Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Heat Generates Biodiesel

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 15 2004 (IPS) - A device that converts vegetable oil into biodiesel through a thermal process, and is able to produce up to 250 liters of sustainable fuel per day, has been developed by the government agricultural research agency, Embrapa. The machine, which has undergone its final adjustments at the University of Brasilia, provides an alternative to the conventional chemical process for producing biodiesel, based on ethanol or methanol.

Anyone can run the new system, which costs approximately 2,700 dollars, Embrapa expert Renato Roscoe told Tierramérica.

The aim is to promote the inclusion of small farmers and poor communities in biodiesel production.