Alternative fuels
Monday, 11 June 2007
Zahirul Abedin
THE Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) has taken steps to produce ethanol from molasses in all sugar mills under it. The ethanol to be produced would be used as an alternative fuel for vehicles. Indeed, this project is a commendable one and if its utility gains are proved, then it should be considered as a significant contribution towards import substitution.
Bangladesh presently spends a great deal of resources on imported petroleum-based fuels. If these imports can be decreased from using the domestically produced ethanol, then that would mean a worthwhile saving and easing of pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserve. At a time when prices of petroleum products are found to be rising in the international market, the locally produced alternative fuel can turn out to be a notable saver of precious resources.
Apart from molasses, there is a scope for also producing ethanol from other sources such as agricultural wastes and from municipal garbage. Ethanol is an ideal fuel in many cases. It is renewable, for it can be produced from plant materials. It burns cleanly, producing virtually none of the pollutants associated with gasoline or diesel oil. And the technology for producing it is relatively simple and, thus, affordable for a country like Bangladesh. Engines do not have to be modified for using ethanol. Engines of vehicular transports now in operation in Bangladesh would be easily able to run their vehicles on a mixture of petrol or octane or diesel with ethanol without requiring any conversion of the engines. In the USA and Brazil, vehicles operate on mixtures that contain up to 20 per cent ethanol. There is no reason why vehicles cannot similarly operate in Bangladesh using ethanol mixtures saving costs. Ethanol is likely to be substantially cheaper in price compared to petroleum-based fuels now in use in Bangladesh.
There is also the great potential of producing diesel for use in automotive vehicles in Bangladesh from jatrofa plants. The seeds of the plants are crushed to make a liquid similar to diesel called bio-diesel. Bio-diesel from jatrofa plants is significantly meeting requirements of fuels for transporters in neighbouring India. Bio-diesel production is also relatively cheaper than diesel obtained from crude petroleum. Jatrofa plants can grow easily without a care anywhere. These plants can be planted and grown successfully in Bangladesh on road sides, fallow lands, around homesteads or any place considered to be of little or no potential agricultural value otherwise. A plan to introduce jatrofa cultivation was reported sometime ago. But no further follow-up in the matter was heard since then. But the plan needs to be expedited in view of jatrofa's potential to be a significant source of alternative fuel.
THE Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) has taken steps to produce ethanol from molasses in all sugar mills under it. The ethanol to be produced would be used as an alternative fuel for vehicles. Indeed, this project is a commendable one and if its utility gains are proved, then it should be considered as a significant contribution towards import substitution.
Bangladesh presently spends a great deal of resources on imported petroleum-based fuels. If these imports can be decreased from using the domestically produced ethanol, then that would mean a worthwhile saving and easing of pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserve. At a time when prices of petroleum products are found to be rising in the international market, the locally produced alternative fuel can turn out to be a notable saver of precious resources.
Apart from molasses, there is a scope for also producing ethanol from other sources such as agricultural wastes and from municipal garbage. Ethanol is an ideal fuel in many cases. It is renewable, for it can be produced from plant materials. It burns cleanly, producing virtually none of the pollutants associated with gasoline or diesel oil. And the technology for producing it is relatively simple and, thus, affordable for a country like Bangladesh. Engines do not have to be modified for using ethanol. Engines of vehicular transports now in operation in Bangladesh would be easily able to run their vehicles on a mixture of petrol or octane or diesel with ethanol without requiring any conversion of the engines. In the USA and Brazil, vehicles operate on mixtures that contain up to 20 per cent ethanol. There is no reason why vehicles cannot similarly operate in Bangladesh using ethanol mixtures saving costs. Ethanol is likely to be substantially cheaper in price compared to petroleum-based fuels now in use in Bangladesh.
There is also the great potential of producing diesel for use in automotive vehicles in Bangladesh from jatrofa plants. The seeds of the plants are crushed to make a liquid similar to diesel called bio-diesel. Bio-diesel from jatrofa plants is significantly meeting requirements of fuels for transporters in neighbouring India. Bio-diesel production is also relatively cheaper than diesel obtained from crude petroleum. Jatrofa plants can grow easily without a care anywhere. These plants can be planted and grown successfully in Bangladesh on road sides, fallow lands, around homesteads or any place considered to be of little or no potential agricultural value otherwise. A plan to introduce jatrofa cultivation was reported sometime ago. But no further follow-up in the matter was heard since then. But the plan needs to be expedited in view of jatrofa's potential to be a significant source of alternative fuel.