Philippines - 5% biodiesel blend to start in October

The 5 percent mandated biodiesel blend is likely to start in October, the Department of Agriculture said Wednesday, as the National Biofuels Board (NBB) is now studying results of the recently-concluded road testing on the viability of a higher biofuels mix.

"The board is now reviewing the result,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told reporters. “Even before, there were already studies starting that increasing the fuel blend is not damaging to the engine," he said.

Testing the 5 percent biodiesel blend on passenger jeepneys started on July 30, which involved a 25-day road test comparing vehicle performance on both the B2 blend (2 percent biofuel blend) and the B5 blend. Proponents of the tests were the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the National Center for Transportation Studies of the University of the Philippines.

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