14/07/2012 (Bernama) - The BioPro diesel derived from the palm oil effluent could well serve as another green energy alternative in the future.

The BioPro diesel, a breakthrough fuel invented by a research team from University Malaya's (UM) chemical engineering department after 12 years of research, also complies with the EURO emission standards for diesel.

The BioPro diesel not only serves as an alternative fuel but also helps to address a crucial problem faced by the palm oil industry: how to safely dispose palm oil effluents.

A BREAKTROUGH WITH BIG POTENTIAL
The diesel from palm oil waste is derived through bioprocesses without any use of chemicals. It is extracted using enzymes in a low pressure and low temperature process.

Thus, BioPro diesel is considered a sustainable fuel which can easily replace conventional diesel, without the need for engine modifications.

All it takes is to fill the tanks of cars, lorries, tractors, buses, locomotive, fishing boats and the generators before starting their engines.

"The process is simple and cheap. The pioneering plant to process the BioPro diesel is in UM's engineering faculty," explained the head of the research team Dr. Ishenny Mohd Noor while another team member Dr Brahim Si Ali concurred. Both are from UM's Chemical Engineering Department.

Meanwhile, BioPro diesel offers an interesting solution for the palm oil refineries to dispose their oil effluents.

At present, palm oil effluents are discarded into manmade ponds of the plantations and when full, these ponds are sealed till a new pond is created.

"This disposal method is environmentally unfriendly and endangers the soil of the plantation," explained Dr. Badrul M. Jan, another member of the UM's BioPro diesel research team.

THE MANY ADVANTAGES OF BIOPRO DIESEL
The researchers put forth many advantages of the BioPro diesel.

The diesel is classified as best, when compared to commercial diesel that complies with the Euro 2M and Euro 4M emission standards.

Among the many advantages of BioPro is one that it does not corrode copper while its rivals are known for some of their corrosive attributes.

Other than that, the diesel is almost free from micro-carbon particles compared to diesel that complies to the Euro 2M and Euro 4M emission standards.

Acid content too is noted to be lower in BioPro at 0.2 mg/KOH/g while its counterparts recorded a maximum of 0.25 on the same scale.

SUPER-CLEAN
The BioPro diesel produces less soot during emission cycle tests; this is an interesting attribute that helps reduce environmental pollution.

In other words, this could well be a super clean fuel.

Comparative studies between BioPro and conventional diesel conducted using a 10-year-old Mitsubishi pickup truck indicated that a 100 kilometer ride using diesel costs RM28 (USD 9) while the use of BioPro enabled savings of up to RM12 (USD$4) for the same distance travelled.

"Savings of up to 45 percent and other positive attributes put BioPro ahead of other fuels. And this is certainly very beneficial since we were able to produce a super-clean fuel from palm oil waste," explained Badrul.

Other than that, added Badrul, the engine RPM (rotations per minute) achieved by using BioPro is 500 RPM lower when traveling at a speed of 100 kilometer per hour as compared to that of conventional diesel.

EFFICIENT
Efficient and renewable energy resources are what the world needs. BioPro is derived 100 percent from palm oil waste and thus is in an enviable position to serve as an alternative to fossil fuel compared to Biodiesel that is made up of 80 percent diesel and 20 percent palm oil.

"Another advantage of BioPro is that the byproducts created during the process are residual and can be used as fertilizer and water. This is what we call transforming waste to wealth. The fertiliser and water can be reused by different industry players," explained Ishenny referring to the data collected by the team.

The extrapolation made by Ishenny and fellow researchers indicate that if all the 420 palm oil refineries in the country send their palm oil waste to transform into BioPro diesel, the value of BioPro produced annually can reach RM40 billion.

To produce 25 tonnes of BioPro diesel daily, the palm oil affluent process plant needs investment of up to RM12 million.

Yet, the returns from the investment can be realised in the long run and it is considered a worthwhile investment.

Since there is no need to modifiy vehicle engines to use BioPro, this will hasten the transition from regular fuels to the BioPro diesel.

But the question remains whether BioPro can serve as a suitable alternative to conventional diesel? While it may not be impossible but it may take time to further refine the fuel and convince the consumers and producers on BioPro's potential.