Malaysian Ministry Invites Tianjin Palm Oil Industry Players To Look In Tie-Ups

From S. Joan Santani TIANJIN (China), Aug 10 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities is inviting Tianjin palm oil industry players to look into collaborating with Malaysians in the biodiesel programme besides palm oil. Minister Mah Siew Keong said biodiesel offered huge opportunities as China's green energy policy targeted 15 per cent use of non-fossil fuels by 2020 and the market was big. "We have invited them (Tianjin municipal government) to Malaysia to discuss the matter. "However, no date has been fixed. We hope it will collaborate on this, so that Malaysia could export more biodiesel to China," he said. Mah said this to reporters after the launch of Palm Oil Trade Fair and Seminar China here Tuesday. Also present were Malaysian Ambassador Malaysia to China, Zainuddin Yahya, MPIC Deputy Secretary-General, Zurinah Pawanteh, Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) Chairman, Lee Yeow Chor, and MPOC Chief Executive Officer, Dr Yusof Basiron. Tianjin City is the third largest palm oil entry point into China, after Jiangsu Province and Guangdong Province. He said Malaysia was looking forward to this joint-venture with Tianjin for the implementation of the biodiesel programme. "Malaysia, which has 18 biodiesel plants, has implemented B7 biodiesel and was in talks about moving the start of B10 later this year. "The implementation of B10 and B7 programmes are expected to lead to an annual consumption of 709,000 metric tonnes t of biodiesel," he said. Mah said he was confident the collaborations would augur well for both countries as they would lead to a saving of 820 million litres of gasoil and carbon dioxide emissions reduction of 2.16 million tonnes. "We can export more B7 into states like Tianjin and Beijing, as these two cities are polluted," he said. China is also committed to having a biodiesel programme in 2020, hence the ministry was looking ways to export biodiesel to China, he said. The trade fair and seminar is jointly organised by the MPOC, Malaysian Palm Oil Board and Shanghai Pansun for industry players to meet and explore collaborations on the applications of Malaysian palm oil for both food and non-food purposes. Palm oil products to China rose by 69.6 per cent to 3.35 million tonnes in 2015 from 1.02 million tonnes in 2000. Among the palm oil products exported item refined bleached deodorised palm olein, palm kernel oil and oleo-chemicals. Currently, palm oil exports from Malaysia accounted for 12.4 per cent of global exports. --BERNAMA