Two Biofuel Plants to Start Operation in Belarus This Year

Two plants that will make environmentally friendly fuel from plants are to start operation in Babruysk, Mahilyow region, and Hrodna this year, Vasil Pawlowski, deputy minister of agriculture, told reporters in Minsk on Wednesday.

One such plant already operates in Navayelnya, Hrodna region.

"The entire world is switching to environmentally friendly fuel. In addition, we need to look for other energy sources because of increasing oil and diesel fuel prices," Mr. Pawlowski said.

The official noted that domestic plants could use locally grown rape crops to make bio-ethanol. Some 147,000 tons of rape seeds was produced in the country the previous year. The government projects this year's yield to increase to 200,000 tons this year and to 600,000 tons by 2010.

Some experts raise objections to the development of biofuels made by producing ethanol, an alcohol fuel made from maize, sugar cane, or other plant matter. They argue that it would increase pressure on valuable arable land and might push food prices up. They also say that using ethanol rather than gasoline reduces total emissions of carbon dioxide by only about 13 percent because of the pollution caused by the production process. They also say that the grain required to fill the gasoline tank of some cars with ethanol is sufficient to feed one person per year.