fuel ethanol plants to be built in the CIS nation.
Click here to subscribe to Biofuels International now!
