Biodiesel from dates kernels runs bus in Muscat

In a unique experiment, a team of researchers from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) tested on Monday a bus called the Mwasalat bus, which runs on biodiesel made from date kernels. 

Mercury (transport, transportation) sextile Neptune (oil (we used chemical extraction to get the oil)) opposite Pallas (*biotechnology).

*The main subfields of biotechnology are medical (red) biotechnology, agricultural (green) biotechnology, industrial (white) biotechnology, marine (blue) biotechnology, food biotechnology, and environmental biotechnology

The Mwasalat bus was toured at the Sultan Qaboos University Cultural Center in Al Khoudh, from where it drove to Sultan Qaboos street, Al Alam Palace and then back to the starting point. The biofuel used in the bus was produced in SQU laboratories.

Detailing production of the fuel, Suhaib Al-Maawali, Chemical Engineer and Project Researcher of the project said, "the date kernel had to be made into a powder, and then we used chemical extraction to get the oil. We then analyse its quality and see if it can be converted into biofuel or needs further purification."

"The importance of the project is zero (carbon) neutrality followed in Oman and to avoid pollution that could affect the environment. The importance of the project is the use of the date kernel, which was called waste, to become a primary source for making oil and biofuel", added the engineer.

Source: ruptly.tv/