A Hodgepodge of Updates

Petrol Prices

The prices of petrol in Malaysia have not changed. Diesel, RON 92, and RON 97 continue to sell at the same prices of the months before. However, come this July, RON 95 will be introduced, phasing out RON 92. RON 95 will be sold at the price that RON 92 present sells for (RM1.70 per litre). RON 97 will be sold at an increased price, compared to its present price. The prices of RON 95 and RON 97 will be announced only in July. (Source: The Star Online, 20th Feb. 2009. RON 97 Petrol To Cost More In July. URL : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/20/nation/20090220193422&sec=nation) One particular blogger suggests that the price of RON 97 may be floated from July 2009. (Source: paultan.org, 19th Feb. 2009. RON 97 Petrol to be Floated from July 2009. URL: http://paultan.org/archives/2009/02/19/ron97-petrol-to-be-floated-from-july-2009/)

Subsidy Ends March 31st
The subsidy, or cash rebate, given to owners of vehicles below 2,000 cc, will come to an end this 31st March 2009. It is likely that this cash rebate subsidy will not be reintroduced in the future as the rakyat seem to prefer lower petrol prices at the pump, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad. (Source: The Star Online, 25th Feb. 2009. Get Your Rebates By March 31. URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/25/nation/20090225073157&sec=nation)

Pricing Mechanism For Petrol
Ismail Ahmad, domestic trade division senior director at the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, writing in the New Straits Times, wrote that the Government has been using the APM (Automatic Pricing Mechanism) method since 1983 to fix the price of petrol. Seven (7) components of the APM mechanism were discussed: cost of product, alpha, operational cost, oil companies' margin, station dealers' margin, sales tax and subsidies. (Source: New Straits Times Online, 15th Feb. 2009. Setting the Retail Price for Petrol and Diesel. URL: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/National/2479984/Article/index_html) Perhaps this topic can be the subject matter of a separate blog post.

Plastic - Petrol Initiatives
In Sri Lanka, a method has been invented to convert plastic, one of the most troublesome waste products of modern times, to petrol. Its inventor is named Ananda Vithanage. (Source: Daily News, 24th Feb. 2009. Petrol From Plastic Soon. URL: http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/02/24/news03.asp) But this does not seem new. In Nagpur, India, Alka Zadgaonkar, head of department of organic chemistry in GH Raisoni College of Engineering, has signed a MOU with India Oil Corporation (IOC) to manufacture and market fuel products obtained from waste plastic. Her method involves heating shredded plastic, free of oxygen, over coal, together with a secret ingredient. 1 kg of plastic and 100 gm of coal yields about 1 litre of fuel. (Source: The Sunday Tribune, 28th Sept. 2003. Converting Plastic Waste Into Petrol. URL: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030928/spectrum/main4.htm)

Time To Fly With BioFuel?

Nine MSN reported on 31st January 2009 that Japan Airlines (JAL) have successfully co-operated with Boeing to successfully pull off the first flight powered by biofuel. (Source: Nine MSN, Japan Airlines Test First Biofuel Flight. 31st Jan. 2009. URL: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/technology/736045/japan-airlines-test-first-biofuel-flight)

The biofuel is composed of camelina, a "non-food crop", i.e. human beings are not deprived of food if the crop is turned into biofuel. The kerosene was mixed with conventional kerosene jet fuel. JAL noted that there was no need for modification to the aircraft's engine. The second generation biofuel involved was composed of a mixture of camelina, jatropha, and algae. The report noted that it was Boeing's fourth demonstration involving biofuels.

All four Boeing demonstrations have thus far involved Boeing aircrafts. The demonstrations thus far can be summed up as follows:

• First demonstration: Virgin Atlantic Airways, February 2008. First generation biofuel consisting of 20% blend. Plane: Boeing 747-400. Engine: One of 4 General Electric CF6.
• Second demonstration: Air New Zealand, 30th December 2008. Second generation biofuel consisting 50% blend Jet A1 and jatropha oil. Plane: Boeing 747-400. Engine: One Rolls Royce RB211.
• Third demonstration: Continental Airlines, 7th January 2009. Second generation biofuel consisting 50% blend of Jet A1 and balance consisting 95% jatropha oil and 5% algae oil. Plane: Boeing 747-800. Engine: One of 2 CFM International CFM56-7B.
• Fourth demonstration: Japan Airlines, 30th January 2009. Second generation biofuel consisting 84% camelina oil, below 16% jatropha oil and below 1% algae oil. Plane: Boeing 747-300. Engine: Pratt & Whitney JT9D.

