BRIEFS. Energy

Biofuel made from palm oil

FLOR BOCHAREL/LA PRENSA

Chiriquí. growers harvest palm oil for fuel production.957331

Producers in the district of Barú in Chiriquí are looking into the use of palm oil as a biofuel as the price per metric ton of the commodity increases.

There are currently 6,200 hectares of palma africana under cultivation. The cooperative General Omar Torrijos Herrera (Coopegoth) has 1,600 hectares in production, the Cooperativa de Palma (Coopal) 1,300 hectares, and the Cooperativa de Productores de Palma de Chiriquí (Coopemapachi) 1,800 hectares. Unaffiliated producers account for 1,500 hectares.

Rigoberto Gutiérrez, president of Coopegoth, said that cultivation will increase by 200 hectares in the short term. Moreover, a vegetable oil extraction plant will be installed in cooperation with Coopal at a cost of $12 million.

Gutiérrez explained that without an extractor, he has been selling the fruit of palma african for $125.70 per metric ton to local companies such as Panamá-Boston.

But the announcement by the North American firm Texas Biodiesel of a possible $75 million dollar project that includes two biodiesel plants with a production capacity of 24 million gallons, has raised expectations for the fruit.

Coopemapachi already has a small extraction plant, and some vehicles running on biofuel, indicated Ángel Cedeño, president of the cooperative.

Actually, they are using small amounts of the fuel on an experimental basis. The government donated two small extracting plants, Cedeño said.