NARO encourages use of cooking oil into bio diesel

The National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO) has embarked on a campaign of teaching hotels, restaurants and the general public how to turn used cooking vegetable oil into biodiesel .

The aim is to reduce dangers associated with using the same cooking oil over a long period of time. This is being done by biochemists based at the National Crop Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) through the Uganda Biosciences Information Center (Ubic) based in Namulongo.

 The three year project worth 260 million shillings is being funded by the NARO with funding from the World Bank through the Agricultural Technology and Agribusiness Advisory Services (ATAAS).

Dr.Barbara Zawede Mugwanya the coordinator of Ubic explained that the development is based on research which they have been conducting for the last five years, to find a better use of reused cooking oil.

She said hotels and restaurant owners have been selling such oil to food businesses by the roadsides, which exposes the entire public to health hazards.

Zawedde made explanation on Wednesday during a mini exhibition of advantages of using biodiesel and to show stake holders especially hotel and restaurants among others.

The biodiesel can be used to run animal feed machines, walking tractors for clearing the land, can be used to make soap among others. This event was aimed at showing stakeholders that they are moving away from the lab and now want to commercialize by getting stakeholder on board.

 "From our research we have come up with biodiesel from such oil, to save people's lives from consuming dangerous oils and conserve the environment as the new product can quickly decompose so that it stops becoming a problem to the environment," said Zawedde.

Enoch Owembabazi, a biochemist who took part in the development of biodegradable diesel explained that when oil is over used, oxidation and Hydrogenation takes place.

"Oxidation is when the oil gets a lot of oxygen and its color keeps changing and that is it becoming darker over time, implying that impurities have increased. It also develops fatty acids and free radicals  in form of fats which doctors say can narrow arteries of the heart and causes cholesterol accumulation," Owembazi explained.

He added that those already with this kind of oil like restaurants or hotels already with this kind of cooking oil should partner with NaCRRI to produce biodiesel which they can use for other appliances.

To further spread the message, Dr.Ephraim Nuwamanya added that they are now identifying restaurant and hotel owners interested in adding value to the used oil to start up small diesel making hubs in their areas.

These will be trained  on how to make the biodiesel and then can then buy from restaurants around them and refine for them hence creating another income generating activities,

Aliter of such fuel can be sold at between sh1500 to 2000 shillings a liter, which can be a good source of income if one sold more liters of such oil in a day," he added.

What other people say about the innovation

Isaiah Weboya, the General Manager of Mbale Resort Hotel, said the innovation presents an opportunity for them to turn wasted cooking oil into useful oil to help them run their generators and boilers.

According to Weboya, they drain ten liters of used vegetable oil every week and in the month; those are 40 litres. He however called on researchers to intensify the sensitization and involve stake holders in public health like municipality officials to carry out inspections  in restaurants, to find out how many times they use oil and if actually they get rid of it.

"This will give them an idea on where to focus on where to start the sensitization and promotion of the technology from so as to save people's lives from health conditions related to the use of bad cooking oil," he said.

Michael Ahimbisibwe from Ministry of Energy said the initiative is in line with the ministry's proposed biofuels bill, proposing to blend petrol products to come up with other forms of energy.

"We shall support them to get refined products which we can blend with petrol products. Already we are working with Sugar companies that are supplying us with power produced from Ethanol," he said.