D&L Industries subsidiary, Chemrez Technologies Inc., supports the move of the Department of Energy (DOE) to expand the blend of coco methyl ester (CME) or biodiesel this year.

In a report by the Manila Standard, the DOE introduced a draft circular outlining a phased increase in the biodiesel blend. The proposal suggests elevating the blend from the current 2% to 3% effective July 1, 2024, further progressing to 4% by July 1, 2025, and reaching a target of 5% by July 1, 2026.

Chemrez president and CEO Dean Lao Jr. believed that this would not only serve the interest of the consumers and the industry but also save the environment as it would reduce carbon footprint. 

Given the annual diesel consumption of approximately 15 billion liters, an increase to a 5% biodiesel blend would equate to a 3% reduction in diesel volume. This meant that biodiesel would supersede 450 million liters of diesel yearly, contributing significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Philippines, Chemrez said. 

Chemrez established its first purpose-built and continuous-process CME plant in Asia in 2006. Currently, the company is the largest biodiesel manufacturer in the country and a staunch advocate for using coconut oil as a sustainable chemical.