DUSHANBE, October 11, Asia-Plus -- The first plant for producing bioethanol has recently been launched in Tajikistan, Asia-Plus has learned at closed joint-stock company (CJSC) Fon-Daryo, which operates this plant.  

The source at the company said that the Dushanbe-based plant produces some 20 tons of bioethanol, which is also known as “green gasoline.”  “At present we are using corn for producing bioethanol, but it can be also made from sugarcane and other plants.”

According to him, the government has allotted them 100 hectares of land for cultivating agricultural crops that could be used for making bioethanol.  “We intend to plant potatoes, which will replace corn in future for making bioethanol,” said the Asia-Plus interlocutor, “It will allow lowering cost price of the product.”

He also added that their plant also had a technology of making bioethanol from domestic waste.  

The source said that they had to date opened five refuel stations for realizing bioethanol.  “In its qualities, the corn-based fuel has analogy to 98-octane gasoline, which is realized in Dushanbe at the rate of 3 somonis per one liter, while the price of one liter of the corn-based fuel is 2.8 somonis (equivalent to $0.81).”  According to him, they plan to extend the chain of their refuel stations in the Tajik capital in the near future.

Experts says that the production and use of biofuels as transport fuels should play a central role in reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere.