PLANT TO PROCESS CONVENTIONAL FUEL INTO ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY PRODUCT (PAGE 46, JULY 22, 2010)

An estimated GH¢800,000 pilot plant to process conventional fuel into a cost- effective product, which reduces emissions and saves about 30 per cent cost on fuel consumption, has been unveiled in Tema.
The plant,when it becomes operational, will produce to serve boiler and furnace user industries.
The technology, which uses petroleum, water and emulsifiers to turn out the refined product, will also help to minimise the intermittent shut downs of boilers and furnaces for maintenance.
Branded M-Fuel, the plant which was patented in Korea, is being test run on a capacity of 60,000 litres of fuel daily to turn out 80,000 litres of the refined product. The plant is expected to begin supplying its refined products by the end of July 2010.
According to the Group Managing Director of Marado Company, Mr Robert Adomako, the technology could be used for all types of fuels ranging from diesel, bio-diesel, bunker oil and kerosene.
He said the M-Fuel would concentrate on the processing of diesel and residual fuel which were by-products from oil refineries which emitted high levels of nitrogen oxides and were harmful to the environment.
Mr Adomako said the M-fuel company would purchase conventional fuel on the market and sell the processed product at cheaper cost to industries, but would also accept contracts from industries to refine their conventional fuel products for them to run the boilers and furnaces.
He explained that after processing, the quantity of oil delivered to the company by various industries would increase by 30 per cent because of the use of water in the process.
Mr Adomako called on industries to cut down on production cost by patronising the M-fuel in order to benefit fully from the innovation.
The Chief Executive of Marado Company, Mr Lloyd Amoah, who took invited guests through the process of refining the emulsified fuel, said the plant processed about 60 per cent oil and 40 per cent water.
He emphasised that the M-fuel system was economical to use and environmentally friendly .
Mr Amoah was of the view that the technology could help reduce production cost of industries by 30 per cent with the use of the M-fuel .
He stated that fuel produced by the technology was stable under normal storage conditions for up to a year without any subsequent stirring.
Dr Ali Abugre, a retired Deputy Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), commended the management of Marado Company for transferring the innovation to Ghana and therefore Africa, to support the industry.
He said the supply of conventional fuel on the market should not hinder their operations because as an independent entity, the company could fall on the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs ) for supply.
Dr Abugre described the system as an innovation to the boiler system, which would enable fuel to burn completely and reduce maintenance cost.
He said the system was another means of economising on fuel use in the country and advised industries to patronise the product.
Dr Abugre said the 30 per cent savings to be made on the use of the product was very significant aside the health implications that users of the conventional fuel suffered.
He explained that the TOR was a refinery and not into the nano-technology which would operate with water, fuel and emulsifiers and that it could be done only if TOR decided to build a plant for it.
There was a demonstration to show the difference between conventional fuel and the processed fuel under the nano-technology.
Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana National Fire Service, representatives of industries, engineers and the general public observed the process.
Korean experts, who built the plant, demonstrated by firing two improvised furnaces and the conventional fuel burned with red flames and thick black smoke, while there was no smoke when the processed M-Fuel was fired.