Supplying a power station with ‘coco fuel' on a Pacific island
Presented by Unelco SUEZ
CONTEXT
Unelco SUEZ has been a power producer and distributor on Vanuatu (South Pacific) for more than 60 years. Faced with soaring diesel prices, Unelco SUEZ sought out a more economical solution to run its power stations. The objective was to find a less expensive local fuel with a minimum investment. 'Coco fuel', a mixture of copra oil (widely available on Vanuatu) and diesel oil was chosen.
INNOVATION
In November 2005, the first coco fuel trials were carried out at the Tagabé power station. The initial aim was to confirm the operation of the station’s two 4MW MAN diesel motors with a fuel consisting of 5% coco fuel for a duration of over 3,000 hours. During the initial phase, a unit for injecting copra oil into the diesel fuel was set up. The second stage consisted of seeking the best settings to improve efficiency. The goal is to achieve 25%.
RESULTS
The installation's behaviour was observed over several months in order to resolve any technical problems. After 4,000 hours of operation and 117,000 litres of copra oil consumed, the use of coco fuel at a dosage of 5% was validated. The only recommendation was to check the motor’s fuel injectors every 1,000 hours. The operation is being continued with a 10% dosage over 3,000 hours. The use of 10% coco fuel at Tagabé reduces dependence on imported diesel oil and ensures a stable income for more than 150 people in copra plantations and in the oil pressing sector.
