There are four ways to run a diesel engine on vegetable oil:

1. Mix vegetable oil with fossil diesel fuel or a solvent;
2. Use the oil as it is, usually called SVO (pure vegetable oil) fuel or PPO (pure vegetable oil) fuel;
3. Turn it into biodiesel.
4. Used cooking oils from frying thrown away by big hotels.

The first two methods sound easier. These methods would be accompanied by regular training of agricultural extension staff to disseminate the information at the local level.

Used cooking oil would not work well as a fuel in developing countries because cooking oil is expensive compared to diesel. Most developing countries do not dispose of used cooking oil. It is sold to smaller restaurants, individuals, and merchants who repackage and sell it for reuse in the kitchen.

There is an ongoing debate about how poisonous this reused cooking oil is. Some details can be obtained if you type in the Google search “Reuse of cooking oil”

Since used cooking oil is not free like in developed countries where they throw it away and have problems with its disposal, used cooking oil is not one of the options here. The best solution for developing countries is to use non-edible SVO or PPO oils from plants like Jatropha in an engine modified to run directly on vegetable oil.

Massive cultivation of oil plants.

A project that can encourage farmers in developing countries to grow jatropha and other oilseeds would have the following components.

1. Introduction of vegetable oil cookers using direct vegetable oil. There are three main types of stoves that can be used here.

A. One that uses wicks (non-pressure type)
b. Another that uses pressure to supply fuel to the jets.
against A fuel-efficient stove that can use bricks made from waste oil extract

All these stoves burn with a pleasant blue flame and do not produce soot or smoke. These stoves are similar to the types of mineral fuels that have been used in these countries for a long time. Vegetable oil stoves must be modified because vegetable oil is heavy and does not have capillary action like mineral fuel. This will directly address the urgent need for cooking fuel in rural and urban areas and create a local market to encourage the cultivation of vegetable oil.

2. Introduction of direct vegetable oil electricity generators to run on oil from locally grown oil plants. These generators will generate electricity to supply the pueblo community that is farming. This will greatly help the rural electrification program. Most of the rural electrification power is obtained from diesel generators.

3. Marketing of direct vegetable oil conversion kits to convert fossil fuel diesel powered vehicles and generators to use direct vegetable oil.

4. Introduction of small manual oil mills so that a housewife can grind her own oil for use on the kitchen stove or for other uses such as soap making. Teaching of simple oil purification and filtration systems.

5. Introduction of cottage industries to teach local farmers how to make soap from the oil of the jatropha plant. The finished soap made is better for the skin than the one made from mineral oils.

6. Establish conversion shops to convert mineral diesel engines to run on direct vegetable oil.

Biodiesel manufacturing involves the use of toxic chemicals in the process and needs more careful planning.

7. Research locally available traditional oil crop varieties and compare with high-yielding imported varieties to ensure selection of the most suitable seed crop varieties for wide distribution to farmers. Local agricultural institutes, universities and agricultural extension services would be involved in this research and distribution of suitable crop varieties.

The key to ensuring continued, large-scale cultivation would be to create a local market to use the fuel where the crop is grown without adding transportation costs. This will remove the price, supply and demand distortions introduced by the traders of such crops. The country will also benefit from developing a native crop suitable for local conditions to optimize production.

How to grow Jatropha.

You can easily grow jatropha either by using cuttings or by planting seeds in a nursery. Plants should be spaced 2 x 2 meters apart if not interspersed with other crops. or spaces greater than 3 or 5 meters of space if you plant other crops in the middle.

Jatropha cultivation begins to produce seeds at the end of a year and gradually increases yield. By year 5, the plant is mature and can generate between 3 and 8 kg per year, depending on the soil and climate.

A mature jatropha tree can absorb 1 ton of carbon per year.
Carbon is traded on the stock market at around $35 a ton.
One acre of land can accommodate 1,000 jatropha trees.

For home use, half an acre of jatropha can generate enough cooking fuel for a household of 6 all year long. Jatropha crude oil burns with substantially less air pollution than the equivalent fossil fuel, making it an attractive alternative fuel for cooking and lighting in rural areas, and since it can be grown in the backyard, it is of course of course cheaper.

Jatropha curcus is the best crop for developing countries as it does not compete with food crops and grows on poor soil with minimal rainfall:

Reasons for the suitability of jatropha

o This is not a new crop being introduced. It is well known in Uganda and in many developing countries as an animal and land fencing material;
* It grows on infertile soil in poor condition and can be placed on waste land not used for crop production. Therefore, it does not compete with food production.
o It is resistant to drought;
o It can produce a good crop continuously for about 50 years.
* It is not browsed by animals;
o Mature Jatropha trees can produce 3 to 6 kg of seeds per year.
* Seeds have a high oil extraction rate of 37%
o Intercrops well with food and other crops.
* It is easy to grow either through cuttings or seedlings.
o Your oil burns clean than fossil fuels produces no smoke
o The highest cost of imported fuel in developing countries comes from transportation and the fiscal component, since Jatropha is homegrown and does not require complex processing, it is cheaper.
* Unlike other sources of renewable energy, solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and wave energy can be used directly to power or run machinery without introducing advanced technology or building new machines.

Most developing countries are 100% dependent on imported fuel to meet their needs. Imported fuel is expensive for several reasons.

– Fluctuation of international fuel prices
– Fluctuating dollar exchange rates
– Developing countries impose large taxes on fuel and the money recovered helps them balance their annual budgets.

There is a decline in the world’s fossil fuel reserves. This translates into an increase in oil prices internationally.

There is increased desertification and decreased forest cover as a result of human activity. Promoting carbon neutral alternatives gives Jatropha cultivation an advantage.

There is increasing awareness of the need to seek alternative sources of energy for both environmental and energy supply reasons.

If we look at the rural fuel supply market we get several advantages like

– Short distance from producer to consumer,
– Reduction of the cost of transportation and the relatively high cost of fuel in rural areas.

It is seen that another market demand for seeds, seedlings, cuttings for propagation and improved Jatorpha seeds and seedlings is created locally. This is also creating another new cash crop, with a local market ready, for farmers. This will create a source of income, jobs and prosperity for the rural community.

Previous crops with mainly international markets have been disappointing (eg cotton and vanilla). Governments around the world need to introduce incentives for biofuel production, both for developing and developed countries.