Earlier this year, the Philippines began allowing fuel retailers to blend gasoline with up to 20-percent ethanol (E20), making its biofuel policy one of the most progressive in the world. To strengthen ties between the U.S. ethanol industry and the Philippines in anticipation of increased demand, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and Illinois Corn brought a group of government officials to tour the U.S. ethanol value chain and see its quality firsthand.
“The Philippines’ discretionary E20 blend rate is a massive step forward that will benefit consumers at the pump and contribute to a cleaner, healthier environment in the country, and I hope it serves as an example for many other countries to follow,” said Caleb Wurth, USGC regional director for Southeast Asia and Oceania (SEA&O). “This program will continue to foster a positive relationship between the Philippines’ transportation sector and U.S. ethanol producers that can meet this new demand.”
Wurth was joined in Illinois by USGC Deputy Regional Director for SEA&O Chris Markey, USGC Consultant Kent Yeo and 12 representatives from the Philippines National Biofuels Board on Aug. 4 to begin an agenda filled with high-level meetings and tours of farms, ethanol plants and retail fuel stations.
Proceedings kicked off with an overview of U.S. corn’s quality and sustainability benefits at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s bioprocessing research laboratory and a meeting with U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski to learn about the importance of farming to Illinois’ economy.
The group also visited Illinois Corn’s headquarters to learn about the organization and met with representatives from the American Lung Association for details on the human health benefits of higher ethanol blending rates in gasoline.
The next day, participants toured a local corn farm and Marquis Energy – a Council member that produces nearly 500 million gallons of ethanol annually and is home to the largest dry-milling facility in the world to see how ethanol and its co-products are created.
Later, the delegation visited the Consulate General of the Philippines in Chicago and spoke virtually to U.S. Ambassador to Japan and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel about opportunities for collaboration on biofuel policy advancement between the U.S., Japan and the Philippines.
Participants spent time at the University of Illinois – Chicago’s Energy Resources Center for a series of presentations about the carbon-emission-reduction capabilities of biofuels, the higher octane levels of gasoline blended with ethanol and the broad applications of ethanol in various types of vehicles.
Other tour opportunities included Archer Daniels Midland, a large food processing and bioenergy company and Council member, to hear about its investments and activities in the Philippines; Honeywell UOP for presentations about sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market developments in SEA&O; a fuel terminal operated by Kinder Morgan, major energy infrastructure company; and a retail fuel station to learn about consumer fuel choices and vehicle compatibility.
“This program offered attendees a full look at the U.S. ethanol value chain and the quality control and sustainability measures that go into producing biofuels, and that will only build their confidence in U.S. ethanol and its availability to meet the Philippines’ needs,” Wurth said. “I extend my thanks to Illinois Corn and the University of Illinois for their work this week in raising participants’ awareness of U.S. ethanol’s climate-friendly attributes and further opening avenues for U.S. ethanol exports.”
