Gmelina Arborea

Gmelina seeds (Gmelina arborea) as
Potential Source of Biofuel

Diane Claire Q. Bragais
Jeanne Isabelle B. Bilasano
Jessa C. Buendia
Researchers

Mr. Ronaldo C. Reyes
Adviser
Tabaco National High School
Tabaco City

INTRODUCTION

We rely on coal, oil and gas (the fossil fuels) for over 80% of our current energy needs and by 2030, global energy consumption is projected to grow by 36% and demand for liquid transport fuels will have risen by some 16 million barrels more a day. With the world’s population projected to reach 8.3 billion by then, an additional 1.3 billion people will need energy. (BP Outlook, 2013)
The Philippines, which has a population of over 94 million, has three million households which lack access to electricity. Some provinces only have electricity for several hours each day, while countless households on the country's more remote islands still rely on diesel-powered generators. Energy rates in the country remain among the highest in Asia, placing a heavy burden on the 26 percent of the population that lives below the poverty line. (Santos, 2013).
These facts prove that energy crisis is indeed one of the serious issues that the world is facing now.  As the world struggle with a growing demand for energy, government agencies and private groups say the answer to these power needs may lie in alternative sources. This is where biofuels can help; in the next two decades, biofuels are expected to provide some 20% (by energy) of the growth in fuel for road transport. (BP Outlook, 2013)
Biofuels are alternative energy sources derived from biomass. Biomass comes from grains, cellulose, plants and animals fats. Biofuels convert sugar and starch from high-cellulose plants into ethanol, which may be used on its own directly in internal-combustion engines, or mixed with gasoline.
The Philippines is an agricultural country. Thus, various local plants and trees can produce materials which may minimize the country’s expenses because of...