The Exceptional Vision of His Majesty the King

             For the past 20 years the world has been faced with an energy crisis. As days passed by, the problems became more severe. The situation imposed a serious impact on Thailand owing to its need of importing tremendous amounts of fuel in the form of crude oil and processed oil. In 2000, the cost of the imported oil reached 258,172 million baht. From this amount, 12,133 million baht was paid for the importation of diesel oil, an important factor of production in the industrial, agricultural and transportation sectors. This put Thailand in a trade deficit situation and raised the price of consumer products higher, causing the people to suffer.

             Recognizing the problem, His Majesty the King became greatly interested in searching for a means of using renewable energy in Thailand, both for the benefits of Thai people as well as for development of the country, to enable it to survive the economic crisis. Out of this interest, His Majesty graciously initiated a study on the use of wind, water and sunlight energy for the benefits of the Royal Development Projects which received successful outcomes. Later, His Majesty gave another initiative to study the use of agricultural products to replace the oil. This study concerned production of Gasohol to mix with low octane Benzene to increase the octane value. This study has also been successful and has created benefits for more than 10 years. His Majesty also granted an initiative to continually study the use of oil from many plants to replace the use of diesel oil in machines by remaining on a low profile, with the result of this study and experiment proving satisfactory to a certain extent.

 

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn listening to the lecture and watching the type of oil which can be used to replace diesel oil in machines at the Pikun Thong Royal Development Study Center.	Her Royal Highness Princess observing the test of using palm oil in engines and tractors at the Pikun Thong Royal Development Study Center.

 

            Out of his concern that the people who were born and have been living under his aegis might suffer from the severe oil crisis occurring 2-3 years ago, His Majesty granted an initiative to conduct a serious study of the use of palm oil to replace diesel oil in machines. Oil palm is a plant which has great potentials for use as a renewable energy source to replace diesel oil. It is commonly planted in the southern region of Thailand. In 2000, the plantation area for oil palm was 1,301,618 rai (520,647.2 acres) which yielded the produce of 3,403,731 tons. There are 44 companies of crude palm oil extract refineries in 9 provinces of the southern region of Thailand, with the production capacity of 841,657 tons per year. There are also 11 companies of pure palm oil refineries with a production capacity of 56,447 tons per month. The outcome of the study according to His Majesty's initiative proved that pure palm oil can be used in diesel engines by mixing it with diesel oil. It then becomes fuel applicable to every type of diesel engine at every proportion ranging from 0.01 to 99.99%, or it can be used 100% as fuel for diesel engines. At present, His Majesty the King has submitted a request for patent registration with the Department of Intellectual Property in order to preserve the work as a treasure of Thai people. In addition, His Majesty graciously granted a further initiative to continually study the use of palm oil to replace diesel oil in other aspects. This proved to be another occasion for Thai people to be extremely happy and proud of their beloved king.

The Chaipattana Foundation and the Study of Palm Oil

"To implement the study of using palm oil to replace diesel oil in machines by means of a tangible application with the agricultural machines at Aow Luek District, Krabi Province. The study is to explore the duration of palm oil. The Chaipattana Foundation will provide budgetary support to Prince of Songkhla University to conduct research and study."

           Above is the statement which clearly expressed His Majesty's initiative on the use of palm oil in place of diesel oil in machines and which His Majesty presented with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on October 1, 2000, after Her Royal Highness went to follow up the work progress of the Pikun Thong Royal Development Study Center on September 24, 2000. On this particular occasion, Her Royal Highness had an opportunity to observe the project to support small-sized palm oil industries and was presented a report of the research outcome by Prince of Songkhla University regarding the use of palm oil as fuel in machines. Her Royal Highness then relayed His Majesty the King 's previous initiative on the use of palm oil as fuel to replace diesel oil to H.E. Chulanope Snidvongs Na Ayuthaya, the Privy Councillor; Mr.Panthep Klanarongran, Secretary-General of the Office of the Royal Development Projects Board; Rector of Prince of Songkhla University as well as officials from many government agencies, as quoted below:

Her Royal Highness observing the progress of the small-sized palm oil extract plant
at Aow Luek Settlement Cooperative on February 6,2003

 

           "His Majesty the King is interested in using palm oil in agricultural machines by mixing it with diesel oil. This should be experimented in a commercial fashion like the oil distributor in the Aow Luek Settlement Cooperative, Krabi Province. If there is no budget, the research project should be proposed to the Chaipattana Foundation."

The model of the palm oil refinery at the Aow Luek Settlement Cooperative,
Krabi Province after the improvment

The Chaipattana Foundation's committee which is chaired by Her Royal Highness held a meeting on September 29, 2000, and concluded that the Chaipattana Foundation should support the study of the use of palm oil to replace diesel oil in machines.

