Southeast Asia’s first sugarcane-based ethanol and co-generation plant, which was inaugurated here Friday, will help wean the Philippines away from dependence on fossil fuels, officials said.

The P3-billion San Carlos Bioenergy Inc. (SCBI) facility will produce nearly 40 million liters of ethanol annually, representing about 10 percent of the nation’s requirements, as mandated by the Biofuels Act of 2006.

"This is a major milestone in the government’s effort to reduce dependency on imported sources of energy, and to have energy security coupled with social equity and environmental sustainability," said Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, who led government officials at the inauguration ceremonies Friday.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090905-223649/P3-B-ethanol-plant-is-Southeast-Asias-1st

Source: The Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net)