A look at bio-fuels
Bio-diesel is widely used in Europe both as blends with petroleum based diesel or as a pure fuel in itself. Compared to Europe, USA and Canada is still lagging behind, but production capacity there is rapidly increasing. Ethanol (a bio-fuel) from sugar cane has been used as a gasoline additive in Brazil for a number of years.
Among the benefits of using bio-fuel are: (a) it is sustainable, and there are no possibilities of it being exhausted, (b) bio-diesel is nearly carbon-neutral, and emits almost zero carbon dioxide, and its exhaust even smells better, and (c) studies have shown that it reduces engine wear by almost half, basically as it leads to better lubricity. Also the engine noise is improved. It runs quieter and produces less smoke.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Cost of production of bio-diesels could be approaching the current price levels of petroleum based diesels that we use. Lowest grade of crude vegetable oils or soap making fats and vegetable oil and sludge along with used oil after cooking can be converted to bio-diesel for diesel engine use. With economy of scale, larger units will show a better cost base.
For petrol engines, pure ethanol or mixtures with normal petroleum based gasoline is the alternative available. This gasoline substitute can be produced from sugar cane, cane husk and molasses, Brazil is one of the pioneer and largest producer and user of ethanol as an automotive fuel.
Ethanol can also be produced from forest and plant wastes, orchard, garden and agricultural trimmings. Further wastes from sugar, maize, palm and rubber plantations, grass, rice husk; even organic garbage and rubbish from abattoir can also be used as raw material for producing gasoline and diesel fuel substitutes.
Among the advantages of bio-fuels over conventional petroleum fuel particularly for motorized water transport vessel which is popular in Bangladesh is its low aquatic toxicity. It is completely bio-degradable in about thirty days! This makes it safe for fish and other marine creatures, against spillage in rivers and other waterways. When blended with regular diesel fuel, bio-degradation is accelerated about three times compared to normal diesel fuel.
With the increasing demand for petroleum based liquid fuel, Bangladesh should explore and start the process towards bio-fuel production. Government should provide handsome incentives to encourage entrepreneurs to take up pioneering effort for producing bio-diesel and ethanol, to be blended to normal diesel and gasoline. This will gradually decrease our fuel import bill, even if we start from low grade vegetable crude import.
A secondary; but no less important advantage for our over populated country is that it creates more low-level employment. The production process is between three to six times more labor intensive per unit of output compared to petroleum based fuels. Given these considerations it is high time that our fuel and energy ministry give a hard and serious look to the prospects of bio-fuel production and use in Bangladesh.