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Platinum Energy nears biodiesel facility completion

16th May, 2008

Malaysia-based investment holding company Platinum Energy expects to complete its 200,000 tonne a year biodiesel facility by July this year.

The RM60 million (€11.8 million) plant is located within the company's High Technology Biopark in Senawang, Negeri Sembilan.

It is also working on commercialising a third generation biomass- to-liquid (BTL) technology to produce green diesel from jatropha biomass.

The project includes cultivating over 200,000 hectares of jatropha in South Sulawesi and Banten, Indonesia.

Platinum will also collaborate with Nandan-Alphakat to commercialise the BTL catalytic depolymerisation technology (KDV technology).

'With KDV technology, the product is green diesel,' Platinum Energy MD, Jespal Deol Abdullah Jespal, comments. 'It's a direct substitute of diesel, not for blending purposes, and almost no different from fossil fuel, as opposed to biodiesel which is blended.'

The jatropha plantation project will start in Q4 2008. The first commercial yield is anticipated by 2010. Platinum plans to start a pilot project for the KDV technology at its High Technology Biopark by July this year. It will initially use biomass as its source of feedstock, specifically agriculture waste like rice husks and empty fruit bunches and shells from oil palm.