Coconut fill up

New Zealand's Pacific Island neighbours could avoid rising fuels prices, thanks to the work of two final year students at The University of Auckland, Faculty of Engineering.

Samoan Dominic Schwalger and Fijian Penaia Rogoiumari have been investigating the use of pure coconut oil as a fuel to run diesel engines.

They have demonstrated that a diesel engine can run on the pure oil as well as a blend with traditional diesel. The pair have also analysed engine performance and exhaust emissions.

Schwalger said that producing coconut oil for use in standard engines is a simple process, unlike some biodiesels which require complex equipment and chemical reactions.

"In essence the white flesh of the coconut is dried out, then pressed to release the oil. At that point, it is ready for use," he said. "What we have shown is that without any modification to either the pure oil or the engine you can use it as an alternative fuel," he added.

Rogoiumari said that the use of coconut fuel in the islands could become widespread.

"The combination of a ready supply of coconuts, rising fuel prices and ease of manufacture makes this a real option for villagers who need to run equipment like generators or boat engines."