Biodiesel - The New Age Fuel

By Lourdes Ledesma

We are at the dawn of a new age in fuel use. And just in time, too, when our cities are being overwhelmed by fogs of pollution. Our new biofuels are biodiesel and bioethanol, sourced locally and a great boon to the livelihoods of countless of our countrymen. Allow me to tell you about biodiesel.

Biodiesel is a blend of plant oil (in the Philippines, coconut oil) and petroleum diesel fuel. As mandated by the Biofuels Act of 2006, the first stage is a blend of 1% coco-biodiesel and 99% petroleum diesel. The coconut oil is first processed so that the glycerine (taba or sebo) is first removed and replaced with methyl alcohol (methanol). In other countries the plant oils may be derived from soybean, rapeseed, canola, sunflower or jatropha, olive and palm, or from used cooking oil (vegetable or animal). In the Philippines, the biodiesel blend is marketed as B1 and has been in use since 2002. The coco-biodiesel is engineered according to fuel specifications of the Philippine National Standard (PNS) and is called Coconut Methyl Ester (CME). The World-Wide Fuel Charter (WWFC) is the official standard for fuel specifications that is accepted by most major automotive manufacturers throughout the world, and it accepts blends up to 5% for diesel vehicles.

Coco-biodiesel has unique cleansing properties that can dissolve carbon and diesel soot deposits in engine combustion chambers and declogs fuel lines and fuel injector nozzles, thus extending engine life and promoting engine efficiency. Its high lubricity enhances the efficient movement of the moving parts in the fuel pump and fuel injector unit. It restores the efficiency of old engines, too.

Because of its high cetane number and oxygen content, a more complete and faster rate of combustion of the fuel is achieved. This not only cuts down the formation of harmful gases and black smoke, which is actually unexpended energy in the form of partially burnt fuel. This translates to fuel savings and is converted to greater power and mileage efficiency. Furthermore, better acceleration response is achieved, providing motorists with full driving satisfaction. Fuel economy has two cost components, namely purchase cost (P/lt.) and performance cost (kms./lt.) While the coco-biodiesel blend may be an added cost in P/lt, its great benefit comes from kms/lt., and of course, the reduction of pollution from black smoke and harmful gases. For every liter of biodiesel blend used, 3 kg of carbon dioxide is substantially reduced in the atmosphere.

Because the coco-biodiesel blend improves engine efficiency and declogs and lubricates its moving parts, it extends the life of engines and cuts down on maintenance costs, which translates to savings for the motorists. Another plus that emerges is the resurgence of the coconut industry and the increased livelihoods for millions of Filipinos dependent on the industry.

The Philippines is the leading producer of coco-biodiesel in the Asian region. Currently the total national output is 257 million liters/year, of which 147 million liters is used for domestic consumption and the balance is exported. Chemrez Inc., one of the major producers of coco-biodiesel in the country, exports 500,000 liters to Germany, China, Chinese Taipei, South Korea and Malaysia. San Miguel Corp. is also going heavily into coco-biodiesel production.

Other major players like PNOC-Alternative Fuels Corp., are developing jatropha as feedstock for biodiesel market. Presently it is engaged in conducting feasibility studies to establish its economic viability, vis-a-vis the declining prices of crude oil in the international market. It plans to establish oil refineries in several areas of the country, too. The Dept. Of Energy has so far accredited three coco-biodiesel producers, Aside from PNOC-AFC, it has approved Senbel, Inc., and the DOST-Phil. Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development Romtron (PCIERD).

Jatropha is a drought resistant perennial, growing in marginal/poor soil, which may be suitable in less developed areas of the Philippines. It grows relatively quickly and has a life span of 50 years, producing seeds with an oil content of 37%. The oil can be combusted without being refined and burns with a clear, smoke-free flame, tested successfully as fuel for simple diesel engines. It produces nuts after 2-5 years. It has medical uses in diseases like cancer, piles, snakebite, dropsy and paralysis. India is a heavy producer of Jatropha.

Other sources of bio-diesel are rapeseed, soybean oil, palm and waste vegetable oil. These are not produced in commercial quantities in this country. Soybean is the most commonly-grown oil-yielding plant in the United States, while Europe produces biodiesel from rapeseed and sunflower oil. Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand have palm as an abundant source. 

The city of San Francisco in California, U.S.A. has established a pilot plant to convert the city’s waste cooking oil from restaurants into biodiesel fuel for the city’s 1,500 trucks and vehicles. In May of 2008, Mayor Gavin Newsom announced the receipt of a $1 million grant from the California Energy Commission to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to build the city’s first grease-biodiesel production facility. The plant will create three grades of biodiesel from “brown grease,” which are pan scrapings, and oil residues in grease traps in restaurants. These are collected by municipal trucks and turned into 1) biodiesel for vehicles, 2) lower grade biofuel for running sewage treatment plant diesel turbines and pumps, and 3) methane gas at the sewage plant and converting it for heating needs. In September, 2008 the San Francisco Port Commission approved construction of a $10 million biodiesel plant from brown grease. As mandated by law, all the city’s vehicles run on grown grease biodiesel fuel.

I believe this can be done on a small scale here in Bacolod. When a door closes on a good thing, windows of opportunity open for the future, if we are quick to seize it.*