MERGED: All About OIL PRICE HIKE

[vernie]

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for those who are interested of using biogas as cooking fuel

http://www.habmigern2003.info/biogas...n-digester.htm

more from this site.
http://www.ees.adelaide.edu.au/pharr...beginners.html

[Miguel]

DoE goes all-out in pushing CME fuel


By MYRNA M. VELASCO

With the result of the study carried out by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), an attached agency of the US Department of Energy (US-DoE) upholding the stability of the properties of coco methyl ester (CME), the Philippine Department of Energy (DoE) said that it just gained an armor in its bid to aggressively promote it as an alternative fuel for the transport sector.



"We will definitely use the data as we go all-out in promoting CME as alternative fuel for the transport sector," said DoE director Mario Marasigan.

He has further noted this will also back up their quest for Congress to pass a law that will mandate the use of CME as a blend to diesel products at a percentage that would prove safe to vehicle engines.

Teresa L. Alleman, a technical expert who has personally undertaken the NREL test, noted that stability measurements on CME "proved that the fuel samples had adequate stability."

The testing, which was completed over three months, also inferred that what is being batted for as 1.0 to 5.0 percent blends are not seen causing or triggering any danger on vehicle engines; and that the fuels are in keeping with the Philippine and world fuel quality standards.

Alleman further stressed that the CME test confirms prior claims made by the Philippine DoE that engine modification is not necessary to accommodate initial blends of 1.0 or 5.0 percent; and that the use of the fuel can actually improve the quality of the diesel.

The noted improvement in the performance of CME-powered vehicles, the NREL expert noted, could be attributed to the fuel’s properties, such as high lubricity which protects engines from wearing off; detergency which helps clean the fuel system; and solvency, which dissolves and cleans the combustion chamber from carbon deposits.

While world standard allows up to 5.0-percent blend of coco-biodiesel, the DoE noted that it opted for initial 1.0-percent as tests indicated that this would already be enough to reduce emissions in vehicles.

Even at this point, however, the greatest challenge the government faces is how it can fully convince the giant oil industry players to promote the use of the product to their customers.

Questions such as the lack of testing for rusts (with vehicle fuel tanks anticipated to rust over time); test for multi-product pipelines; and setting appropriate CME blends are still being thrown their way, as they move forward in promoting the use of the alternative fuel.

Complaints are also being hurled that representatives from leading automaker companies were not allowed to present their test results on CME to the government.

The government justified that the introduction of CME into the oil market will not only boost the country’s foreign exchange savings and enhance utilization of indigenous energy sources; but will also provide opportunities for the domestic coconut farmers.

Based on initial estimates, a 1.0 percent CME blend alone will save the country some P16.49 billion a year, if motorists would be able to register the average mileage improvement of 10-percent as proven in actual test runs undertaken by the government.

With increased utilization of the fuel, this will also provide opportunities for some 3.5 million coconut farmers and some 20 million Filipinos depending on the coconut industry for employment opportunities.


KUDOS TO THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT!!! In the long run dili na jud na magsalig sa oil importation.

[kyuusai]

unfortunately naa na unta tay mga alternatives but our govt. seemed not to care about it...wala kunoy budget sa pagdevelop labi na atong invention nga tubig ray gamiton as fuel...meaning gamay nalang ang magamit na oil kay tubig naman gamiton as main consumption sa engine...

the government should have paid attention on this invention which is water that would be used as fuel. It would have been a great help to our economy.. too bad, our government did not give credence to it and most especially the lack of budget for such invention..

[Rance]

Hydrogen is the solution! :mrgreen:

Hydrogen and fuel cells have the potential to solve several major challenges facing in the world today: dependence on petroleum imports, poor air quality, and greenhouse gas emissions. The Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies Program is working with partners to accelerate the development and successful market introduction of these technologies.

Questions about Fuel Cells
How old is fuel cell technology?
Fuel cell technology is over 150 years old. The first fuel cell was demonstrated by Sir William Grove in 1839. Grove used porous platinum electrodes and sulfuric acid as the electrolyte bath. William White Jaques later substituted phosphoric acid in the electrolyte bath and was the person who coined the term "fuel cell." Significant fuel cell research was done in Germany during the 1920's that laid the groundwork for subsequent development of carbonate cycle and solid oxide fuel cells. In the 1960s, NASA began using alkaline fuel cells to provide onboard electrical power for spacecraft.

