HE United States and China are collaborating to explore the potentials for using sweet sorghum as a feed stock fuel ethanol even as Nigeria’s on going project on production of fuel ethanol as renewable energy source from sorghum free stock has reached advanced stage.

Global Biofuels Limited, an indigenous positive energy company, embarked on a project to supplement local fuel consumption and energy supply through mechanized sorghum product refining.

The US and China in Houston, Texas, singed an international agreement to work together to establishes the necessary processes and infrastructure for converting sorghum and other feedstock to ethanol. This would open up the door for collaborating between the USDA_ARS Center for Ag Utilisation Research and Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Meanwhile in Nigeria, Global Biofuels Limited, a positive energy company has opened up 20 hectares of sweet sorghum commercial production farm in Arigidi, Ondo State as part of its end -to-end fuel ethanol refining project.

The company said it plant to expand the farm, which would supply feedstock to its integrated ethanol factory, to 3,000 hectares in 2009 and 10,000 hectares later.

The factory in Ondo State has a 90,000 liters p/d capacity ethanol production with associated bagasse as by -production- and generation of furnace and electric power energy.

The company has partnered with PRAJ Industries of India, John Deere and Shepherd Agriculture of South Africa on the ethanol factory complex and large scale mechanized commercial farming of sweet sorghum as feedstock.

With this development the US and China agreement trail behind Global Biofuels’ initiative in the yes of sweet sorghum feedstock for Biofuels production.

The Ekiti State sweet sorghum Biofuels project, the second of seven proposed plants for the refining of sweet sorghum fuel ethanol in the country has also been commissioned. The proposed establishment of the 11,000 hectares of sweet sorghum farm, integrated ethanol refining complex and Life Camp at llemesho-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Council if the state, will further facilitate government efforts geared at meeting the 10 percent ethanol content in fuel by 2010,a target set by the United Nations in its Kyoto Agreement.

The company’s target is to produce approximately 1.5 million liter of fuel ethanol per day.

Explaining the process and implement target, Prof A Babatunde Obilana, Coordinator, Feedstock production Group (FSPG) and Director, Global Biofuels Limited, Disclosed: "In the next 18 months, a total of 3,000 hectares of sweet sorghum feedstock will be harvested to feed the ethanol refinery for crushing, clarification of juice and fermentation into ethanol."The first cup of ethanol refined from the Ekiti refinery is expected to come off by December2009.

The choice of sweet sorghum as feedstock for the refinery over other alternatives such as sugar and cassava, arose because will not compete with the food chain.

According to Prof. Obilana, only the stem would be used, leaving the grain for human consumption. Also the process of growing and conversion to ethanol is less expensive.

The plant is also expected to generate 17 mega watts of power. Where the company plant to utilize only five mega for its activities and distribution to surrounding villages, it proposes to sell the remaining 12-mega watt to the state.

Prof. Obilana disclosed that over $3billion (about N345 billion) is being invested in both farm and refinery for each location in the seven participating states. The state include Osun,Oyo,Kwara.Ondo,Ekiti,Niger and Kogi.

While promising that the best technologies would be used in executing the projects, Dr.Felix Obada MD/CEO, Global Biofuels Limited, however challenged stakeholder in the industry to accelerate the development of the industry in the country.

His words: "The future of the ethanol industry in Nigeria is bright, but the challenges are equally great." For accelerated development, there is need for government, private sector stakeholders and the general public to pool resources together in a strong Public Private Partnership, with a focus on grassroots development and active involvement of the rural populace as encapsulated in the Nigerian Biofuels Policy and Incentive Package.