It is crystal clear that gas and fuel queues are swallowing up our lives. Innocent people including youths are seen dying in fuel queues in vain. Don’t think that we can heave a sigh of relief in the near future because the interval in hell is already over. Therefore, we have to come up with new ideas and suggestions today itself.
Biofuel
What if the supply of fuel is stopped today? Our country will come to a grinding halt. Hence, there must be alternatives to fossil fuel like petrol, diesel and kerosene.
Speaking of biofuel, it is evident that biofuel is a renewable fuel which is made from coconut oil, vegetable oil, animal fats and so on. Biofuel can be used for diesel engines.
As revealed by scientists, biofuel burns more cleanly and efficiently. Significantly, it has been found to be safer than fossil fuel. Compared to fossil fuel, the flashpoint of biofuel is over 130 degrees Celsius.
Interestingly, biofuel can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 75 percent.
Speaking of biofuel at an international level, Most countries like the United Kingdom, United States, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland and the Netherlands are using biofuel.
The United States is one of the leading countries which contributed 45.5% of the world’s biofuel production in 2018.
It is stated that the US and Brazil had dominated the biofuel market with the share of 87% of the entire world’s biofuel production.
Germany, which produced 75.8 thousand barrels a day, had ranked third among the biofuel producing countries on a large scale.
Speaking of the fuel crisis, It is clear that we have been relying on fossil fuel for decades.
Had there been alternatives to diesel, there would not have been such a fuel shortage.
The Government had to grant a day off on Fridays due to the fuel shortage. Thanks to talented engineers in our country, there are vehicles running on coconut oil and full charge batteries.
Process
Biofuel can be used for diesel engines.
It is produced through a chemical reaction called “transesterifcation” or alcoholysis.
This reaction can occur between an alcohol and vegetable oil in the presence of catalyst such as sodium or potassium hydroxide.
Biofuel made from coconut oil
He is Dilina Dakshila who made biofuel from coconut oil. As noted by Dilina, it is possible to avoid the fuel queues by producing more biofuel. “I used coconut oil for making biofuel. It has ensured better performance of my defender, low emission and more efficiency.”
Scientists and engineers in India had transformed coconut oil into an effective biofuel.
C. Mohan Kumar said, “We purchased a brand new vehicle a year ago. By now it has done 20,000 kilometers and has proved beyond doubt that coconut oil can replace diesel.”
Battery powered three-wheelers
A German engineer living in Sri Lanka has developed a three wheeler which runs on eight rechargeable batteries.
With a full charge of four to five hours, this three wheeler can function smoothly for around 70 to 80 kilometers.
It is clear that in our country itself we can find solutions to the crisis. If our politicians together with our talented youths and engineers make attempts to resolve this crisis without doing party politics, our future Sri Lanka will be called the Granary of the World in the future.