Zera Investigates Methane as Car Fuel Alternative

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) is currently researching methods to convert car engines to use methane in an effort to combat climate change. The announcement was made by Victor Sibanda, the research and efficiency engineer at Zera, during the recent Energy to Waste Conference organized by The Standard in Kariba. 
 
Sibanda explained that waste energy has become an integral component of renewable energy efficiency. As part of this initiative, one area where Zera is focusing its efforts is on the feasibility of substituting petrol or diesel with methane for cars as a way of improving energy efficiency. 
 
"Biogas contains methane, sulfur, and other impurities," Sibanda said. "If you scrub and clean it and remove these impurities, you can achieve methane purity levels up to 98%. Such high purity levels make it possible for the gas to be used in various applications, including cooking or even powering vehicles." 
 
He elaborated further, stating that once cleaned and purified into a combustible state, engines could then be modified to operate using this form of fuel. He compared this process with how certain engines are already being powered by liquefied petroleum gas. 
 
Sibanda also highlighted that there might be a readily available supply of necessary resources for local authorities from their wastewater ponds. Consequently, councils have the potential opportunity to utilize this resourceful method by powering their vehicle fleet operations through derived methane instead of traditional fossil fuels such as diesel or petrol. 
 
Not only does this offer a more sustainable alternative, but it also provides economic benefits due to its cost-effectiveness since they will generate their own source, which would significantly lower operational costs. 
 
"The authority has done a study on the impact of removing VAT (value-added tax) related to these initiatives," added Sibanda. He emphasized how there could be many national benefits associated with people adopting energy-efficient equipment and moving towards renewable sources like biogas-derived methane. 
 
One significant advantage he cited was the freeing up of capacity for other uses, particularly industrial energy usage. This would subsequently result in a rise in revenue due to productive use of energy made possible by efficient equipment and gadgets. 
 
Sibanda concluded by stating that an improvement in energy efficiency could enable Zimbabwe to have surplus power capacity. "That's the virtual power station that we have created," he explained, adding they were still awaiting feedback on their proposal but were confident about its potential benefits for the nation. 
 
In conclusion, this initiative by Zera represents a progressive step towards tackling climate change through renewable energy sources while also providing economic benefits at a national level.