TWO BIO-ETHANOL MATERIAL PROCESSING PLANTS COMMISSIONED IN S SULAWESI

Gowa, S Sulawesi, Aug 6 (ANTARA) - South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo here Thursday commissioned two bio-ethanol material processing plants set up by a South Korean company in two districts in the province.

The two plants, technically called Integrated Post-harvest Porcessing Unit (IPPU), were built over the past two years by South Korea-owned PT EN3 (Environment, Energy, Engineering) Green Energy in Gowa and Takalar districts.

The plant in Gowa district has a production capacity of 25,000 chips and the one in Takalar 75,000 chips per year. The vegetable materials were being cultivated on a total of 7.5 hectares of attached plantations, grown by local farmers and bought from local suppliers.

Governor Limpo said at the dedication ceremony at Nirannuang village in Gowa district, he hoped PT EN3 Green Energy would not only build IPPUs in South Sulawesi but also a bio-ethanol factory.

The president director of the South Korean company, Park Chang Ho, said on the same occasion, if no significant problems were met in the operation of the two IPPUs, his company would begin preparations to build a bio-ethanol factory in South Sulawesi in 2010 with an investment of about 50 million US dollars.

Present at the IPPUs' commissioning ceremony were also a number of central government officials, including Capital Investment Coordinating Agency Deputy Chief Achmad Kurniadi, Deputy Director General of Oil and Gas Affairs Paham Gultom, Deputy Minister/State Secretary Ibnu Parna Muhtar. ***2***