Studies on major bio-fuel sources that provide alternative power are now in full swing in the research centers of two prominent academes in the region, it was reported here.

The research project is initiated with the support of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in the region, chaired by Ilocos Sur Gov. Deogracias Victor B. Savellano that aimed to look into the best processes and sources of alternative fuel in the region that helps mitigate the unstable high prices of fuel products in the world market.

Savellano said that the research center of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) implements a jathropa project that focuses on the collection screening and characterization of Jatropha provenances, generation, or adaptations of innovation on the production, processing and utilization of Jathropa as biofuel. The MMSU had established a nursery with a capacity of 50,000 seedlings per garden bed.

He added the Pangasinan State University (PSU) is also undertaking similar project on Jatropha in which a 1.3-hectare jatropha nursery with a capacity of 115, 000 seedlings per annum was established. A pilot jatropha plantation in PSU was established and developed within a 12.8-hectare area for production and demonstration.

“The bio-power project is one way of solving the problem on climate change because this will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere,” he said.

Presidential Assistant Ernie A. Mendoza, the RDC’s bio- power committee chairperson, said that the RDC is also looking into the bio-oil derived from lignocellullosic and cellulosic materials such as wood barks, rice husks, corn stalks, animal dungs and waste paper as another potential biofuel alternatives.

Biofuel is any fuel derived from organic matter.

It is a renewable source of energy unlike any other resources such as petroleum, coal, and nuclear fuels. One advantage of biofuel in comparison to most fuel types is its biodegradability, thus its handling and use is relatively harmless to the environment, Mendoza explained.

Bio-oil is not actually oil, but it is a liquid biomass that is clean burning, it has low sulfur content and is a carbon dioxide-neutral fuel, he added.

Mendoza clarified that bio-oil poses no competition to food production.

Food component in the food crop is not touched and only residue is taken out during the process of getting food component.

To institutionalize the study on bio-power sources; Mendoza urged the integration of all bio-power related projects in the region for a more consolidated effort. This was supported by the proposal of Dr. Nathaniel Alimbuyod of MMSU to formulate a Research, Development and Extension (RDE) Agenda for Bio-energy in Region 1(Ilocos).

Mendoza said the production of bio-fuel is labor intensive which earned the project’s title: “Pro-poor bio-power development program” because of its potential to provide alternative jobs. He said seedling production alone could derive an income of R6 per seedling. (FL)