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.
