Frustrated by the difficulty of trying to gain information on biofuel production plants throughout the world, Dutch entrepreneur Carlo Bakker has started a database of bioethanol and biodiesel plants worldwide.

Being promoted as “the easiest way to find bio-ethanol and bio-diesel plants around the world”, worldbioplants.com has been compiled and is constantly updated by a team of researchers in the Netherlands.

Speaking at a biofuels conference in Johannesburg last month, Bakker explained that he viewed the biofuels industry as a brilliant one for entrepeneurs seeking to satisfy social, global, commercial and environmental goals. “But when people want to invest, they need to know what the competition is like and which company is nearby. People need the information and, through this site, it is being supplied,” he added.

The website profiles 906 biofuel plants, 549 of these being bio-ethanol plants and 357 biodiesel plants in 51 countries, representing $3 391-billion of investment.

Interestingly, only five of these plants are in South Africa, compared with the 331 plants in the US.

The site allows the user to access details on each biofuel plant, such as the capacity of the plant, the feedstock input, the investment amount, technology involved, the status (whether the plant is operational or under construction), as well as the contact details of people involved in the project.

“In the last six months, the data base has grown substantially, and it continues to do so. Moving forward, we want to continue improving the site, as well as potentially facilitating markets and playing a role in the buying and selling of biofuels worldwide,” stated Bakker.