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Winning the oil endgame
AVAILABILITY of energy resources in a country has a strong relationship with its economic and social stability. The per capita energy consumption is an indicator which is used to measure the prosperity, or otherwise, of a society.
Pakistan’s per capita energy consumption of 3,894kWh, against the global average of 17,620kWh, gives it the 100th place in the world. Pakistan’s energy demand far exceeds its indigenous supplies. Pakistan, like other developing countries, is energy deficient. The demand for primary energy in the country has increased considerably over the last few decades and the country currently faces serious energy shortage problems.
The supply of energy refuses to increase. As a result, the gap between demand and supply is growing. Historically, the country has been dependent on oil imports. The crude oil import for the year 2002-03 was about 7.1 million tons. This means that $1.4 billion was spent on import of crude oil alone.
If the present situation continues the coming years will be extremely tough for the country. Reliance on oil will grow dramatically, which will cause huge economic problems.
In order to deal effectively with the situation, diversity needs to be introduced to the existing energy matrix, so that both short- and long-term supplies become sustainable. The only way out, thus, would be exploitation of indigenous energy resources.
As you know, traveling and transportation are essential features of human life. Today, societies spend huge amounts on both passenger travel and freight transport. Presently 25 per cent of the world’s total energy resources is spent on transportation.
Growing awareness about environmental problems associated with transportation is encouraging researchers to investigate the possibility of using alternative fuels instead of petrol and its derivatives. Biodiesel has emerged as one of the best options.
The word “biodiesel” is commonly referred to methyl esters of vegetable oil. This fuel is obtained from vegetable oils — typically soybean, rapeseed or sunflower — through a process of transesterification, which changes the properties of oil significantly. Vegetable oils, being renewable, are widely available from a variety of sources — vegetable oils and their derivatives are widely produced for food and other purposes in many parts of the world.
Biodiesel has many advantages. It is derived from a renewable, domestic resource, thereby reducing reliance on petroleum. It is biodegradable and non-toxic.
Compared to petroleum-based diesel, biodiesel has a more favourable combustion emission profile, such as low emissions of carbon monoxide, particulate matter and unburnt hydrocarbons. Carbon dioxide produced by the combustion of biodiesel can be recycled by photosynthesis, thereby minimizing the impact of biodiesel combustion on the environment. Biodiesel has a relatively high flash point, which makes it less volatile and safer to handle than conventional diesel. It can replace diesel oil in boilers and internal combustion engines without major adjustments. In brief, the merits of biodiesel make it a good alternative to petroleum-based fuel and have led to its use in many countries, especially in environmentally sensitive areas.
The use of vegetable oils — like palm, soybean, sunflower, peanut and olive oils — as alternative fuels for diesel engines dates back almost nine decades. Lately, due to the rapid decline in crude oil reserves, it is being promoted in many countries.
Depending upon the climate and soil conditions, different countries are looking for different types of vegetable oils as substitute for diesel fuels. For example, soybean oil in the US, rapeseed and sunflower oils in Europe, palm oil in Southeast Asia and coconut oil in the Philippines are being considered.
Though pure vegetable oils can be used as diesel fuels in conventional diesel engines, but they may lead to some problems. The injection, atomization and combustion characteristics of vegetable oils in diesel engines are significantly different from those of diesel. The high viscosity of vegetable oils interferes with the injection process and leads to poor fuel atomization.
The inefficient mixing of oil with air contributes to incomplete combustion, leading to heavy smoke emission, and the high flash point gives rise to lower volatility characteristics. These disadvantages, coupled with the reactivity of unsaturated vegetable oils, do not allow the engine to operate trouble-free for long periods of time.
These problems can be solved, however, by chemically synthesizing vegetable oils into biodiesel, which is compatible with conventional diesel, as the two can be blended in any proportion.
The use of biodiesel has been increasing over the years in the automotive industry — especially in France, where blends with diesel oil are widely used, and Germany, where many makes of engine can be fuelled with pure biodiesel. Some famous automakers, including Mercedes-Benz, guarantee their engines for biodiesel use.
At present, biodiesel is fractionally costlier than diesel oil. The high cost of the fuel is mainly due to the cost of virgin vegetable oil. However, the pace at which fossil fuel prices are rising across the globe, the difference between the fossil fuel and biodiesel is getting reduced almost by the day.
Biodiesel brings economic benefits for a country like Pakistan. In the country there are vast resources of raw or base material, especially in the remote areas. One prospective source is castor seed.
Also, the use of waste cooking oil, instead of virgin oil, to produce biodiesel is an effective way to reduce costs. In addition, using waste cooking oil could help solve the problem of waste disposal.
The writer
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