Diesel from Plastic Waste: NAST

December 10: Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) says it will produce diesel from plastic waste within a few weeks. The announcement comes at a time when the country is reeling under an acute fuel shortage due to India’s blockade.

 “We are searching for alternatives to oil,” said Birendra Dhakal, bio fuel research head at NAST. “This type of diesel is widely used in Japan. The fuel is prepared by melting plastic and converting it into hydrocarbon. The potential for this in Nepal is high,” he added.

According to Dhakal, current methods can produce seven litres of diesel using 10 kilo grammes of plastic. However, a maximum of nine litres of diesel can be produced using thicker plastic. “We are shifting our point of study and are focusing more on producing high quality fuel at effective costs,” said Dhakal.

The government has already put Rs 10 million into the project. The machine used in the production process is being imported from China.

Around 75 metric tonnes of solid waste is accumulated everyday from Kathmandu Metropolitan area. “At least 15 percent of the solid waste is plastic waste,” said Environment Management department head of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Raviman Shrestha.

The study conducted by NAST reveals that forty thousand litres of diesel can be produced daily.