The story of used cooking oil as diesel fuel

The story of used cooking oil as diesel fuel
Henricus Ismanthono, Jakarta | Sun, 03/18/2012 10:06 AM

Around 2007, in Bogor, West Java, a hotel employee initiated a project to produce biodiesel fuel from used cooking oil (minyak jelantah) collected from a number of restaurants, eating spots and small food stalls (warteg) in his vicinity.

The used cooking oil, after being blended with methanol in a special mixing machine, was sent to a lab at an agricultural institute in Bogor for analysis and a feasibility study. Results of the tests indicated it was safe for use in diesel engines.

This “cooking oil diesel fuel”, let us call it CODF, however, had to be initially blended with petrodiesel fuel (diesel oil) at the ratio of 30 percent to 70 percent respectively to be used in diesel engines for fear that it might harm the engines. In the beginning the CODF was used by the hotel’s mini-buses, then by local public buses in the city.

A Japanese investor was said to be interested in the project. They might have liked to establish collaboration between the two, but so far little has come of it. After all investors in CODF would have to diligently search out and accumulate used cooking oil from users — and probably establish an association of cooking oil users to secure supply!

Cooking oil is usually derived from crude palm oil (CPO), corn or sunflowers. Each has its own benefits and disadvantages. Some are used in industry (bio fuels, chemicals, etc.), others for household supply. Whichever is the option, it is up to the buyer or the investor. The more benefits the wider the choice.

As reported lately, production of Indonesian CPO has reached 23 million tons, of which 8 million tons are for domestic consumption and around 15 million tons exported. Our country is the largest producer of CPO in the world with around 8,127 million hectares under cultivation.

No wonder the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently claimed that Indonesian CPO is not environmentally friendly, producing greenhouse gasses and that its palm trees are grown more and more in forest areas which are used to absorb gas emissions. They are worried that the environment is being harmed.

The Indonesian Agriculture Ministry insists that Indonesia has reduced gas emissions from CPO production by over 20 percent, based on scientific analysis carried out by the ministry and other independent research institutes in the country and overseas.

In addition, Indonesia has established regulations including a policy called “Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil” to be imposed in March 2012. The policy and regulations are related to minimizing or even reducing CPO plantation areas in forest and peatland areas. Forest areas are the best place for reducing gas emissions particularly CO2.

Economic analysts indicate, however, that the US’ negative claims about Indonesian CPO is due more to business competition regarding exports of Indonesian CPO versus the domestic protection of US trade.

In addition to palm trees as biofuel sources, other sources such as Jatropha curcas (jarak pagar) with 1.6 million hectares under cultivation, corn, cassava, Cerbera manghas or sea mango (buah Bintaro), Calophyllum inophyllum (nyamplung), are available in this country. This nation has been endowed by God with a great diversity of useful plants.

If the government is serious about promoting the production of biofuels, we will certainly be independent and secure in our energy supply. If done correctly, the production of biofuels has the potential to completely transform and change the primary sector and positively impact the entire national economy.

Success in the development of biofuels has been proven by Brazil. That country has consistently developed bioethanol, derived from sugar cane, since 1970 as a means of lessening its dependency on oil.

Germany has been one of the pioneers in using biodiesel since 1996. They initially used rapeseed raw materials for biodiesel for locomotives. As rapeseed supply was inconsistent due to seasonal growth then palm trees become an alternative proving to be continuously available, though having to be imported from other countries, including Indonesia. The country uses biokerosene for the turbine jet engines of their national airline — Lufthansa.

Other countries have also been developing biofuels, such as China and Mexico, using Jatropha for their national airlines. Romania plans to establish a center for the production of biokerosene for bio-jet fuels for civil aviation using Camelina as a raw material. Recently a Mexican airline made the first flight in Latin America using oil sourced from Jatropha curcas flying from Mexico City to another city in the south of Mexico.

In Indonesia the biofuel utilization policy is the implementation of a government program to support energy security, based on Presidential Regulation No. 5/2006. Blue Print of Energy Policy 2010-2025, Presidential Regulation No. 30/2007, set out among other things to minimize poverty, to develop local communities, to ease public access to energy, to establish business partnerships and to enhance R & D activities. Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (ESDM) Ministerial Regulation No. 32/2008 also emphasizes bio oil for the transportation sector. State-owned power company (PLN) has also been required to use bio fuels to generate electricity, based on Presidential Regulation No. 4/2010.

Investment opportunities in bio energy are still wide open since the resources are very abundant. It needs reciprocal cooperation with other parties including private enterprises, more serious attention and strong political judgment from the government for it to provide energy security and dependency.

The writer, a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, Atma Jaya Catholics University, Jakarta, is former head of Bilateral Cooperation Division, Mining and Energy Ministry until 2000.