Thai sugar firm announces new processing plant in Laos; new ethanol joint venture with Thai Oil

In Laos, Mitr Phol will construct a new sugar processing facility, opening at the end of 2008, that will process 500,000 tonnes of cane and refine 60,000 tonnes of sugar.

Crushing capacity will increase to 1 million tonnes per year after 2010.

Concurrently, the company announced that they will take a 35 percent stake in a joint ventured 19 Mgy ethanol plant in Tak province. Padaeng Industry holds 35 percent stake, and Thai Oil holds the remaining 30%. Thai Oil will be the sole customer for ethanol, which will be blended for domestic consumption.

Last week, Thailand announced plans to mandate E20 blended gasoline in 2008. Thailand’s fuel imports fell 3.7 percent this year to $18.5 billion as the previous E10 mandate took hold.

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