Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Regulations for Ethanol Production

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

TEGUCIGALPA, Mar 31 2007 (IPS) - The government and sugar industry leaders in Honduras are pushing for passage of a biofuels law in the next six months to regulate ethanol production In the past two years, Honduras generated about 140 megawatts from ethanol or carburant alcohol from sugarcane pulp, Agriculture Minister Héctor Hernández told Tierramérica.

The law is also necessary to regulate “the commercialization of this fuel that is being presented as an alternative to the high international prices of petroleum. We are thinking of investing around 100 million dollars to promote this sector,” he said.

Honduras produces some 8.7 million sacks of sugar per year, 67 percent of which goes to domestic consumption. The rest is exported, bringing in some 40 million dollars, according to the Central Bank.