Timbuktu or Bust, in Willie Wonka's Chocolate Powered (biodiesel) Truck...
Honourary Envirowarrior’s, Andy Pag, of London, and his co-driver John Grimshaw, of Poole in Dorset, have begun their epic adventure in their Ford Iveco Cargo Lorry - powered by fuel which began its life as chocolate - all in a bid to raise awareness of green fuel options available to mankind.
Yep, that’s right it’s not a misprint its 'Willie Wonka’s Chocolate (biodiesel) Truck' and it left England last month for Timbuktu, in an epic world first, that is sure to draw attention.
The truck is powered with biodiesel fuel made from ‘waste chocolate.’
That’s a newbie for me, who ever heard of ‘waste’ chocolate … not around my place anyway!
But /seriously/ ... it is estimated that the 4,500 mile (7250km) trip across the Sahara should take about three weeks.
The Chocolate truck will be carrying two other vehicles and 2,000 litres (454 gallons) of bio-diesel - made from 4,000kg (8,818lb) of chocolate misshapes, the equivalent of 80,000 chocolate bars - to fuel their adventure.
Yummo, I hear you say... will they make it with all that chocolate on board?
The Chocolate biofuel processing unit is an exciting step forward and has been built by Ecotek in the UK.
Another chocolate processing unit will be delivered directly to Mali-Folkecenter (MFC), in Africa (a charity organization that works with developing enterprise in rural and under privilidged communities through environmental and renewable energy projects). The biodiesel processor can also be used by local woman there, to convert waste cooking oil into fuel, bringing in some supplemental income, employing two technicians, and providing low carbon fuel for local vehicles.
In the immortal words of Tom Schueneman, from Triple Pundit
I don’t believe all biofuels are “created equal” or are a panacea or total solution to our dependence on fossil fuel, but developing a process that converts waste chocolate into fuel serves as another example of how innovative thinking can help pave the way to viable alternative solutions to fossil fuel use.
Hunt Famous
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anyway, sounds like a fun idea... I bet the exhaust smells good!
Flick Wit
Lol. Exactly Lilla! Not an idea I would ever come up with, but sounds interesting!
Michaelie
From The Home Front
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I immediately thjought of one of those fairy floss machines at the fair, you can smell the sweet melting sugar for miles around ...oh yummy.
As for chocolate, I don't like the smell of the fat and think perhaps the reverse could be in order too, no? ...pictures of me ttravelling with a nose peg on..
The used cooking oil sounds the best to me, especially when you consider those vats of fat underground at the back of each takeaway, Macca's and KFC. It'd be so much better than grinding up every horrible animal thing and making pet food out of it ... imagine the savings in vet bills alone?
Lilla ...
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You said it! *giggle* you have to hand it to the British when it comes to obsurd, don't you?
Still, I guess if we looked into it further, we'd find that there is a lot of rejected chocolate in factoires..I don;t know, just guessing?
I would think you can just re-melt it, but apparently not. The fats and solids seperate if you reheat it?
I'm just guessing, but something rings a bell from when I was making chocolate moulds with my daughter.
Either way, it's an amazing way to go, itsn't it and really does open our minds to the possibilities of using kitchen scraps - just like the Delorean in 'Back to the Future.' *lol* that's the car I want.
Thanks for stopping by,
Lilla ...
Flashes of memories
what great news! a yummy trip indeed! wow trekking across the desert in a chocolate fuelled car? haaaappy days!
amazing the things that can come about with everyone finding ways of using all of our waste... siggghh I guess I better do my part to save the world and drink more beer and eat more chocolate
Ash
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I was waiting for you to get a whiff of this one.....*lol* I knew you'd like it!
and... yep, you'll be totally carbon neutral on beer and chocolate.. . .chugg-a-glug, chugg-a-glugg, chugg-a-glugg...all the way to Timbuktu ...*giggle* you won't believe this but I'm just so chuffed to learn that this place actially exists!
Yeah I know... been hiding under a rock... I honestly thought it was fictitious... just goes to show that I still have things to learn I guess... that IS GOOD NEWS.
Lilla ...
Love Speaks
Food Slate
p/s...love your new look! So refreshing
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
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Thanks for the compliment, it needed a spring clean!
Lilla ...