Kenyans turn to biodiesel

by Mwangi Mumero

The fuel produced can be used to run all diesel engines without detrimental effects to theperformance of the vehicle or its various components

“Initially, many vehicle owners were apprehensive about the biodiesel and worried that it might have negative effects on the engine. But word of mouth from matatu drivers using the fuel did the trick”, said Benard Muchiri, the director of a centre which produces croton diesel.

Reluctance soon gave way to confidence after a number of drivers reported filling their tanks repeatedly without encountering noticeable problems.

The biodiesel is being produced in a pilot-project by the Help Self-Help Centre, a community development organisation in the area under the Kenya Eco-energy programme.

The one month old project aims at becoming the catalyst and source of relevant data on the production and use of biodiesel as an alternative to fossil fuels in the Mt Kenya region.

Biodiesel Byproduct Converted Into Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The typical American diet often lacks omega-3 fatty acids despite clinical research that shows their potential human health benefits. Zhiyou Wen, assistant professor of biological systems engineering in Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, found a way to grow these compounds using a byproduct of the emerging biodiesel industry.

He presented his findings at the 236th national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Philadelphia, Pa., on August 21.

"High energy prices have led to an increase in biodiesel production, which in turn has led to an increase in the amount of crude glycerol in the market," said Wen, who explained that biodiesel plants leave behind approximately 10 percent crude glycerol during the production process.

This has led the price of glycerol, a chemical compound widely used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, to drop in recent years. The rise in biodiesel production over the last decade means that the market can no longer absorb all the extra glycerol. Biodiesel producers must find alternative means for disposing of crude glycerol, which is prohibitively expensive to purify for industry use. Wen and his colleagues have developed a novel fermentation process using microalgae to produce omega-3 fatty acids from crude glycerol

"We have shown that it is possible to use the crude glycerol byproduct from the biodiesel industry as a carbon source for microalgae that produce omega-3 fatty acids," said Wen, who added that the impurities in crude glycerol may actually be beneficial to algal growth. "After thorough chemical analysis, we have also shown that the algae biomass composition has the same quality as the commercial algae product."

After growing the algae in the crude glycerol, researchers can use it as an animal feed. This mimics a process in nature in which fish, the most common source of omega-3 fatty acid for humans, eat the algae and then retain the healthful compounds in their bodies. Humans who consume the fish in turn consume the omega 3s. Fish-derived products such as fish oil are an inexpensive alternative, but the taste has deterred widespread use.

Wen has partnered with Steven Craig, senior research scientist at Virginia Cobia Farms, to use crude glycerol-derived algae as a fish feed. "The results so far have been promising," Wen said. "The fish fed the algae had significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids."

He and Audrey McElroy, associate professor of animal and poultry sciences, are now trying to determine whether the algae would work as a chicken feed. Kumar Mallikarjunan, associate professor of biological systems engineering, is also working with Wen to determine the fate of omega 3s after they enter the food supply. Researchers do not yet know whether oxidation would have a major impact on omega-3 fatty acids stored in cheese, for example.

Funding for this research has come from the Virginia Agricultural Council, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, Fats and Proteins Research Foundation, Virginia Sea Grant, and Virginia Commercial Fisheries and Shellfish Technologies.

Wen presented his paper, "Production of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid from biodiesel-waste glycerol by microalgal fermentation (AGFD 272)," as a part of a session sponsored by the ACS Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
=====================
Adapted from materials provided by Virginia Tech, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Biodiesel and diesel test showed comparable fuel efficiency

This is based on www.etrucker.com.

