THE MARIANO Marcos State University inched closer to realizing its dream to have a bioethanol franchise after receiving a P4-million grant from the United States Agency for International Development.

The grant, given under the agency’s Widening Application of Research within the Pandemic project, will be used to establish another village-scale bioethanol industry using nipa sap.

Thomas Ubiña, head of MMSU’s National Bioenergy Research and Innovation Center, said the project aims to deploy two units of Village-Scale Nipahol Technology in Aparri, Cagayan to enable the community to produce its own 70 percent ethyl alcohol.

“This will strongly push us toward technology franchising,” Ubiña added.

MMSU President Shirley Agrupis said the support from USAID brings the university closer to its dream of franchising bioethanol production in the region, and integrating the nipa community and the bioethanol industry.

“This will further help us sustain renewable energy and create resilient communities amid the pandemic,” Agrupis added.