When will I be able to buy a fuel cell vehicle?
Experts and auto industry leaders differ somewhat on the time frame in which fuel cell vehicles will be available to consumers. Some believe they will be available within a few years, while others believe it will be a decade or more before they are available. Several manufacturers have developed fuel cell vehicles, and some are currently testing them in small demonstration fleets. Currently, the primary obstacles to using fuel cells in vehicles are hydrogen storage issues and component cost.

How would a fuel cell-powered car compare to one powered by a battery?
Fuel cell and battery-powered vehicles are both propelled by electric motors. Therefore, both vehicle types can be designed with similar performance characteristics.

The primary difference in these vehicle types is the source of electricity. Battery-electric vehicles are powered by electricity stored in a battery. Since the battery merely stores energy instead of generating it, it must be recharged regularly.

Fuel cells, on the other hand, create electricity from hydrogen or some other fuel. Like gasoline-powered vehicles, fuel cell vehicles are refueled rather than recharged—refueling usually takes much less time than recharging. Fuel cell vehicles can typically go further before refueling due to the storage limitations of current battery designs. However, both technologies need to improve their driving ranges in order to compete with gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles.

What is the difference between gasoline-powered cars and those powered by fuel cells?
Fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) are different from conventional gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles in several ways. First, FCVs are propelled by an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. This electric motor is powered by electricity provided by fuel cells. Fuel cell vehicles are more energy-efficient and emit fewer greenhouse gases and pollutants than vehicles powered with conventional fuel. In addition to these benefits, fuel cell vehicles are quieter, and they can provide more power for electrical accessories, such as onboard navigation and control systems.

Gasoline vehicles currently have an advantage in terms of driving range. Most gasoline vehicles can travel 300 to 400 miles before refueling, while most current FCVs can only travel about 250 miles. However, scientists are developing technologies that will allow FCVs to travel farther between refills.

What kind of fuel cells will be used in passenger cars?
The polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell is currently the technology being used to power passenger vehicles. PEM fuel cells have a high power density, so they can be smaller, lighter, and take up less space than other fuel cell technologies. In addition, the PEM fuel cell operates at low temperature, starts quickly, is very responsive to changes in power requirements, and is less sensitive to orientation than some other cells. All of these attributes make the PEM cell a good match for transportation applications.

Other fuel cells that may be used in highway vehicles include phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Phosphoric acid fuel cells are typically larger than PEM fuel cells and require a longer startup time, so they are being developed for large city buses and long-haul trucks. Direct methanol fuel cells are a relatively new technology that may also be used in passenger cars and other vehicles.

How would one fuel a fuel cell vehicle? Would there be hydrogen stations just like the gas stations we have now?
Some of the fuel cell demonstration projects currently underway do involve construction and use of hydrogen stations that are quite similar to the gasoline stations we use today. Shell has opened small-scale commercial hydrogen stations in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Tokyo, Japan, and plans to open a similar station in Washington, D.C., in the near future. The biggest difference is that these stations are serving far fewer users than an average American gas station, and as a result, they don't require the ability to receive and store large quantities of hydrogen at any one time. The Iceland station dispenses hydrogen that is produced onsite using electrolysis.

Before such stations can be routinely operated on a commercial scale for large numbers of users, many hydrogen transport and storage advancements are needed. It's possible that we will be able to repurpose some of the infrastructure we use to handle today's fossil fuels, but there are still many production, transportation, and storage considerations yet to be addressed.

[Miguel]

GOOD NEWS PARA SA MGA PALAHUBOG!!! PWEDE DIAY MAG DRIVE WITH ALCOHOL!!

Cars may soon run on local liquors lambanog, basi

The Philippine Star 11/09/2005

Fed up with the high cost of gasoline? Why not try lambanog or basi, which can cause drunk driving but which can also power your car or SUV (sport utility vehicle)?

With the rising cost of crude oil-based fuel, the House of Representatives envisions that in a few years’ time, the country is likely to shift to local fuel substitutes that can be derived from sugarcane and coconut like lambanog and basi - intoxicating drinks that can easily be processed into alcohol and used to power vehicles.

On Monday night, the House approved a bill meant to jumpstart an alcohol production program.

Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri, the bill’s author, said yesterday the proposed Bio-fuels Act aims to replace within four years "a tenth of national gasoline consumption with cheap clean fuel that is exempt from the expanded value-added tax (EVAT) and can be produced from the likes of cane and coconut.

"The approval of the bill brings the nation closer to the mass production of renewable energy that will create jobs, clean the environment and boost the economy," he said.

Zubiri estimates that the country would save P32 billion in oil import costs if 10 percent of national gas consumption were replaced with alcohol or ethyl alcohol (ethanol).

