GLOBAL AGENCY IN BANGKOK TALKS

       The Energy Ministry has discussed Asean's plan to make the region an "OPEC of biofuels" with the International Energy Agency.
       Energy minister Wannarat Charnnukul said after presiding over the opening of a two-day Bangkok Biofuels 2009 conference that the ministry had discussed with the IEA the Asean grouping's scheme for substantial development of biofuel production, in line with its energy plan covering the years from 2010-15.
       The Asean plan features the development of second-generation biofuels, or the production of biofuels from plant raw materials, such as biodiesel made from weeds and ethanol produced from wood scraps and straw.
       The biofuel conference is being held for Asean members to brainstorm the plan to turn the regional grouping into a hub for global biofuel production and export, or the Opec of biofuels, by capitalising on the potential of each Asean country. For example, Indonesia and Malaysia are the world's major palm-oil exporters, while Thailand has considerable raw materials for producing ethanol.
       Twarath Sutabutr, director of the ministry's Energy Policy and Planning Bureau, said each Asean country would reveal its pricing structure for ethanol at the Bangkok Biofuel 2009 conference, so that a common competitive pricing structure could be fixed.
       The IEA is an intergovernmental organisation that acts as an energy-policy adviser to 28 countries in their efforts to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy supplies.
       Thailand is also implementing a 15-year energy-substitution plan that will see an increase in ethanol consumption to 9 million litres per day and that of biodiesel to 4.5 million litres per day by 2022. During the first five years of the plan, which started last year, Thailand has focused on promoting the production of ethanol from molasses, as well as wind and solar energy. From 2013-17, it will focus on research and development of energy technology.
       IEA deputy executive director Richard Jones said the world's present use of biofuel accounted for only 1.5 per cent of the 85 million barrels of oil used every day by the transport sector. The figure is expected to rise to 4 per cent by 2030.
       However, he said the figure could reach 8 per cent in 2030 if all countries in the world concertedly promoted biofuel. If this happened,biofuel use could even surge to 25 per cent, or 25 million barrels per day, in 2050, out of projected total oil consumption of 100 million bpd.