MANILA — An alternative cooking fuel that could possibly “replace" liquified petroleum gas or LPG commonly used in households has been invented by a Filipino scientist, according to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

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Dr. Fiorello Abenes, a DOST- Balik Scientist hosted by Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, came up with “Nipahol," a cooking fuel based from the ethanol extracted from nipa (Nypa fruticans).

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“Dirty cooking is still a problem in many of the rural areas of the Philippines. The use of firewood or charcoal emit unhealthy levels of particulates and noxious gases that affect the respiratory track, mostly affecting women. Ethanol as cooking fuel is cleaner,” Abenes said.

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Fumes emitted from cooking using Nipahol is said to be cleaner compared to LPG and wood.

Abenes and other scientists at MMSU were also able to develop a suitable stove for the Nipahol.

“We have developed a prototype that we hope we can scale up and make into a cooking stove suitable for indoor use and in commercial establishments,” he added.