Project Title: GHG Abatement through Energy Efficiency in the Land Transport Sector
Project Location: Upolu and Savaii
Project Duration: 2 years ending 2011
Project Cost: USD 700K
Project Summary:
The project focuses on reducing GHG emissions in the land transport sector by strengthening energy efficiency in motorised transport operations; promotion of non-motorised transport; and the development of bio-fuels to replace or reduce imports of refined petroleum fuel. It is a multi sector project involving land transport, power utility and the Samoa Research and Development Institute.
The three strategies for achieving the overall project goal are: improvement in energy efficiency in motorised land transport and increased utilisation of non-motorised transport; the construction of a demonstration biomass gasification technology for electricity generation; and the use of coconut oil as an alternative to diesel fuel use in power generators and motorised transport.
Project Development:
The Project Coordinator, Project Officer and LTA Consultant for the project have been recruited. Work plans for all three components of the project had been developed and endorsed by the National Task Force.
A community workshop was conducted in June on the islands of Upolu and Savaii for public transport suppliers and auto-mechanics business owners. The week long workshop placed emphasis on the impacts of GHG emissions and the promotion of energy efficiency in the Land Transport Sector. Awareness on the project is in progress, with TV adverts, workshops and weekly newspaper articles being used to inform the public.
A SIP200M biodiesel batch pilot plant has been built and tested in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the production of coconut biodiesel.
This will later be transported to The Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS) once financial arrangements are settled. 1000 litres (40 x 25 litre containers) of coconut oil milled by Paradise Oil Co. in Samoa was air freighted to the Asia Bio-Fuel Tech Factory in Kuala Lumpur on May 24 2009 for the plant assembly testing phase. Inspection of the plant was taken on May 25. Five test runs for the plant were carried out from 9 – 10 June 2009 in the presence of SROS and Samoan Government officials.
Biodiesel produced from the first batch of test runs on 9 June were used to fuel an (Asia Bio-Fuel) Mazda Fighter pick-up truck which was used for transport over the next 3 days. No problems were encountered by the truck during these 3 days.
