Bioenergy International Asia expo & conference

Bioenergy International Asia expo & conference is now in its second year in the brand new location of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The potential for biodiesel production across Asia is enormous. As well as Malaysia and Indonesia being the two largest palm oil-producing countries, the conditions are also suitable for other feedstocks such as jatropha and biomass.

But despite this Asia’s biodiesel manufacturers are finding profits elusive in a market characterised by poor demand and rapidly rising feedstocks. Supplies of biodiesel appear to have outstripped demand in many countries and many of the new plants that have come online and now lying idling or not operating at full capacity.

Demand is largely driven by government mandates, which are severely lacking in many countries – only Thailand and the Philippines currently have both supply and demand support for biofuels.

Total biodiesel mandates in Asia would amount to 1.7 million tonnes but due to poor implementation in Malaysia, as well as Indonesia, mandates are achieving only 500,000 Tonnes – less than 10% of biodiesel capacity in Asia.

And to add to this biodiesel is now being heavily criticized as a threat to the region's tropical rain forests.

These are all issues which need to addresses and quickly. Biofuels International expo & conference is a two day event which will bring together biodiesel producers, feedstock suppliers, regulators and investors to discuss how to drive the market forward.

The conference will also be combined with a biodiesel plant tour allowing delegates to see the technology in action.

Topics covered in the conference will include future potential feedstocks such as algae and jatropha, second generation biodiesel conversion technologies, ensuring sustainable feedstock supply, anticipated mandates and policies across Asia and securing plant finance and ongoing risk mitigation.

The conference will also look in depth at the challenges surrounding the transportation and storage of biofuels – including avoiding contamination, blending methods, cost-effective logistics and trading across country borders.

On day two the conference programme will explore Asia’s potential for biofuel and power generation from biomass, from sourcing biomass, to pre-treatment technologies to biogas, ethanol and biofuel production.

Last year’s speakers at this event included producers such Alpha Biofuels and Vance Bioenergy, oil companies such as the Philippines National Oil Company, and traders and regulators including Trafigura, the European Commission and Singapore Environment Council.