The good old coconut oil may soon be in the list of emerging bio fuels in the country, if the latest initiatives of the Coconut Development Board are any indication.
The board is currently exploring the possibilities of using coconut oil as a fuel through tie-ups with academic and research institutes, according to T.K. Jose, Chairman of the Board.
“We already had extensive discussions with scientists of IIT-Chennai on the possibility of including coconut oil in the bio fuel research studies,” he told
The Mechanical Engineering department of IIT-Chennai has made advancements on research in bio fuels, he said adding that revolutionary changes are possible in this sector if 10 to 20 per cent coconut oil is used in diesel vehicles or 20 per cent of the diesel vehicles start using coconut oil as fuel.
Prospects
Coconut oil, as bio fuel, has great prospects since the price of diesel is on the rise commensurate with international price. Jose said that a time has come now when both the prices of diesel and coconut oil are matching. Hence, the Board has to expedite the process of making bio fuel from coconut oil.
Earlier, when research studies were undertaken on using coconut oil in lieu of diesel, the apprehension was that diesel could be substituted with coconut oil, only if the price of coconut oil is below Rs 35/kg. At that time, the price of coconut oil was Rs 75 and that of diesel was only Rs 24 a litre.
Now, the price of coconut oil and price of diesel without subsidy at par and this has necessitated for further studies in this regard. This is the apt time to relook into the earlier research in association with institutions such as IIT’s, NIT’s, prominent engineering colleges and other fuel research institutions, he said.
Pilot testing
Institutions such as School of Engineering and Technology, Institute of Bio-sciences and Biotechnology of SCMS, Kochi have successfully conducted pilot testing of automobile engines running with coconut oil in lieu of diesel.
Since the trade deficit is a threat to the country’s economic development, coconut oil can play its role in minimising the trade deficit of the country. By using coconut oil in lieu of diesel, the imports of petroleum products can be reduced to a certain extent, thereby reducing the foreign exchange outgo, he added.
Globally accepted
He pointed out that there are other countries such as Philippines, Indonesia, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia are way ahead of India in making coconut oil as engine fuel.
In all these countries, they use it as automobile fuel in lieu of diesel and use it for generation of electricity. None of these countries are technologically advanced than India, he added.
sajeevkumar.v@thehindu.co.in