ZCZC
BSS-01
INNOVATION-FUEL-PLASTIC
Youth on final mission of producing fuel from plastic
DHAKA, Dec 7, 2018 (BSS) -A rural youth lacking higher education and
enduring various odds has embarked on a successful mission of innovating an
environment-friendly technology of generating fuel from plastic wastes like
polythene and plastic bags.
HM Tawhid, a 25-year youth, has only completed his higher secondary school
from Govt. Ashek Mahmud College in Jamalpur. He did not get
necessary support or guidance from any teacher or scientist. He just uses
his utter intellect in innovating the technology to produce fuel from plastic
wastes.
Setting up a plant in Jamalpur municipality with support from Access to
Information (a2i) project of the Prime Minister’s Office and UNDP Bangladesh,
Tawhid breaks the molecular bond of polythene and plastic and transform the
same into another form of carbon in which raw fuel (Diesel/Petrol and
Kerosene) is found and not only that, byproducts like coal and gas are
produced.
Tawhid uses heat in a high pressure to change the carbon form and convert
poly to fuel in 2:1 ratio. If 100kg of poly/plastic is burnt, about 50 litres
of fuel will be produced.
The process mainly requires a chamber where polythene/plastic is burnt in
high pressure and then those are sent in gas form into three different pipes
that is through condenser. In condenser, heat and pressure transmission are
given.
After first burn, crude oil, heating in the temperature between 120 and 150
degree, petrol is produced. After burning petrol from 150 to 200 degree
temperature, diesel is generated and Kerosene is produced in the temperature
above 200 degree.
Taufiqur Rahman, a mentor of a2i’s Fuel from Poly/Plastic Project, said
this invention is not only a mere discovery rather it has commercial
viability as only raw material of Tk 24 can produce petrol costing Tk 87.
“Under a keen supervision of Access to Information (a2i), we’ve taken an
initiative to scale up the project up to 200 kg raw material process plant in
a day, and commercially it will be profitable venture after generating 5/7
employments, including the innovator as an entrepreneur,” he said.
Environmental researchers estimate that 9 million plastic items are being
dumped daily across the country with only about 10 percent being dumped into
rubbish bins. Over time, the castaway plastic items end in clogging up drains
and sewers and pollute rivers and soil.
Taufiqur said the innovation of the young scientist is environmentally
sound and it does not create pollution and that is why it is time to know
whether the innovation is financially viable on a large scale.
To know that, he said, a new pilot project was launched in Jamalpur
municipality area on December 1, 2018. “Once we find the pilot project is
commercially feasible, we will launch such project in waste dumping stations
of 64 municipalities in 64 districts.”
Then local entrepreneurs will be involved in the projects while a2i
project and UNDP will give technical supports to run the innovation plants,
Taufiqur said, adding that the local entrepreneurs will come forward to
invest in the projects when those will be commercially feasible.
BSS/Spl/MRI/AKM 1235hrs