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Vinson Kurian

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Feb. 8

COCONUT-PRODUCING countries in Asia are going to set up what is being proposed as Asian Bio-fuel Council with an aim to promote the use of coconut diesel as an additive or enhancer in, if not a complete replacement for, diesel fuels.

According to information from the Jakarta-based Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), an independent, 14-member regional inter-governmental organisation, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia have confirmed participation in the council.

The new partnership is expected to expedite the process of rendering diesel fuels more environment-friendly by taking advantage of the sobering presence of coconut methyl ester (CME).

The Philippines has already expressed its willingness to share and/or gain technology and information on maximising the use of CME as bio-diesel for running motor engines.

Bio-diesel is commonly defined as a methyl or ethylester derived from vegetable oils, animal fats or various waste fats and oils.

Raw vegoils, while exhibiting some characteristics of petroleum oil, are generally unsuitable for use in modern diesel engines without either modification to the engine or the fat source.

But, a process known as esterification breaks the fat triglyceride into its various individual components and yields a crude glycerin that burns in diesel engines without much modification.

The Philippine Department of Agriculture, operating through the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), is pushing for the use of coco diesel which not only is more environmental-friendly than regular diesel but also can help alleviate the plight of the depressed coconut industry in the country.

Coco diesel has a sulphur content of 0.05 per cent compared with regular diesel's 0.2 per cent.

This way, coco diesel seeks to comply with the sulphur content regulation for engine fuel set for the year 2004 by the Republic Act of Philippines No. 8749, or the Clean Air Act.

In APCC's view, using coconut oil as methyl ester for motor vehicles and as substitute for bunker fuels would help relieve the supply pressures from coconut oil.

Methyl ester can either be a partial or a total substitute for petroleum diesel.

Also, these two fuels can be mixed in varying combinations to mutual benefit.

The PCA has set up a pump station with a capacity of some 10,000 litres of bio-diesel.

The research and development group of PCA is pursuing research work to see if the ''pump prices'' of the coconut oil-based diesel fuel it has successfully managed to produce, can be brought down to make it commercially viable for use in motor vehicles.

PCA's research during the last five years has shown that it is technically feasible to produce diesel fuel from coconut oil, which has been found to be fit for use in motor vehicles.

PCA has reported that the engine of the test vehicle that has logged over 40,000 km has shown no damage from use of coco diesel fuel.

The main concern of the study now is to produce a bio-diesel fuel that can sell for a lower price at the ''pump gates'' than for regular diesel.

This is being pursued as part of the larger drive to create new demand for coconut oil.

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