A UK company that develops waste-derived biofuels is to begin operations in the Philippines on a vehicle fuel made from organic waste products in landfill.
The company, Gazasia, creates liquid biomethane – a carbon-neutral fuel – by cleaning and refining the natural gas produced by organic waste found in landfill sites.
Landfill remains the most common means of waste disposal In the Philippines but the technique can create potentially damaging gases including methane and carbon dioxide. Gazasia processes the methane and converts it to liquid biomethane, creating a clean and commercially viable fuel and preventing methane being released into the environment.
Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc has signed an agreement with Gazasia worth $150m to fund the development of plants.
Vehicle fuel prices in Asia have risen sharply over the last year and are expected to continue rising. Many governments throughout the region are subsidising fuel costs but have insufficient resources to maintain their subsidies indefinitely.
“The impact of higher vehicle fuel prices has been especially severe in South East Asia,” explained Richard Lilleystone, Gazasia’s CEO. “Public transport is essential to the workforce. Rising fuel costs have a direct impact on transport costs and food prices, which of course has the greatest impact on those least able to afford it.”
The use of biomethane as a vehicle fuel is growing across the world and is widely regarded as an economical alternative to oil-based products.
