8 May, 2007
People in Papua New Guinea seem to have found a solution for rising gas & petrol prices - run vehicles and generators using coconut oil (coco-fuel)
If the citizens of a small island in Papua New Guinea can do it, people from “God’s Own Country“ should definitely be able to do it.
What a dream scenario - buy a huge can of coconut oil. Or even better, make it in your own ‘parambu‘ (piece-of-land) — after all, what better use for the 50+ coconut palms standing tall on your land.
And then, when your wife needs oil to make Pazham-Pori (Banana-Fry) or to fry Pappadams for Lunch, ask her to take some oil from the can. Later, when your son wants to go for his daily class at the local CTCC (Coconut-Tree Climbing College) ask him to fill up the tank in his motorcycle, from the same can !
Meanwhile, you can sit on your patio and enjoy a dozen nariyal-tel flavoured Dosas, with fresh Nariyal Chutney.
Lets make this world a better place ! Lets do our bit to reduce carbon-emissions ! Lets work together towards the goal of more coco-fuel stations popping up everywhere, around the world !
30 May, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Technically if the combustion engines are optimised or built in a desired way, coconut oil can be used as a fuel..but using coconut oil directly in gasoline combustion engines is not the way..though it may momentarily work, it’ll erode the engine.. we should first build coconut oil engines.
30 May, 2007 at 6:12 pm
>> Ajith : hmm … i don’t have much knowledge about combustion & engines. but, i get your point. in that case, i would think people in Kerala should immediately think about building such coconut-oil engines
and then one day in the future, all the fuel for our vehicles will be ‘home-grown’ or local atleast
7 July, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Coconut oil probably would become viable to use as Biodiesel after Estrification (bit of a hazardous process). Kerala could become self sufficiant in Total energy needs if planned properly. Kerala is the worst managed state in terms of energy, enviorment & health.