The story of an Australian man who made diesel (diesel) from waste cooking oil after failing to withstand the skyrocketing oil prices after the U.S.-Iran war is gaining popularity online. It is a kind of biodiesel (diesel made from vegetable oil, etc.). However, there are concerns as well as positive interests. Considering vehicle safety, biodiesel is mixed with petroleum diesel (4 percent in domestic standards), as the man mixed 50% of his own refined waste cooking oil.
The New York Post reported a TikTok video of Australian influencer Bruce Dunn introducing how to make biodiesel from waste cooking oil and how Internet users reacted. Dunn is a heating and cooling technician who became famous after appearing on the Australian reality show “Big Brother.” He refined waste cooking oil collected from a nearby restaurant with a drum and a filter, and injected it into the vehicle by mixing it with conventional diesel in a 1:1 ratio.
Dunn said it was an “inevitable choice.” “Fuel is essential where I live. There is no other alternative. You can’t go anywhere if you don’t drive,” he said. “Diesel costs 3.15 Australian dollars per liter,” he said. “I went to the gas station and filled up all the fuel tanks and it cost 500 Australian dollars, which is the same price as a round-trip ticket to Bali.” He added, “What a rip-off. I’m not going to pay for it. I didn’t want it to be this bad, but I ended up making my own diesel fuel.” Then, will a car with 50% of waste cooking oil drive properly? “It’s a fantastic ride,” Dunn said. “Don’t worry if my car smells like fried fish in the city.”
It was also reported to have spread it to family and friends. “I started making it for my brother and father, and my friends ask me a lot,” Dunn said. “After about a month, everyone around me will be using this version of diesel.” However, he added that his car was only possible because it was an old diesel engine model with a mechanical fuel pump, and that it might not work well if it was put in a new car.
Dunn’s video, which was posted last month, was very popular among Australian rural residents who do not have enough public transportation. Six days later, the number of views exceeded 2.4 million as of Thursday. Internet users commented, ” (movie) ‘Mad Max’ has become a reality,” and “Please tell me a more detailed recipe.”
However, there are many warnings that the engine could be damaged. David McCowen, an automobile expert, told the New York Post that the latest vehicles’ precise exhaust system is very vulnerable to substandard fuels. “If you use your own fuel, you can cause fatal damage to the engine, so you need to be extra careful.”
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
