Community based Biodiesel production begins

Accra, July 9, GNA - The Dumpong Pineapple Growers Cooperatives, in the Eastern Region, in collaboration with its United States partners, Dumpong Biofuels, has started the production of biodiesel in Ghana from palm kernel oil.

According to the producers, the product had a better performance quality compared to petroleum diesel as they had started using the biodiesel to power a generator and to fuel their official vehicles and it worked efficiently just like the petroleum diesel.

Mr. Jerry Robock, Head of the US Dumpong Biofuels Team told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Monday that a simple processor to convert locally produced palm kernel oil into biodiesel was assembled and a process known as "transesterification" which removes the glycerine molecule from the oil was used to extract the fuel.

He said the processor comprising two 55-gallon steel drums welded together with an electric heating element screwed through one opening. A piping and a small electric pump were added to pump palm kernel oil and a solution of methanol with potassium hydroxide into the processor. The circulating mixture finally pumped the biodiesel into a washing tank. Mr. Robock said biodiesel was more environmentally friendly than petroleum diesel and significantly reduced exhaust emissions and could be a major substitute for imported petroleum diesel fuel. Mr Robock explained that the project, which cost between 60 to 1000 dollars and currently on a pilot basis, could be adopted in other communities to help cut down cost of fuel.

He said Ghana was privileged to have palm kernel in abundance and by working with community based palm oil processors and with the use of local labour, the cost of production was reduced to approximately 25 percent less than the current market price for diesel fuel and it also created job opportunities and brought additional income to the people in the community.

Mr Robock said Dumpong Biofuel had strategised to take advantage of locally available oilseed crops to include atrophy and sunflower seed as well, to convert into environmentally renewable and sustainable fuel to be used locally to replace imported diesel fuel.

According to Mr. Frank Aidoo, President of the local group, members of the Cooperative were currently using the product for free, awaiting a decision for how much it would be sold, saying it would not cost more than three dollars per gallon.

He explained that the Cooperative decided to tap into the expertise of its counterparts in the US, who were already into Biofuel production and therefore invited them to Ghana to help establish the plant. Mr Aidoo called for support from stakeholders to make the project sustainable. 09 July 07