Thirsty for fuel energy, China has begun promoting the use of
gasohol, an alternative fuel made from ethanol combined with
gasoline, in its major farming provinces.
Corn, potatoes and sugar cane serve as major raw materials for
ethanol, which can account for up to 10 percent of gasohol. China
is encouraging Heilongjiang,
Jilin,
Liaoning,
Anhui
and Henan,
all major farming provinces, to turn their surplus produce into the
alternative fuel.
Heilongjiang Province in the country's northeast, China's
largest commodity grain producer and home of Daqing, the country's
largest oil field, has decided to put 345,000 tons of its old stock
of grain into ethanol, said Yao Zhongkai, an official with the
province's economic and trade commission.
It is estimated that 3.3 tons of corn can produce one ton of
fuel ethanol with byproducts of foodstuffs, cooking oil and food
additives.
Yao said that the promotion of the alternative fuel opened a new
channel of commercial use for the province's surplus grain
production and will result in an income rise of farmers.
The alternative fuel can also help reduce carbon monoxide
emissions from automobiles by 40 percent, thus alleviating air
pollution.
As of this month, all automobiles in Heilongjiang are required
to use gasohol. A similar move was also launched in Jilin
Province.
The use of gasohol is also being promoted in Liaoning, Anhui and
Henan provinces, but is not obligatory.
The move is expected to extend to four more provinces by the end
of 2005: Hubei,
Shandong,
Hebei
and Jiangsu,
but only 27 cities in the provinces have been selected for pilot
programs.
A fast growing automobile and energy market, China is now the
second largest oil importer in the world. The promotion of the
alternative fuel is expected to reduce its dependence on crude oil
imports during a time of soaring oil prices.
(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2004)