Filipino scientists develop environment-friendly cooking with 'Protos'

By Mediatrix P. Cristobal

MANILA, Jan 8 (PNA) -- Responding to mounting calls to act on climate change, residents of Leyte turn to environmen-friendly stove that uses plant oil as fuel, instead of liquefied petroleum gas, in cooking their foods.

Protos, a locally-manufactured environment-friendly technology first noticed by Germany-based company BSH Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group, can run on coconut oil which emits lower carbon monoxide.

Aside from coconut, other suitable plants are palm, sunflower, castor, corn, soybean, and jatropha, expert from Visayas State University (VSU) Dr. Roberto C. Guarte said.

"Generally, its overall performance is almost the same as gas stove and much better than other local stoves in terms of cost of operation, safety, carbon monoxide emission, and sustainability," he said.

The stove consists of a tank, pump, frame, valve, fuel line, and a vaporizer originally made at the University of Hohenheim and acquired by BSH Group in Germany.

Traditional stove, uses firewood, hence resulting in depletion of forest resources and often lead to ecological disasters like erosion and flooding.

Smoke from burning firewood damages human health - such as eye and lungs - and aggravates air pollution.

LPG stove on the other hand emits high levels of carbon monoxide, a chemical that harms the environment. This type is also too expensive to majority of the Filipinos.

Protos has been tested by 100 households in selected areas in Leyte, which yielded a monthly average of 11.64 liters per month of plant oil consumption at a daily cooking time of 1.53 hours.

Six small restaurants at the VSU market also tested the device and consumed an average of about 28 liters per month at an average daily cooking time of 5.24 hours.

Guarte also said that commercial production of the plant oil stove can provide Net Present Value of P666,017 and Internal Rate of Return of 25 percent and Benefit Cost Ratio of 1.02.

This was based on a computed financial analysis, as of year 2007, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCARRD) said.

The VSU engineering workshop produces 1,500 units of plant oil cook stove per year in coordination with BSH Group in Germany.

VSU established a complete production line to ensure sustainable production of the plant oil stove for marketing and distribution in Region 8.

By expanding its production to cooperatives, this project has a potential to help create jobs in the rural areas, provide income to the poor, and cooperatives with additional profits, hence bringing not only environmental, but also economic and social benefits, the PCARRD said. (PNA)