Used Cooking Oils as a Source Material for Biodiesel Production: Case Study for Kitwe Town, Zambia
Mwema Wanjiya,
Misozi Makangila,
Lloyd Mukosha
Issue:
Volume 3, Issue 4, August 2018
Pages:
32-37
Received:
10 August 2018
Accepted:
26 September 2018
Published:
19 October 2018
Abstract: The escalating prices on the world market, depreciation of fossils fuel reserves and environmental concerns has lead to the quest for the alternatives sustainable renewable energy sources. The past decades have witnessed innovations developed to produce biodiesels from various sources such as Groundnuts, Soya beans, Palm oils, Canola, Sunflower, Castor nuts and Jatropha plants and animal fats. However, most of these raw materials are competitive as food sources in human food chain. This research assesses the use of Used Cooking Oils (UCOs) from food outlets in Kitwe Town, Zambia as source for biodiesel production. Of equal importance is the assessment of environmental impact of the current waste management practices employed in disposal of UCOs. Data was obtained by administering questionnaires to various food outlets. The study revealed that approximately 8500 L/year of UCO would be generated from the sampled area. Fast food outlets accounted for 76% of the overall UCOs production in the sampled area. It was found that UCOs were mainly disposed through drainage into Municipal Sewers with the possibility of fatberg generation. Reuse of the UCO by the correspondents was a common practice and any leftover was disposed into the environment. The results of this study indicated the UCOs could be a major source material for biodiesel production.
Abstract: The escalating prices on the world market, depreciation of fossils fuel reserves and environmental concerns has lead to the quest for the alternatives sustainable renewable energy sources. The past decades have witnessed innovations developed to produce biodiesels from various sources such as Groundnuts, Soya beans, Palm oils, Canola, Sunflower, Ca...
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