The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded  a four year contract to the UK-based survival equipment specialists, BCB International Ltd, for the supply of a new operational ration cooker and fuel. BCB’s ‘FireDragon’ fuel is an innovative solid biofuel made from ethanol.

The contract marks a move  away from hexamine fuel  which the MoD  supplied to  troops for over forty years for cooking in the field. Hexamine was a potentially dangerous and outdated substance which was made outside the UK.

​

As BCB’s Managing Director, Andrew Howell, explained the fuel had to meet the MoD’s robust and rigorous requirements: “The MoD were looking for a solution that amongst other things was lightweight, could boil 500ml of water in under 11 minutes, was easy to light and extinguish, burned cleanly and is easily transportable.   Our solution which includes a new folding cooker and a fuel pack weighs less than 300g and the FireDragon fuel  will boil 500ml of water in under 8 minutes.