Cambodia's sole ethanol producer MH Bio-Energy will restart its plant in October, following a six-month shutdown because of high feedstock costs.
The plant's restart will also coincide with the annual cassava harvest season. MH Bio-Energy's 120,000 t/yr ethanol plant in Kandal province requires at least 10,000 t/month of cassava but poor harvests in southeast Asia have resulted in soaring prices.
Prices of cassava have increased in recent months because of the tight supply and strong demand from Thailand. Prices of dry-chip cassava are currently pegged around $210-220/t, about 45-50pc higher than December.
Ethanol production costs were affected this year amid the high domestic cassava prices and weak export prices to Europe. MH Bio-Energy exported 29,406t of anhydrous ethanol to Europe last year, below its target of 40,000t.
The plant's restart will also coincide with the annual cassava harvest season. MH Bio-Energy's 120,000 t/yr ethanol plant in Kandal province requires at least 10,000 t/month of cassava but poor harvests in southeast Asia have resulted in soaring prices.
Prices of cassava have increased in recent months because of the tight supply and strong demand from Thailand. Prices of dry-chip cassava are currently pegged around $210-220/t, about 45-50pc higher than December.
Ethanol production costs were affected this year amid the high domestic cassava prices and weak export prices to Europe. MH Bio-Energy exported 29,406t of anhydrous ethanol to Europe last year, below its target of 40,000t.
