There is a new update on my work websites describing work carried out lately with regard to a biofuel project evaluation (Copra, see links on the side of the frame) and progress with regard to a coconut oil fuel plant in Samoa (CocoGen).
The biofuel project evaluation in Fiji shows that in many instances Pacific communities have excess coconuts and excess labour and automatically it is assumed that the excess labour will be available to turn the excess coconuts into oil, provided the right equipment is made available to them. However, as it often turns out, individuals, especially men, have the tendency to optimise on their leisure time, instead on their maximum utility of the environment. In Fiji, both specially adapted generators do not run on coconut oil anymore. One is broken beyond repair and will have to be replaced and the other one runs on diesel. The community found it easier to just buy fuel from proceedings of farming and land leases, instead of going through the trouble of producing fuel themselves.
The CocoGen inception report finds that a coconut oil fuel factory in Savai'i, Samoa is possible but that there are severe economic risks associated with the investment. As the oil price keeps its volatile character, the viability of the coconut oil fuel factory might come under fire. In addition, as the last copra oil producing entity (COPS) went into bankruptcy last year, the problems in the copra sector, especially the low returns at farmers level are showing the significant challenges of even producing small amounts of fuel from coconuts.
Niches still appear to be present in the Pacific biofuel sector, in areas with extremely high fuel prices and low alternative wage options for farmers.
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