Only six more weeks to go before the starter fires his pistol
and the Mongolia Charity Rally gets under way. For Justin Dorneanu
and Avinash Narayanaswamy of the University of Twente, it will mark
the start of a 17,000 kilometre journey. On the way, they will be
burning their own biodiesel, made from frying fat. The pair are
currently busy preparing for the rally. Despite encountering
setbacks during a test rally to Rome, their spirits remain high.
"Our reactor is working well. And the car is running smoothly on
our self-made biodiesel."
The plan dreamt up by Justin Dorneanu and Avinash Narayanaswamy
sounds simple enough: let's take part in the Mongolia Charity Rally
from London to Ulan Bator in Mongolia. But in doing so they have no
intention of taking the shortest route and they have rejected the
use of conventional fuels. Instead, they have mapped out a 17,000
kilometre route and have decided to convert frying fat into
biodiesel along the way using a reactor they have built themselves.
They will collect the frying fat they need at restaurants and
cafeterias along the way.
Test rally
In order to test the reactor, the pair recently took part in the
Wonders of Waste Rally from Rotterdam to Rome. However,
this trial run was not an unmitigated success. The two drivers
found themselves stranded in the town of La Môle in the south of
France when the power steering pump broke down. That dashed their
hopes of crossing the finish line. Nevertheless, they returned from
their test run in a positive mood. "We have demonstrated that our
reactor works well. And the car is running smoothly on our
self-made biodiesel. Even better than we expected, in fact." The
car has since undergone a major overhaul.
Improvising
"It's annoying that the car had problems. And of course we can't
afford to have something like that happen during the Mongolia
Rally," admits Dorneanu. "We are driving a 14-year-old Volkswagen
Golf with 290,000 kilometres on the clock. We will have to
improvise along the way, but that's all part of the adventure. And
at the end of the day, adventure's what it's all about."
Methanol
It will be another six weeks until the main event gets under
way. Dorneanu and Narayanaswamy are already investing a great deal
of time in the preparations. In order to produce the biodiesel, for
example, they need methanol. It's a toxic substance that will not
be readily available along the way. That is why they are writing to
the chemistry faculties of all kinds of universities they pass on
their journey. "Our plan is beginning to take shape. A number have
already agreed to help us out," reveals Dorneanu.
Sponsors
"At the moment we are working hard to find extra sponsors who
are prepared to contribute funds or resources. For instance, we
still need tents, camping equipment and tools. It's not only
companies we're approaching; donations from individuals are also
very welcome." The money the rally drivers raise will go to two
good causes: Save the Children and Solid Care for
Sustainable Development.
Documentary
The two Twente students will not be making their journey alone.
Their every move will be followed by a filmmaker who plans to turn
the footage into a four-part documentary series for international
television.
Mongolia Charity Rally
The Mongolia Charity Rally (not to be confused with the regular
Mongolia Rally) is a race from London to Ulan Bator in Mongolia.
But it's not a race in the usual sense of the word, where the first
across the finish line is declared the winner. It's all about
adventure. The participants are free to determine their own route.
Dorneanu and Narayanaswamy have opted for an intrepid
17,000-kilometre expedition which will take them to Prague, the
Arctic Circle, Saint Petersburg, Moscow, the Urals, Kazakhstan,
Lake Baikal and the steppes of Northern Mongolia. They expect to
arrive in Ulan Bator around 100 days after the start.
Further details
For more information about the team, check out the Momentum from
Waste website. More information about the Mongolia Charity
Rally can be found here.
