Bio-Ethanol E-10 fuel being produced at GuySuCo’s

Bio-EthanolGeorgetown: The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), through a technical cooperation; “Expanding bio-energy opportunities in Guyana” and with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in August 2013, the Government of Guyana formally commissioned a Bio-ethanol demonstration plant  at GuySuCo’s Albion Estate with the objectives of demonstrating production of fuel grade ethanol  from the estates’ available feed stock, increasing the mass of trained personnel in the area of bio-fuel through training and research, and demonstrating the utilisation of bio-ethanol fuel.

The Bio-Ethanol E-10 fuel produced at GuySuCo’s Albion Estate was formally launched recently for trial run in a number of vehicles, with the expectation that before the end of 2014, approximately 25 vehicles would be routinely utilising the fuel, but moreover, the pilot plan developing in the future towards the production of  commercially available blended fuel.

Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy delivering the feature remarks at the event noted that Albion has always been a lead estate in many ways, and therefore it is ‘poetic justice’ that this new thrust of development for sugar is coming out it.

But importantly, the Minister noted, that efforts at Albion is not just for a ‘show piece’, but in fact the first step in adding a new commodity for the sugar company. The Minister said that the Government is also hoping that GuySuCo’s effort is  the first step in making it a national programme.

He noted that Government in its determination to pursue a fuel blend with ethanol, looking towards the country’s future, established a National Commission on bio-energy and set as one of its goal the hope of introducing legislation to mandate the use of blended fuel.

Even as GuySuCo launched the new E-10 blend of fuel, it will continue efforts at a determined cost and efficiency towards this goal of commercial production, he stated.

One of the studies that is to be conducted over the next many months is to consider in addition to molasses derived out of sugar, what other sub-strains can be used, for example cassava, in the production of bio-fuel. This will ensure that even when sugar is not in production, the company can continue to produce bio-fuel, with the other sub-strains.

But Albion is set to go from demonstration of bio-ethanol to production; and Minister Ramsammy also reiterated that GuySuCo’s and the Government of Guyana’s goals for the sugar company remains sugar cane cultivation and sugar production.