|
THE
local arm of American car manufacturer Ford Group
Philippines on Monday unveiled its E85 Ford Explorer as
part of its “sustainable transport solutions” to help
combat soaring prices of imported oil.
The E85
Ford Explorer, which can run on ethanol fuel blends of
up to 85 percent, joined a platoon of taxis powered by
liquefied petroleum gas and buses running on compressed
natural gas at One Esplanade in Pasay City. “We believe
the progression to higher biofuel blends is in the best
interest of the Philippine economy and the environment
in the long-term,” Henry Co, chairman of Ford Group
Philippines, said. He said appropriate policy
commitments from the government to build sustainable
infrastructure and encourage further investments in
advanced flex-fuel vehicles, or FFV, technology will
support the introduction of higher-blend FFV technology
to the market.
Ford has
been a staunch supporter of the country’s shift to
alternative fuels. In April 2006 Ford became the first
locally based manufacturer to offer an E20-capable
vehicle—the E20 Ford Focus—which is produced at its in
Santa Rosa, Laguna, facility. The Philippine plant also
serves as Ford’s regional hub of FFV and engines for its
Asia-Pacific and African markets. “We are committed to
the increased use of biofuels in the Philippines as a
viable solution to the soaring price of imported oil.
These environment-friendly alternatives would provide
solid benefits for both the Philippine economy and
Philippine consumer,” Co said.
For his
part, the biofuels law author, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri,
said that with oil prices at $136 per barrel, it tells
consumers and the government to go full steam ahead for
locally produced and blended biofuels on economic and
environmental terms.
“We can
sell locally produced ethanol at P34 per liter and
jatropha diesel at P35,” said Zubiri, adding that the
country can’t afford to wait for oil prices to bottom
out. The legislator said oil speculators, producers and
traders will make hay. Zubiri said the local sugar
industry can produce “enough ethanol for blending 3
billion liters E85. Today, E85 sells for P39.75 per
liter. Since pure ethanol costs P33 per liter to produce
locally, it can really lower fuel costs. Right now, E10
is P3 cheaper than premium gasoline which is sold at an
average of P56 per liter. We can buy E85 at P35 per
liter if the law is implemented properly wherein
biofuels raw materials are value-added-tax exempt as
provided in the biofuels law.”
He said
the country has the technology and skills to produce
high-quality diesel from jatropha which grows well in
poor soil conditions—or marginal lands—without ever
going into fertile agricultural land devoted to food
crops. Zubiri asserted that these biofuel initiatives,
based on extensive research by the University of the
Philippines Los Baños and other state universities and
colleges nationwide, “should go hand in hand with the
promotion of flex-fuel vehicles for public passenger,
cargo transport and private use.”
“FFVs
are vehicles designed to run on varying blends of
unleaded gasoline with ethanol. FFVs can run on pure
gasoline, pure ethanol, or any ratio of gasoline and
ethanol. If gasoline prices are high, motorists can
easily shift to ethanol,” said Zubiri. He added that
the biofuels and FFVs for mass public transport and
private use “will cut our notorious carbon footprints,
give motorists and passengers cheaper fuel and our
farmers bigger incomes.”
In
coordination with Ford Group Philippines, Zubiri is
conducting an educational campaign on biofuels that
includes a 12-day biofuel-economy demonstration run on
an FFV, a Ford Explorer fueled with E85 being provided
by Seaoil. “Ford, Seaoil and my office have actively
partnered in various activities since May. We hope that
this 12-day loan of a Ford Explorer fueled with E85 will
generate enough public interest among drivers and
transport operators to shift to biofuels,” he said.
|