• The study, which began in the fall of 2006, consists of two groups of 10 Decker semi-tractors running with flatbed trailers on matched routes to either Minneapolis or Chicago. The control group uses 100 percent No. 2 petroleum diesel, and the B20 test group uses a blend of 20 percent biodiesel from Renewable Energy Group and 80 percent No. 2 petroleum diesel. The partners say data have been analyzed routinely for fuel efficiency, maintenance records and fuel quality, as well as for monitoring cold weather performance.
• The partners say these findings mimic fuel efficiency test results released this week by the National Renewable Energy Lab and the National Biodiesel Board, showing comparable mileage between B20 and ultra-low-sulfur diesel. “Fleet owners, fuel managers and owner-operators can be confident about biodiesel utilization in their over-the-road operation because of the results of the Two Million Mile Haul demonstration,” said Tom Verry, National Biodiesel Board director of outreach and development.
• There also may be additional benefits for a trucking company using biodiesel. “We are receiving positive feedback from customers who see the 'green' benefits of using a trucking company that runs on biodiesel,” said Steve Lursen, special projects manager for Decker Truck Lines Inc. “By using a renewable fuel, Decker is actually picking up additional business.”

For the full report, visit their website.

PHILIPPINES' PETRON LIFTS FIRST ETHANOL PRODUCTS

MANILA, Aug 07, 2008 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) -- Market leader Petron Corporation announced on Wednesday that it finally purchased 23,000 liters of ethanol from Leyte Agri Corp., the first locally-produced fuel grade ethanol, to be used in its E10 Premium gasoline. "We strongly support the local production of ethanol as a gasoline additive since it will drive capital investments in rural areas, create more jobs and more importantly, it will lessen the country's dependence on imported fuel," Petron Chairman Nicasio I. Alcantara said.

Last month, Petron launched its E10 Premium product in selected service stations in Metro Manila as part of its efforts to make available cheaper and more environment- friendly fuels for motorists.

The company's E10 Premium is priced P2.00 per liter cheaper than its 93 octane gasoline.

The use of ethanol in gasoline will also have a positive impact on the environment since it is biodegradable and reduces harmful exhaust emissions added Alcantara.

Leyte Agri Corp., owns the first manufacturing plant in the country able to produce fuel grade ethanol.

Petron E10 Premium is a new specially formulated unleaded gasoline that meets and even exceeds the requirements of the Philippine Biofuels Law. It contains 10 percent fuel grade Ethanol and 90 percent Petron Premium Unleaded Gasoline with enhanced fuel additive.

According to Alcantara this unique additive allows the removal of existing deposits, which results in improved power and fuel economy. The companys introduction of ethanol is ahead of the implementation of the Biofuels Law of 2006.

"The early introduction of our E10 Premium product, ahead of the government mandate, underscores our desire to bring the benefits of ethanol-blended gasoline to our customers and stakeholders as soon as possible," Alcantara added.

Apart from Leyte Agri Corp., Petron also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with San Carlos Bioenergy, Inc. (SCBI) in the middle of 2006 to off-take SCBIs entire ethanol production.

SCBI is constructing an integrated sugar mill, cogeneration plant and distillery complex for ethanol production in Negros Occidental. The facility will produce 125,000 liters of ethanol daily. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of this year.

Ethanol is a high-octane, water-free alcohol produced from sugar cane and other crops such as corn, cassava, sweet sorghum. It is used as a blending component at 5 percent-10 percent concentration in gasoline. Unlike fossil fuels, ethanol is virtually inexhaustible since agricultural products can be grown and harvested continually under a sustainable system.

Petron E10 Premium may be used in majority of fuel-injected vehicles without the need for expensive engine modification. The company said that its service station personnel can provide assistance to first- time users who may want more information on the product.

Republic Act 9367 or the Biofuels law mandates a 5 percent bioethanol blend into gasoline by 2009 and 10 percent blend in 2011.

For 2009, the country's demand for bioethanol is seen to reach to 300 million liters per day and 600 million liters per day in 2011.

Because of this projected demand in bioethanol, the country needs 15 to 20 plants. So far, there are only two plants under construction in the country, the San Carlos and the First Bukidnon which are expected to fully commercially operational next year and by 2009 respectively.

(PNA)