Boeing expects that the next step would be certification of biofuels rather than proof of concept. Boeing expects that certification could work towards 50% blend biofuels by 2010. (Source: Flight Global, Trio of Biofuel Tests to Move Certification Forward. 26th January 2010. URL: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/01/26/321565/trio-of-biofuel-tests-to-move-certification-forward.html)

The push for biofuels in aviation would help reduce carbon emissions. A single return trip between London and Sydney would produce 5.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person. Aviation contributes about 3.5% to global warming and is likely to increase to 5% by the afternoon. Airline fuel, which is not taxed internationally, is artificially lower priced compared to other fuels, and therefore encourages people to travel by air. Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gases. (Source: NOVA Science in The News. Flying Below Our Means. Air Travel Air etc. Date: 8th Feb. 2009. URL: http://www.science.org.au/nova/113/113key.htm)

Climate change is hastened by emissions of nitrous oxide from airplanes, which heightens the effects of CO2. (Source: Christian Science Monitor, Greener Travel? Japan Tests Pond Scum as Jet Biofuel. Date: 1st February 2009. URL: http://features.csmonitor.com/globalnews/2009/02/01/greener-travel-japan-tests-pond-scum-as-jet-biofuel/)

The ingredients of the biofuel in the JAL plane were sourced as follows:

• Camelina grows in Montana;
• Jatropha grows in Tanzania; and
• Algae oil grows in Hawaii. (Source: ibid.)

Electrify My Transport

What happens when the concept of "peak oil" comes into reality? As most people realise, petrol and other types of fossil fuels, are a finite resource. It is accepted that one day, we may run out of petrol. To this end, efforts to encourage the use of hybrid vehicles have not met with much success in Malaysia. Hybrid vehicles use partly fossil fuels (petrol, diesel) and partly other sources of energy, e.g. electricity, ethanol, hydrogen, solar, etc.

An article in The Australian, Shock Therapy For Petrol Addicts, hypothesizes that electric cars are the wave of the future. (Ref: The Australiam Shock Therapy For Petrol Addicts. 31st January 2009. URL: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24984579-13232,00.html) Among other matters, the writer states:

• Lithium Ion batteries are now adapted for use in electric vehicles;
• Electric cars will appeal to the next generation of tech-savvy buyers;
• The "digital generation" is not interested in the car in the same way as the older generation is;
• Electric car makers are striving to create electric vehicles that have the same appeal as the ordinary car;
• Retro fitting of existing vehicles (converting vehicles to electric base) is getting popular;
• Many car manufacturers opt to create "hybrid" cars which use a petrol engine to allow the battery to recharge while the secondary power source is being used;

However, there is a contrary view. An article from Canadian news agency Globe And Mail, Pumped Up: Why Gasoline Engines Are Here To Stay, argues that plans to develop "exotic technologies" fail to take into consideration the progress being made in the automotive industry to "improve fuel economy and reduce emissions". (Ref: Globe and Mail, Pumped Up: Why Gasoline Engines Are Here To Stay. 29th January 2009. URL : http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090129.whGreenAutoMain0129/BNStory/specialGlobeAuto)

I recently took a holiday to China and was impressed by the degree of pedal power there. I refer to electric bicycles, tricycles, and other such vehicles. These are basically known as 电动车 or e-bikes, and there are many brands of electric powered bicycles in China. Such e-bikes are not readily available in Malaysia. Yet many people are impressed by the popularity of such e-bikes in China. In China, the bicyclist can be assured that he rides in his own lane, separate from the ordinary lane reserved for big vehicles. (Source: The Star, E-bikes and Green Homes the Way Forward. 16th June 2008. URL: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/16/business/21523258&sec=business)


While aboard the plane (AirAsia) I wondered how much petrol the plane consumes while flying, and whether aircraft transportation by electric powered vehicles is possible. The answer is that about 1 gallon of fuel is consumed every second. (Source: HowStuffWorks, How Much Fuel Does An International Plane Use For A Trip?" Accessed 9th January 2009.) Another estimate is also that a plane like the Boeing 747 burns about 5 gallons of fuel per mile.