Maple Energy Postpones Ethanol Plant Until First Quarter 2012

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Maple Energy plc (LSE:MPLE) (San Isidro, Lima, Peru) and subsidiary Maple Ethanol SRL (Suliana, Piura) has postponed the start-up of a sugar-based fuel ethanol plant in Patia, Piura, Peru. The company began construction on the $254 million plant in late 2009. The general contractor is Haug SA (Callao, Lima).

The plant was originally scheduled to begin production during the second quarter of 2011, but the schedule was revised due to unexpected delays from third-party providers. The delay will result in additional project-related expenses including additional internal project management and administrative costs and other costs related to the development and ongoing planting and cultivating of sugar cane on the main estate.

When completed, the plant will process about 5,000 tons per day of sugarcane feedstock to produce 35 million gallons per year of fuel ethanol. The plant also includes a 37-megawatt (MW) power plant that will meet the power requirements for the ethanol plant, and an expected 17 MW of power will be sold to the Peruvian national power grid.

A third-party ethanol storage, loading and shipping facility that is owned by Penta Tank Terminals S.A. that is 92% completed with construction at the Port of Palita is expected to be ready to support end product distribution when the ethanol plant becomes fully operational.

Industrial Info's Databases provides a comprehensive outline of all current development activities in the emerging alternative fuels market. Our North American Biodiesel Database covers 136 operational plants and 90 plants under development. Our North American Ethanol Database covers 214 plants currently in operation and 138 plants under various development phases. Our North American Wood Fuel Pellet Database includes 63 operational plants producing greater than 25,000 tons annually, and 38 projects under progress.

View Plant Profile - 1075589
View Project Report -- 71300149

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.