With nothing better to write about and a Department of Energy (DoE) flyer handy, we’ll do the same for coco-biodiesel this week.

What is coco-biodiesel and why is the government going nuts promoting it? According to the DoE, biodiesel is a biodegradable fuel extract from plant oil which can be used in diesel engines.

Biodiesel is now commonly used in countries such as the United States, Canada, and many other countries in Europe.

In the Philippines where coconut trees are abundant, biodiesel can be sourced from the coconuts. The fuel extract is known as Coconut Methyl Ester, alias CME or coco-biodiesel. Biodiesel is the international name for methyl ester when used as a diesel fuel or enhancer.

Is CME the same as the coco-diesel that old-timers — those old enough to remember that the Japanese invaded once with soldiers instead of cars and all sorts of electronic appliances — say powered diesel trucks during the war?

No, says DoE. "Coco-diesel pertains to the use of crude coconut oil," it explains. "Unlike coco-biodiesel, crude coconut oil did not undergo esterification."

Why use coco-biodiesel?

Coco-biodiesel has properties that have environment and health benefits. First, it is renewable and biodegradable. Second, it lowers emission of nitrous oxide and sulfur oxide, the main contributors to smog. Third, it significantly reduces serious air pollutants such as black smoke and air toxins that cause lung cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchitis, heart attack, and stroke.

Using coco-biodiesel also offers economic benefits to vehicle owners and drivers. DoE says this is because coco-diesel has excellent lubricity, solvency and detergency. According to the DoE, studies show that blending coco-diesel with diesel results in better combustion, less pollution, and more engine power.

This translates to less maintenance costs and improved fuel economy by as much as 20 percent, it adds.

Like what bioethanol can do for sugarcane planters, coco-diesel can also help the coconut industry, says the DoE.

Coco-diesel will provide and establish a long-term, sustainable alternative domestic market and, as a result, will stabilize the domestic price of copra, says DoE.

Using coco-diesel is also the patriotic thing to do because it will also benefit the country’s economy. This will spur local demand for coco-diesel and encourage the growth of the ester industry which can create more jobs and provide a potential high value export products.

It will enhance energy supply security through the use of indigenous resources and at the same time generate foreign exchange savings.

More important, it will benefit 3.5 million coconut farmers, and 20 million Filipinos dependent on the coconut industry.

But it is safe to use?

A big YES, says DoE. Coco-diesel can be used in any diesel engine with little or no modification to the engine or fuel system. Its aforementioned qualities of lubricity, solvency and detergency will actually improve engine performance — less vibration and more power — and lengthen maintenance service intervals.

While the World Fuel Charter allows blends of up to five percent, a one percent blend is enough to significantly reduce emissions, says the DoE.

How does one use coco-biodiesel?

DoE says, "Simply add a one percent equivalent of coco-biodiesel to the fuel you are loading into your tank. For example, if you are loading 50 liters of diesel fuel, add 500ml of coco-biodiesel. If you are refilling only 10 liters, add only 100 ml of coco-biodiesel."