Ethanol producers may use rotting rice to produce ethanol

BANGKOK, Dec 15 (TNA) -- The Department of Energy Business (DOEB) under the Energy Ministry held a meeting with 11 private ethanol producers on the use of 5 million tonnes of rotting rice to make ethanol. The ethanol producers, meanwhile, have responded that they must wait and see the percentage of starch created by the decaying rice first, if it is less than 20 per cent, they will not be able to use the rice for the ethanol production. DOEB Director-General Witoon kulchroenwirat said he has told Energy Minister Gen Anantaporn Kanjanarat of the meeting with ethanol producers and trading companies on their readiness to use around 5 million tonnes of decaying rice currently stocked up in the government's warehouses to produce ethanol, in which 11 factories were found to be suitable and have the potential for the production. He said his office would now further discuss the measure with the Ministry of Commerce. Chairman of the Cassava Ethanol Producer Association Dechphon Lertsuwanroj, on the other hand, said the cassava ethanol manufacturing factories could use the rotting rice to produce ethanol fuel straight away, however, whether or not this could happen depends on the level of starch created from the batch of ruined rice, as the production of ethanol fuel relies mainly on the starch level. He said the level of starch produced from fresh tapioca stand at around 25 per cent and 65 per cent for tapioca chips, stressing that the if the starch level produced by the decaying rice batch is less than 20 per cent, it could not be used for ethanol production. (TNA)