Local runs motorcycle with pine oil as fuel

Madhav Aryal

PALPA, Oct 12 - While the world is talking about scope of biofuel in combating soaring oil prices, a youth of Palpa district ran a motorcycle using oil he refined from pine resin as fuel on Sunday.

Keshav Karki, a resident of Jarepipal, collected resin produced by pine ...

Meanwhile, after learning that it is costly to set up a refinery using sophisticated equipment, Karki has planned to produce pine oil in huge amount using the oil mill located at Jhumsa in the district.

This is not the first time that Karki used biofuel; earlier, he had run the motorcycle with the refined oil of Sajiban, another local plant.

He has already registered a company with the name Bhairav Darshan Sajiban Power Provision Nepal.

Karki says, “I heard that petrol can be produced from the thick resin of pine. I was successful after using a local technique after a quite long test”.

He ran two motorcycles, one of his and the other of one of his friends Ram Bahadur Raut’s, 10 kms far from Tansen Bus Park to Batasedada using the pine oil on Sunday.

Raut says, “I think the oil is good since it has been prepared from the alcohol plant in village.

It has been assumed that one litre of biopetrol is likely give a 40 km mileage.

Chief of District Traffic Police Humanand Khanal says, “If the emitted smell is like that of the thick pine resin, it will help minimise the pollution.

Pine resin costs six rupees per kg excluding 13 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT).

Madhav Bashyal of Madanpokhara says, “It can be used as an alternative to other fuels if it is refined from the alcohol plant.