Student goes nuts on power thesis

Burning the shell and nut of the babacu coconut in Brazil could generate 104MW a year, according to a Phd student at Sao Paulo university Unicamp, who added that a further 260MW generation would be possible from cogeneration using the peel from the shell. "The study shows that babacu biomass is a highly feasible energy alternative," thesis author Marcos Alexandre Teixeira said, adding that the technology would be very similar to sugar cane cogeneration, with only a few adjustments needed. Babacu grows in Amazonia, Piaui and Maranhao states.