biodiesel
Biodiesel is a substitute for petroleum diesel fuel. It is derived from plant oils, but is first processed so that the glycerine ( taba or sebo) in the oil is removed and replaced with methyl alcohol ( methanol). Biodiesel can be a 100% substitute for fossil or petroleum diesel, but is normally used to partially replace or to enhance the quality of diesel. Biodiesel can be produced from all kinds of plant oils such as soybean, rapeseed, canola, sunflower, jatropha, olive, palm, etc. Here in the Philippines, biodiesel is sourced from coconut oil and that is why we call our biodiesel “coco-biodiesel”.
Facts about Coco-Biodiesel
Enhances Diesel Fuel Performance: Fuel specifications for PNS-compliant coco-biodiesel meet Euro-3 standards, surpassing the Euro-2 standards that are currently used for local commercial petroleum diesel. It can be used neat (pure) or in any percentage blend. A B1 (1% blend), which is the minimum blend, has been successfully used by thousands of Filipino motorists since 2002.
As noted above, biodiesel in the Philippines is normally sourced and processed from coconut oil, and that is the reason why we call our biodiesel “coco-biodiesel”. Coco-biodiesel is normally Coconut Methyl Ester (CME) that is engineered according to fuel specifications, and according to the PNS (Philippine National Standard) for CME. CME falls under the category of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester or FAME, of which the World-Wide Fuel Charter (WWFC) accepts blends of up to 5% for diesel vehicles. The WWFC is the official standard for fuel specifications that is accepted by most major automotive manufacturers throughout the world. Coco-biodiesel can be used at any blend ratio without the need for engine modification. The Biofuels Act of 2006 requires a 1% admixture of Coco Methyl Ester (CME) that conforms to the quality specification of the Philippine National Standard (PNS 2020:2003).
Restores Fuel System Efficiency: Coco-biodiesel has unique cleansing properties that can dissolve carbon and diesel soot deposits in engine combustion chamber and declogs fuel lines and fuel injector nozzles. Furthermore, its high lubricity enhances the efficient movement of the moving parts in the fuel pump and fuel injector unit. It effectively restores the fuel system efficiency especially of old engines making them more efficient.
Eliminates Harmful Gases and Smoke Emissions: Because of its high cetane number and oxygen content, a more complete and faster rate of combustion of the fuel is achieved. This not only drastically reduces the formation of harmful gases and black smoke, it also causes significant fuels savings. Black smoke is actually unexpended energy in the form of partially burnt fuel. Thanks to a B1 blend, fuel undergoes more complete burning and is converted to greater power and mileage efficiency. Furthermore, better acceleration response is achieved providing motorists with full driving satisfaction.
Improves Fuel Economy due to Better Mileage: Cocobiodiesel blended into diesel provides two-actions, namely: (1) the restoration of the fuel system’s efficiency due to its solvency and lubricity quality, and (2) the enhancement of the fuel’s combustion efficiency due to the oxygen content and high cetane number of the coco-biodiesel mixed into it. Fuel economy has 2 cost components namely purchase cost ( p/ltr) and performance cost ( kms/ ltr). While a blend of 1% cocobiodiesel will always be an added cost in php/ltr, its great benefit comes from kms/ ltr.
Hundreds of mileage test show varying range of mileage improvement as follows:
- 3-5% mileage increase in relatively new engines (less than 2 years). These are still efficient engines and the mileage improvement comes only from enhanced combustion of fuel.
- 6-12% mileage increase in 5-year old engines or less. This is due to the same combustion improvement plus a bit of fuel injector declogging because some of its fuel nozzle orifices may likely be already partly clogged.
- 10-25% mileage increase in over 10 year old surplus engines predominantly found in public utility vehicles, i.e. jeepneys, trucking units, buses, government vehicles, others. These are engines with plenty of carbon deposits in combustion chamber and their injector fuel nozzles are very likely heavily clogged.
Even with just a 10% mileage improvement already translates to a 9.1% reduction in fuel consumption (by simple arithmetic) which represents substantial savings.
Provides Substantial Savings in M&R: Because it already cleans up the engine and the fuel system as well as providing lubricity in moving parts, coco-biodiesel solves many engine problems and will spare the motorist a lot of maintenance expense and potential repair downtime.
Restores the Old Glory of the Coconut Industry: At present, coconut oil consumption is dwindling both locally and abroad, and coconut planting is declining. The coconut industry is not yet “out of the woods” of being on the verge of collapse. The Biofuels Act will give the coconut industry, through coco-biodiesel, a new lease on life, very surely restoring its lost glory as the erstwhile agricultural champion of the country. The Biofuels Law will create a demand for more coconut oil, thus providing coconut farmers the incentive to preserve and replant coconut trees rather than cutting them for coconut lumber.
Helps the Fight Against Global Warming and Climate Change: Every liter of cocobiodiesel consumed generates reduction of 3 kg of CO2. Furthermore, being a saturated biodiesel, emission of oxides of Nitrogen is substantially reduced. CO2 and N2O are greenhouse gases (GHG) that are significant contributors to global warming.
Helps the Philippine economy: By causing significant fuel savings, coco-biodiesel will save us billions of pesos that normally go to petroleum diesel exports. By mitigating pollution and lowering emissions, cocobiodiesel will help government save on the $450 million it spends yearly on pollution-related health disorders while contributing significantly to slowing down climate change . By reviving the coconut industry, coco-biodiesel will help the livelihood of some 28 million Filipinos and 69 provinces that directly or indirectly depend on the coconut industry.
