Danilo M. Coronacion, Philippine delegation head and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) administrator, disclosed that APCC agreed to organize positive steps that will lead to increased production and allocation of coconut oil as feedstock to the growing bio diesel industry.

APCC is the umbrella organization of coconut growers in the Asia Pacific region.

The APCC resolution has called for the support of initiatives to reduce the global greenhouse gas emissions through the use of coco feedstock in bio diesel production, the promotion of the widespread utilization of bio diesel for the power and transport sectors and the adoption of sustainable methods of bio diesel production from cultivation of energy plants to refining.

Delegates also agreed the inter cropping of high value energy plants with coconut, continued research and development efforts in the effective use of coconut oil as alternative energy in combination with other energy plants and trees and the establishment of pilot bio diesel refineries to support energy requirements of island economies.

The resolution was a result of the presentation of PCA Deputy Administrator Carlos B. Carpio on bio diesel developments and the opportunities for the Philippine coconut industry.

The paper was a collaborative presentation with D1 Oils , Ltd., UK through Mark LM Quinn, D1’s managing director.

D1 Oils is a bio diesel technology provider and recently organized its Asia Pacific operations with Manila as a base.

The company is organizing a pilot project in bio diesel production in the Philippines under an agreement with PCA with the Bondoc Peninsula as one of the targeted sites.

"Despite the proven advantages of coco bio diesel as a diesel fuel substitute or quality enhancer," Deputy Administrator Carpio said, "there is no widespread utilization in coconut producing countries of coco diesel as an alternative energy."

Coco bio diesel, in its pure form or as blended with other bio fuels, offers excellent lubricity, solvency and detergency.