On October 4, 2000, at Klai Kang Won Palace, His Majesty gave an initiative to H.E. Chulanope Snidvongs Na Ayuthaya, the Privy Councillor, who concluded the message as follows:

"His Majesty the King graciously gave Royal permission for the use of money from the Chaipattana Foundation to restore the palm oil extract plant at Aow Luek Settlement Cooperative, Krabi Province. His Majesty also suggested that the use of palm oil in the diesel engine be experimented at Aow Luek Settlement Cooperative, Krabi Province, and at the Pikun Thong Royal Development Study Center."

The Implementation in Response to His Majesty's Initiative

1. The Implementation Plan

        The Secretariat Office of the Chaipattana Foundation and the Office of the Royal Development Projects Board in cooperation with Prince of Songkhla University jointly shaped the guidelines for work implementation, in response to His Majesty's initiative, which were concluded into two sub-projects as follows:

1.1 The project of using palm oil to replace diesel oil for agricultural machines with the purpose of testing the capacity and functioning efficiency of the agricultural machines when using palm oil instead of diesel oil. This involved both the test with the experimental machine and that with the machine at the actual implementing site. The research outcome information will be disseminated among the government and private sectors. The implementation duration is 30 months, which anticipates the project completion in July 2003.

1.2 The project of improving the palm oil extract prototype plant at Aow Luek Settlement Cooperative, Krabi Province, with the aim of increasing the productivity of crude palm oil as well as to improve the administrative system so as to operate the plant in a commercial manner and enable the plant to stand on its own. Other objectives are to carry out the process of palm oil production before refining it to become pure palm oil for further use as fuel, and to support the research study on replacing diesel oil with palm oil in agricultural machines. The implementation duration is 12 months which will allow the project to end in February 2002.

         For the project implementation, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Chairman of the Chaipattana Foundation, granted approval of the implementation guidelines and the budget from the Chaipattana Foundation to Prince of Songkhla University which will implement the project. The Siam Kubota Industry Company Limited gave Her Royal Highness a Kubota machine and a tractor with a 11- horsepower engine to be used in the study of using palm oil to replace diesel oil in agricultural machines.

2. The Implementation Outcomes

2.1 The project of using palm oil to replace diesel oil in agricultural machines

This included study of the quality of the refined palm oil, installation of the engine with the equipment for testing the capacity, and testing of the engine in the laboratory using diesel oil for 50 hours, and using refined palm oil for 100 hours. The findings showed that the viscosity of palm oil is about 10 times more than that of diesel oil and the flash-point temperature can be up to 289 oC which causes difficulty when starting the engine. Accordingly, two parts must be improved: the injector and the combustion chamber. Up to present, the injector has been improved to the point that it can be used at a certain level. As for the combustion chamber, the study and the improvement is currently underway. If the development of the injector and the combustion chamber can accommodate the viscosity of palm oil, then the next step of the development will be easier. With regard to the study on the engine's capacity, it was found that the capacity between the engines using pure palm oil and diesel oil, which are working below their maximum capacity, is not that much different at the 50 and 1,000 operating hours, except for the dirtiness of the injector after 500 operating hours. Then for the study on the wear of the engine, it was found that when using pure palm oil some parts such as the piston ring were found to be more deteriorated; whereas other parts like the oil pump were found to be less deteriorated .

2.2 The project of improving the small-sized palm oil extract prototype plant at Aow Luek Settlement Cooperative

The original plant with a production capacity of about 1 ton fresh fruit bunch per hour was improved by building a new plant within the vicinity and expanding a production capacity to 2 tons fresh fruit bunch per hour. With the process of palm fruit vacuum frying in which water is not wasted during the production stage, grade A commercial quality crude oil can be produced at a maximum capacity of 6-7 tons per day. Moreover, residue and palm seeds can be extracted as grade B oil which can be used as raw materials in further processing or as a mixture in making renewable energy source to replace diesel at a capacity of 1-1.5 tons.

Presently, Aow Luek Settlement Cooperative Limited has hired a plant chief and a plant technician, and already started

      The success gained from His Majesty's initiative in studying the use of palm oil to replace diesel oil is another valuable gift His Majesty the King has granted to the Thai people because diesel oil generates problems in many aspects. It must be imported from foreign countries at a high price, causes pollution which destroys the health of human beings, animals and the environment, generates black smoke and toxic gas which cannot be seen, but carries the danger of ruining lungs and causing cancer. It also causes an increase in the expenses for health and environmental care. Each time the price of diesel oil increases, the price of consumer goods also increases. Therefore, the widespread promotion of using palm oil to replace diesel oil will create multiple benefits by not causing pollution. Since it has no sulphur as an ingredient, acid rain will not occur and with organic substance, it disintegrates easily. Oil palm can be grown as a substitute plant and in a large quantity, providing help for far.000mers who can sell palm at a higher price. It is also a solution for the problem of the decrease of palm oil price and can help reduce importation of diesel oil. People can then buy consumer goods at a lower price because the transportation fee is cheaper. It can clearly be seen that the victory of the development within this framework generates benefits to producers, consumers, and the environment, as well as the whole nation.