A national bio-energy policy has been developed to guide the work programmes and activities of the Bio-energy Department of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the ethanol plant in Albion, Berbice is almost ready to be commissioned. This was disclosed in a recent interview with Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy who disclosed that the policy is ready and the plant is nearly ready to be commissioned.

VEHICLES TO USE 10% Ethanol
The minister stated that the first batch of bio-ethanol should be in use soon, and before the end of the year there should be some 37 vehicles using an E10 gas (or 10 percent ethanol).
He related that he is optimistic that Guyana will one day be fully using the E10 formulation, as Jamaica and many in the United States are doing now.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle last month, NAREI Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Oudho Homenauth had said that the bio-energy policy has been developed by the Bio-energy Department and submitted to the Agriculture Minister.
He added that the department is awaiting feedback so that the policy can be finalised and subsequently implemented.
Homenauth related that sometime last year, NAREI was mandated by the agriculture minister to establish the Bio-energy Department, which eventually came into fruition earlier this year and is headed by Dr. Clairmont Clementson.
He stated that the unit has a number of ongoing programmes, noting that although it is centrally located within NAREI, it works along with other agencies within the system such as the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) and the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST).
ETHANOL FROM MOLASSES
Homenauth further highlighted that a major activity being undertaken by the unit is the production of ethanol from molasses.
For this purpose, he said the facility has been established at Albion and this should become functional by August this year.