ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga Sibugay—Zamboanga City aims to become a bio-fuel supplier to Asia with the construction of a $500-million plant by three companies, according to Rep. Celso Lobregat.
Lobregat said the investment plan was formalized this week with the signing of venture contracts by top executives of the three firms—Metro Stonerich Corp., a multi-million construction company; Van Kessel Olie, and Mackay Green Energy—jointly headed by Pablito Yap and engineer Ibrahim Nuno, Joan Van Kessel, and John Mackay, respectively.
Nuno said the design of the bio fuel plant, expected to rise sometime in early July at the city’s east coast, is now being completed by hired experts.
He said the bio fuel will be produced out of bana grass provided by the Mackay Green Energy firm. This project kicked off last Saturday with the initial planting of bana grass on a 30-hectare land at barangay Panubigan, to be expanded to a 1,500-hectare area in surrounding villages.
Nuno said investors from South Korea and other Asian countries have pledged to procure all the feeds.
Mackay said he brought in company personnel to supervise the planting of bana grass whose seeds came from Negros Occidental. His enterprise maintains a regular-sized bana grass plantation in the province.
Joan Van Kessel added: “We would like to contribute to the socio-economic growth and development of the city which boasts of a lot of potential.”
