- MANILA - Water as fuel may
well have been dismissed as a foolish proposition several years ago. Not
anymore.
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- After nearly a quarter century of research, Filipino
plant mechanic Rudy Lantano has developed an industrial fuel composed of
40-50 per cent water, 50 per cent bunker oil and 5 per cent additives.
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- A cheaper and an environment-friendly alternative to
bunker fuel, the Super Bunker Formula-L is now being sold commercially
to power factories, power plants, boilers and generators.
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- 'It is environmentally safe and could be the ultimate
solution to global warming,' Mr Lantano said recently.
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- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the
National Power Corporation, the two government agencies which have tested
the fuel, said the water-based bunker fuel emits less pollutants and reduces
ignition smoke emission from 1,000 parts per million to 55 ppm.
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- 'It causes less pollution, resulting in a cleaner and
healthier environment,' said the 60-year-old inventor, who was awarded
the gold medal by the World Intellectual Property Organisation in 1996
for his invention.
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- For the Philippines, which imports the bulk of its energy
needs, the use of hydro-bunker fuel could mean millions of dollars in savings.
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- Mr Lantano, whose research has been aided and endorsed
by the government, has also developed two other alternative fuel mixes:
Alco-diesel and Lan-gas.
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- Alco-diesel is a blend of hydrous ethyl alcohol and diesel
fuel that can be used to power compression engines.
-
- Lan-gas, on the other hand, is a mixture of alcohol and
petrol that can be used to fuel spark-ignition engines.
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- Use of these alternative fuel mixes does not require
changes in existing engines, and, therefore, can be used for any vehicle,
according to Mr Lantano.
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- Private companies such as Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation,
which have tested Alco-diesel in particular, said the fuel blend produces
more engine power and enables vehicles to accelerate faster and obtain
more mileage per litre of fuel.
-
- The DOST estimates Alco-diesel, if available commercially
throughout the country, will save Manila from buying up to three million
barrels of diesel oil annually.
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- At present, the three types of alternative fuel are sold
only in 12 Lan-gas stations owned by Mr Lantano, and in stations managed
by independent oil retailers.
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- But in coming months, Mr Lantano is setting up plants
in Thailand and in the United States.
-
- The American authorities have assured him that the US
plant, to be built in Maryland, will be exempted from paying any taxes.
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- An oil company in the United Arab Emirates has also approached
him for a possible tie-up.
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- Although multinational oil companies still dominate the
oil market in most parts of the world, Mr Lantano predicts global warming
and the worsening air pollution in urban areas would eventually jack up
demand for alternative and environment-friendly fuel.
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- Copyright @ 2002 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights
reserved. http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,1870,136861
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