Islanders Drive Their Cars On Coconut Power
Residents of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea
have found an indigenous solution to high-energy prices.
Residents of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea have found an indigenous solution to high-energy prices, the ubiquitous tropical fruit, coconut. The islanders are developing mini-refineries to produce a coconut oil that can eventually replace diesel.
Residents say, coconut oil has not only made them less dependent on expensive fuel, which had to be imported onto the island, enquiries about the fuel have even come from overseas, including Iran and Europe.
Matthias Horn, a German migrant and an engineer, who is operating one the several coconut oil refineries on the island, said, the oil is not only cheap but also environment friendly.
“The coconut tree is a beautiful tree. Doesn’t it sound good if you really run your car on something which falls off a tree and that’s the good thing about it; you run your car and it smells nice and it’s environmentally friendly and that’s the main thing,” the BBC quoted him as saying.
And you can burn the husks for cooking fires.
Posted: Fri - May 11, 2007 at 08:52 AM