Prospect of bio-diesel fuel from plants sources

Biotechnology can be used in agricultural, medical, engineering and pharmaceutical sciences. The following are types of biotechnology that we can use in different fields:

(I) Genetically modified biotechnology (GM), such as crop, fruit, livestock, insect, animal and tree modification by using molecular genetics or specific genes. (II) Hormonal modified biotechnology, such as tree tallness, dwarfness and fruit sweetness by using cytokinin and abscsic acid (growth hormones). (III) Biochemically modified biotechnology, such as alcohol ester (biodiesel fuel) by transesterification (vegetable oil transfer to biodiesel fuel) and textile biotech. (IV) Physiologically modified biotechnology, such as transplantation of different organs of the human body in medical science, bark inversion or restriction in plant science. (V) Environmentally modified biotechnology, such as greenhouse effect safety by reducing obnoxious gases.

Diesel fuel, which comes from natural sources (mine), plays a vital role in transportation all over the world. To reduce the consumption of diesel fuel world class scientists related to biotechnology, specially biofuel technology, are going to introduce biodiesel fuel or biofuel from plant or animal sources. Europe, America, Australia and Canada are using 2-3% of biofuel from plant and animal fats. Malaysia is using 1-2% of biofuel from palm oil by-products. Indonesia is going to produce diesel, after achieving positive experimental results, from palm oil. They also used this biodiesel fuel in cars and buses on test. In Japan, the process is still under research, and they are thinking of producing commercially by importing raw materials from Malaysia.

Biodiesel fuel is carbon neutral, has almost zero carbon dioxide content, better lubricacy, produces little smoke, and can be used in a diesel engine with little modification. The production cost is also less than that of petroleum fuel. The raw materials for biodiesel fuel can be found in vegetable oil after cooking, soap making fats, wastage from agro-products, soybean and mustard oil by-products, jatropha plants, debris from maize, rice husk, organic garbage, kitchen rubbish and tea leaf wastage from tea gardens and tea stalls.

The process of producing biofuel is called transesterification; that means taking a triglyceride molecule or a complex fatty acid , neutralizing the free fatty acid, removing the glycerol and producing an alcohol ester. This is accomplished by using methanol with sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide to make sodium or potassium methoxide. This liquid is then mixed into the product (vegetable oil or others). After that, glycerine from the mixture settles at the bottom, and methyl ester, or biodiesel, is left on top. Methyl ester (biodiesel) is then washed and filtered.

For fulfilling the demand for fuel in Bangladesh in the near future the government should start biodiesel fuel production by establishing small scale projects or small industries. It can be used to cover the shortage of natural diesel fuel or petroleum fuel that we use. The government can encourage the sectors where biotechnology departments are established to start research soon in Bangladesh, though Bangladesh Agricultural University is trying a bit to produce biofuel from jatropha plants. When we establish such a project our fuel import cost will gradually decrease. The private sector also can share with the government in developing biodiesel fuel in Bangladesh.

In Malaysia and other developed countries private organizations also shared their knowledge and technical know-how with the Government to produce large scale biodiesel plants to develop biotechnology in this regard. We believe that the government can be successful if it takes action regarding this by using local expertise, biotechnologists or biodiesel fuel technologists who have achieved higher degree, and much more knowledge and experience on bioresource production, from abroad. In this way we can keep our local brilliant scientists at home, as assets, and can develop the country.

Dr. A. B. M. Sharif Hossain is Researcher, Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Biological Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.