'Super kalans' show no need for LPG

MANILA, Philippines - Who needs liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-stove when one has Protos?

Or other cooking devices such as MRHS or MTSD that do not rely on LPG.

Protos, MRHS, and MTSD are environment-friendly stoves, or“super kalan” that can cut a family’s dependence on LPG, whose price goes up – and seldom down – according to the behavior of the fossil fuel market.

Protos is said to be the world’s first plant oil-fueled stove crafted by the German firm BSH Bosch and Siemens Hausgerate GmbH, in collaboration with research partners, among them the Visayas State University (VSU) based in Baybay City, Tacloban.

MRHS stands for Maligaya Rice Hull Stove, which was developed by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

MTSD, on the other hand, means Mayon Turbo Stove and Dryer designed by the researchers of the Aklan State University (ASU) in Banga, Aklan.

RH-1 refers to the Rice Hull-1 gas stove devised by the Central Philippines University (CPU) in Iloilo City.

Generally, these award-winning cooking devices have been envisioned to help solve energy problems in cooking; minimize health problems associated with open fires, especially among children and women; reduce deforestation for firewood or charcoal; and promote effective cooking systems that use renewable fuels.

Protos was first unveiled to members of an expedition that visited VSU in April 2006. The trip, led by then German ambassador to the Philippines Axel Weishaupt, included German and Filipino journalists, among them this writer.

Recently, this writer again had the opportunity to visit VSU, on invitation of its president, Dr. Jose Bacusmo, as a side trip from a workshop on biotechnology for media practitioners held in Ormoc City.

Dr. Roberto Gaite, VSU vice president, told us that based on feedbacks over the past three years, Protos had been modified in Germany and the alterations were conveyed to VSU for the necessary adjustments.

Since Protos is not yet a “final product”, its production has initially been limited, with a few hundred units so far sold and now being used by families in Leyte and selected outlying islands in the Visayas.

Protos has proven to be an environment-friendly stove, as its cheap fuel sources are used vegetable oil from restaurants and diverse plant oil, among them those of coconut and jatropha.

“Carbon dioxide emission of Protos is more than 10 times lower than those of LPG and kerosene, and almost 70 times lower than those of wood and charcoal,” VSU said.

A scientific report on Protos has already won for Garte and VSU researcher Marisol Adrino the “Best AFMA (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act) R&D Paper” in a DA-sponsored research forum.

The Maligaya Rice Hull Stove developed by DA-PhilRice agricultural engineers Dr. Eulito Bautista and Artemio Basallo has also bagged the United Nations-Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) award.

The rice hull (ipa)-fueled MRHS can burn for 28 minutes, long enough to cook rice and vegetable viand for a small family of five, and can boil water in five minutes.

It can also help the country save what remains of its forests. As a participant in a training on the MRHS held Midsayap, Cotabato, had said:

“The Maligaya Rice Hull Stove could be the solution to the deforestation problem in Mindanao. If rice hull, which abounds in major rice-producing areas in Mindanao, should be used as firewood substitute, cutting of threes could be minimized.”

PhilRice, headed by Executive Director Ronilo Beronio, said that many farm tools manufacturers have produced thousands of MRHS units, as the institute provides the stove design for free.

Another international award-winning stove was crafted by Aklan State University researchers Dr. Edito Agustin, Prof. Francisco Nablo, Ferlinda Galvan, and Engr. Yori Jamin.

Dubbed as “poor man’s gas stove”, the Mayon Turbo Stove and Dryer won the 2006 World Bank Innovation Marketplace award. A joint venture of ASU and Sustainable Rural Enterprise (SRE) REAP-Canada, it is fueled by rice hull.

ASU, headed by Dr. Benny Palma (president), reported that one needs only 2.5-3 sacks of rice hull a week for cooking rice (20-30 minutes) and boiling water and frying (six to eight minutes).

Alternative fuels are corn cobs and shells of coconut, peanut, and pili nut. Carbonated rice hull, RH-1’s by-product after cooking, can be used as soil conditioner, fertilizer, insect repellant, and for cleaning pots and pans.

ASU computed that cooking cost a year (inclusive of the stove’s price of P750) is about P2,000 compared to the P4,000-P7,000 for cooking using LPG, kerosene, and charcoal.

The Rice Hull-1 gas stove was developed by multi-awarded engineer Alex Belonio of the Central Philippines University.

A prototype of RH-1 was exhibited at the 8th Philippine Food Exposition held recently at the SM Megamall Trade Halls in Pasig City.

This low-cost invention can reduce fuel costs and minimize greenhouse gas emission as it is fueled by rice husks, generally regarded as a farm waste.

Now, with all these innovative stoves, who needs petroleum gas-fueled cooking devices?