5th May 2005 07:00
D1 Oils Plc05 May 2005 D1 Oils biodiesel land reclamation project launched in The Philippines byPresident Arroyo May 5, 2005 D1 Oils plc ("D1 Oils"), the UK-based global low cost producer of biodiesel,today announced an agreement between D1 Oils Asia Pacific, Inc., a wholly ownedsubsidiary of D1 Oils, and Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation("Atlas"), a leading Philippines mining and resource company. D1 Oils AsiaPacific will collaborate with Atlas on a major project in the Philippines torehabilitate land previously degraded by mining through the cultivation ofjatropha, D1 Oils' feedstock of choice in the production of biodiesel. President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, welcomed the minerehabilitation project. The President demonstrated the Philippine Government'scommitment to the project by planting the first seedling at the project site inToledo, Cebu Province. President Arroyo also supports D1 Oils' plans tointercrop jatropha on coconut plantations in the Philippines to help meet theGovernment's targets for the use of biofuels. The project will use bioremediation, a means of restoring soil that has sufferederosion and pollution in the mining process, by using jatropha to help replacelost nutrients. Jatropha was chosen not only due to its restorative qualities but also, and moreimportantly, because of its advantages as a biofuel feedstock. The first stageof the project is a five to seven hectare model farm and demonstration facility.The ultimate objective is to plant jatropha on 7,000 hectares of degraded landto produce fuel for power generation for off-grid mining facilities. "We see the mining industry as a key partner for D1 Oils. The need to restoredegraded land around mines provides us with a great opportunity to demonstratethe potential of jatropha to rehabilitate land while producing a source of greenenergy for local communities." said Philip Wood, Chief Executive Officer of D1Oils. "Furthermore, the project will provide additional income and employmentopportunities for the rural poor, especially women. The project will serve as amodel for other mining remediation efforts throughout the world." Enquiries Philip Wood D1 Oils plc 020 7321 3885Kevin Byram/Anisha Patel Brunswick 020 7404 5959 Notes to editors: D1 Oils plc is the owner of technical, marketing, logistical and otherintellectual property related to the establishment, development and harvestingof jatropha plantations, the extraction of oil from the harvested seed and theproduction of biodiesel and other valuable by-products from the vegetable oil. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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