The chairman of the Strategic Alliance Promotion Company, Sunny Iroche, has revealed that palm oil could be the key to the future of sustainable aviation fuel.
He disclosed this in a recent interview with Arise TV, in which he highlighted historical precedence, recalling the Biafran Civil War era when a research team ingeniously used palm oil to power jets and coconut water as brake fluid.
During the conflict, the Biafran researchers showcased remarkable ingenuity by successfully employing palm oil for aviation purposes. However, despite the promising strides made during that time, the research findings were ultimately neglected after the war.
Iroche emphasized the need for Nigeria to revisit and reignite this innovative research to harness the potential of palm oil as a sustainable aviation fuel.
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Iroche stated, “This technology is not new in Nigeria, during the Civil War, the Biafran research team was able to use palm oil to fly their jets and coconut water as brake fluid but the ingenuity of the Biafran researchers was dumped after the war and Nigeria needs to go back to that research.”
This revelation raises questions about the untapped possibilities of alternative fuels in the aviation industry, signaling a potential shift towards more eco-friendly and locally-sourced options.