Island Fuel

Greenhouse gases, carbon footprint, global warming. Sound familiar? These are just a few buzz words in the world of environmental conservation today as it relates to the burning of fossil fuels. However, in the midst of an increasing global desire for sustainable energy and cleaner fuels, we have found a glimmer of hopeful ingenuity here in Vanuatu in the form of the simple coconut!

You may recall learning about the copra industry here in the Pacific. Copra (or dried coconut meat) is exported by the islands and used to make fine oils for the skin, soaps, and other beauty products all over the world. While these are all fine uses for the dried oily raw material, we have discovered that it has also found its way into environmental conservation.

Island fuel, as it is called here in Vanuatu, is a type of bio fuel produced from the oil extracted from copra. It can be used in its pure extracted form as a substitute for diesel with very little modification, or as a diesel or kerosene fuel mix. While you may not see island fuel at your local station pump anytime soon, it certainly has a presence here in the South Pacific.

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