He based his computation on last year’s total imports of 115.6 million barrels of crude oil, a $50-per-barrel price and an exchange rate of P55 to the dollar.

He said ethanol could be extracted from what he called the "five Cs" - cane, coconut, corn, camote and cassava.

"The lambanog (extracted from coconut trees) and basi (derived from sugar cane) that can cause drunk driving can run cars. Cassava is best not just as pie, but petrol. And corn that can be made into health breakfast can also fuel our cars," he said.

He said any food that contains sugar could be processed to yield ethanol.

[Miguel]

Kung kini lang mga congressman unta parehas ni Congressman Zubiri nga maghimo ug mga balaod nga para sa kaayuhan sa tanan dili sa ilang personal nga ambisyon then dugay na untang ni asenso ning Pilipinas. Dili parehas ni Escudero, nga maayo ra sa baba, puro paporma, sa mga rally. Do your job man, on the halls of congress and not on the streets, your brilliance is more useful in there.

[tolstoi]

abi kaha ni Escudero bai nga siya si BAMBOO..cgi pasikat bah

[mariaa]

hunongon na ang pag sige ug samok samok aning mga Amerikano !! ug mga kapitalista mga hanggol ug krudo ug gasolina!!

[helpmikey]

invest on metro transit. subway or vehicle para less import then kato mag jeepney and taxi. governemnt should provide job.. invest on technology.. in marcos time. we area leading. but.. saon. if you don't upgrade on technology ... you will be left behind.... ambot asa ang money g invest dli makitan.... kalagot.!!!!

[Miguel]

Marubeni eyes 5 RP ethanol plants
By Donnabelle L. Gatdula
The Philippine Star 11/10/2005

Japanese industrial giant Marubeni Corp. plans to put up at least five ethanol-run co-generation/distillery plants in the Philippines, a lawmaker said yesterday.

Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri, the main author of House Bill 4629 or the Biofuels Act of 2005, said Marubeni officials expressed their intention to put up the plants during a meeting last week.

"They informed me of their plan to bid for the building of at least five ethanol-based plants. They are also willing to become a part owner aside from being the builder of the plants," Zubiri said in a press briefing.

He said Marubeni is looking at thepossibility of bidding for the construction of five ethanol plants in San Carlos, Bukidnon and other areas in Negros.

"Being part of the Fuel Ethanol Alliance, we are trying to help both foreign and local groups who would want to push for the development of the ethanol industry in the country. We are assisting those who would want to get in the industry," he said.

Marubeni has been a long-time player in the Philippine power sector. It has contracted a number of power projects for renewable energy sources such as geothermal and coal.

Aside from Marubeni, Zubiri said Asia Generation Corp., an independent power producer (IPP) based in economic zones in southern Luzon, has also expressed interest to form a consortium that would put up an ethanol plant in the area.

There are already five ethanol processing plants being planned for construction. Two will be built by Bronzeoak in Negros and Bukidnon. Another one in Negros is being eyed to be put up by a group led by Rep. Ignacio Arroyo, while another group of businessmen is also planning to construct a plant in the Silay area. A sugar planters association in Tarlac is also eyeing to build one ethanol plant in the said area.

Industry estimates show that some P1.5 billion in investments is needed to put up a 20- to 25-megawatt (MW) co-generation plant and at least P550 million for an 80,000-liter capacity distillery plant.

Investors have been waiting for the passage of the Biofuels Law so they could start pouring in fresh capital in this industry.

"We are optimistic that more investors will come in once the bill is passed into law," Zubiri said.

HB 4629 has been unanimously approved on third and final reading early this week.

Zubiri is also hopeful both houses of Congress will pass the bill into law not later than February next year.

"We believe that we should give priority to this bill as this will not only be pro-consumers but will also help provide a cleaner environment and create new jobs," he said.

Once passed, the bill will mandate a five-percent blend of bioethanol in gasoline products used in transportation sector.

According to Zubiri, two years after the passage of the bill, the country would need to put up at least five ethanol processing plants. By 2008, another five ethanol processing facilities should be constructed.

By 2010, the country would need 20 ethanol plants to meet the five-percent blend demand.

He said there are other areas which are being eyed as potential sites for these facilities. These are Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Cagayan Valley. "We would need at least five ethanol plants in Luzon," he added.

At the same time, Zubiri said they would try to incorporate in the bill the one percent mandatory blend of coco-biodiesel.

"We are amenable to consider putting in the bicameral committee version of the bill the one percent coco-biodiesel blend. This will make the law encompassing all alternative fuels, not just ethanol," he said.



Kudos again to Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri for his vision.