Biodiesel for a Boda-Boda economy

If you are into engines and/or the environment, you might have heard about a guy called Jonathan Goodwin. By experimenting with diesel technology and alternative fuels, Goodwin has figured out a way to cut emissions and double the horse power of practically any SUV. For this little miracle, FastCompany magazine called him the Motorhead Messiah and put him on the cover of their latest issue.

Simple and efficient

Goodwin's designs build on existing technologies, particularly diesel.

Diesel technology is crucial to all of Goodwin's innovations because it offers several advantages over traditional gasoline engines. Pound for pound, diesel offers more power and torque; it's also inherently more efficient, offering up to 40% better mileage and 20% lower emissions in engines of comparable size. What's more, many diesel engines can easily accept a wide range of biodiesel--from the high-quality stuff produced at refineries to the melted chicken grease siphoned off from the local KFC.

CLIVE THOMPSON, in FastCompany magazine, 2007

If that sounds impressive, it is even more so when hydrogen is added to the mix.

The hydrogen, ignited by the diesel combustion, burns extremely clean, producing only water as a by-product. It also displaces up to 50% of the diesel needed to fuel the car, effectively doubling the diesel's mileage and cutting emissions by at least half. Better yet, the water produced from the hydrogen combustion cools down the engine, so the diesel combustion generates fewer particulates--and thus fewer nitrogen-oxide emissions.

CLIVE THOMPSON, in FastCompany magazine, 2007

Goodwin's work is being cited as an example of how innovative thinking can help Americans reduce greenhouse gases without sacrificing their love for oversized vehicles.

That got me thinking about possible applications for this technology in Uganda.

Biodiesel for your generator

Uganda is in the midst of a crippling energy crisis. Hospitals, schools, businesses and households alike have been forced to buy generators that are expensive to run. The Bujagali hydropower dam is about four years away from completion, if it stays on track, and the cost of fuel is not going down.

If Goodwin's innovations can extend beyond the automotive industry, that would be good news. This is not out of the realm of possibility since, according to the FastCompany article, Goodwin's experiments with biodiesel were inspired by the work of Uli Kruger, a German who has spent decades in Australia exploring techniques for blending fuels that normally don't mix. The fact that scientists in Uganda are already working on ways to generate hydrogen from garbage is an encouraging sign.

Biodiesel for your boda-boda

If you have been to Uganda in the last 5 years then you should be familiar with boda-bodas. There are over 10, 000 of these modified motorcycles by recent estimates. That is a sizable market by any standard. If the boda-boda engines were converted to run on biodiesel, the grease from any takeaway in Kampala would be able to power the engine with enough torque to carry two over any porthole in the city. Sounds like a pipe dream? Read the article.

The takeaways would have some extra income from selling their garbage to biofuel converters; the boda-boda drivers would have a cheaper, cleaner source of fuel.

A question of curiosity, not formal education

I always find it incredibly humbling to read about or meet people who, with little or no education, create something that has global impact. It is a reminder that old-fashioned curiosity trumps any academic credential when it comes to innovative thinking. Goodwin, is one of those curious fellows:

After dropping out of school in the seventh grade, he made a living by buying up totaled cars and making them as good as new. "That," he says, "was my school."

CLIVE THOMPSON, in FastCompany magazine, 2007

Do we have a Goodwin in Kampala?