Ghana based biofuels firm signs contract with Energy Partners of Chile
US owned Ghana based biofuels company Gold Star Biofuels has signed a contract with Chile firm Energy Partners Chile Ltd (EPC), to produce biofuel for the Chilean company, a press release from EPC has said.
Gold Star Biofuels by the terms of the contract is expected to construct small biodiesel plants, planting Jatropha throughout Chile. And this would be the first commercial-scale biodiesel production in that country. And these are zero emission plants that reduce the impact of shipping by minimizing the distance between biodiesel production and its use.
This contract by EPC is seen as a historic step toward easing the electrical power crisis in Chile, while minimizing the environmental impact.
The project would use a mixture of 20% biodiesel with 80% petroleum-based diesel (a blend known as “”B20″”), and this is expected to reduce its emissions in its 43MW generation plant “”Degan”” on the island of Chiloe.
As EPC and their partners build more generating plants in Chile (over 265MW under construction), they would use biodiesel from Gold Star Biofuels.
As soon as possible, Gold Star will begin the first commercial cultivation of jatropha trees in Chile. Within two years, EPC will be generating power from Chilean grown and refined jatropha oil. The advantage of jatropha for Chile is that it can thrive on marginal soil where food crops can not grow. Jatropha is drought resistant so it requires little or no irrigation and Gold Star’s farming practices are gentle to the earth. Gold Star manually plants, tends and harvests jatropha year-round, creating many rural jobs for a sustainable economy as well as a sustainable environment.
EPC is constantly working to improve its ability to provide Chile with clean electrical power. Their plants have been enhanced with the latest technology to minimize emissions and noise and now run with extreme efficiency to reduce the cost of electricity in Chile.
This is a significant event for Chile as well as for EPC and Gold Star Biofuels which will benefit the people of Chile, its economy and the environment.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi