Seaoil president Glenn Yu (second from right) with officials from the Department of Energy.

THE recent signing of the biofuels law has boosted the morale, not to mention the earning capacity of one of the smaller players in the oil industry.

Seaoil Philippines, considered as one of the biggest among the new players in the industry, hailed the signing of the new biofuels law and even takes on the challenge in “fueling the change from petroleum to biofuels.”

“We want to lead the country to a more renewable and responsible future,” according to Glenn Yu, president of Seaoil Philippines, which prides itself on being a biofuels player in the country even before the signing of the said law.

Yu led several top Seaoil Philippines and government officials during a media tour held on January 31 at its main depot in Mandaluyong City.

Yu disclosed that Seaoil Philippines has been dispensing biofuels as early as August of 2005 when it underwent the “biggest change in its 28th year history by becoming the first oil firm in the Philippines to specialize in biofuels.”

He added that since 2005, they had already sold more than four million liters or a total of P1.4 billion worth of biofuels at their 106 stations.  Among its biofuel products are the ethanol-blended G5 Unleaded and the G5 Extreme Fuel. “We started selling E10 long before [it became mandatory]. Seaoil Philippines has already captured an inside track that will allow us to overtake bigger players in the petroleum industry,” Yu added.

Seaoil Philippines’ biofuels cost 50 centavos less than the ordinary unleaded gasoline.

Yu also said that Seaoil has beefed up its biofuels depot in Mandaluyong City and is “currently working on putting up our own ethanol processing plant capable of producing 100,000 liters of ethanol a day.” With the signing of the biofuels law, there are 15 reported companies, which are actively putting up their own ethanol blending plants in the country today.

As of now, their entire ethanol requirement is being sourced out from abroad. The construction of its own ethanol plant will achieve that goal in the next two years, Yu added. Their depot in Mandaluyong now consists of 12 storage tanks capable of storing 20 million liters of gasoline and diesel fuels.

For her part, Zenaida Monsada, chief of the oil industry management bureau of the Department of Energy, said that their office recognized Seaoil Philippines as one of the country’s biofuels pioneers. “We believe that the signing of the biofuels law will surely save the country of some P14 billion annually.”

She also added that the department also implemented several safeguard mechanisms in assuring the public that what they are buying are standard biofuels. “We have 24-hour monitoring teams that would ensure the quality of the biofuels that are being sold in various gasoline stations. We have standards to follow and we are very strict in checking what ingredients are being blended with the regular gasoline.”

Under the newly signed law, all gasoline that will be sold in the next two years must be blended with at least 5 percent bioethanol. The blend shall be increased to 10 percent for the next four years.

Here’s how it’s done A Seaoil chemist shows how ethanol is blended with gasoline to produce E10.

Diesel, on the other hand, must be blended with 1-percent coco-methyl ester (CME) within three months of the implementation of the law. It shall be increased to 2 percent after two years. Bioethanol comes from sugar cane while CME comes from coconut.

Yu added that the benefits of the biofuels are not confined solely to the economy but also to the environment and the car’s engine. “Everyone who has switched to Seaoil Philippines’ biofuels can testify to the increased pulling power of their engines and the reduction in emissions. According to those who are already using biofuels, the effect is almost instant on their cars,” he said.

Among the other Seaoil Philippines’ officials who attended the depot tour were: Stephen Yu, managing director; safety officer Ronald Gumintad; and product and research development manager Bernie Raymundo.

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