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Biofuel plan back on trackby Tom Bennett Motorists could soon be buying diesel made from vegetable oil thrown away by pubs and takeaways. Leicester environmental charity Groundwork is hoping it will soon be able to push ahead with its plan to collect waste oil from restaurants and hotels and turn it into biodiesel. The charity had planned to open a production plant in September to turn the oil into diesel. The plant, in Skeffington, near Billesdon, would have been the first in Leicestershire. Its fuel would be cheaper than or cost the same price as normal diesel. However, the plans were put on hold after a study found that with diesel prices falling, the figures did not add up. Managers said the price of diesel was climbing again they hoped to have the project up and running some time this year. The plant would pump out 10,000 litres of fuel a day. Ben Dodd, Groundwork's director of operations for energy, education and transport, said the charity also hoped to secure a forthcoming tender from Leicester City Council to provide biodiesel for the city's St Andrew's estate heating scheme, which runs on natural gas. He said: «We had done a feasibility study which didn't really stack up, because the price of diesel came down. „It would work if we were doing it from a large manufacturing basis. «However, on a mid-sized operation the figures did not work at the time, but it has definitely not been shelved. «The price of diesel is rising again and we hope to have the plant up and running soon. «We want to collect local waste oil because if you start bringing it in from further away, it has a bad effect on your carbon footprint.“ He said Groundwork planned to set up a collection service to pick up barrels of waste oil from businesses in the near future. Normally, pubs and hotels have to dispose of the waste at tips. It is sometimes dumped illegally. With the biodiesel scheme, businesses will either pay to have it removed or give it away. A city council spokeswoman said 820 of the council's 850-strong vehicle fleet already used a blended fuel that included five per cent biodiesel. She said: «We haven't yet put the tender together for the heating scheme. „At the moment, we're having it converted from the 1970s system to run on waste vegetable oil.“
A handful of petrol stations, including Crossroads, in Ellistown, sell biodiesel. Leicestershire firm Centre Bus uses the fuel.
Date: 14.08.2007 Comments:Leave your comment
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Unfortuantely, it is a bit more complicated than Marjorie makes it sound. You caonnt seperate cooking oil into biodiesel and glycerine buy simply heating it up. Biodiesel is a compound know as methyl-esters or ethyl-esters, the distinction coming from which alcohol you use with your catalyst. In order to produce biodiesel you have to break the chemical bond in the oil. Below I will outline the process. If you want more specifics, please email me and I will be happy to send them to you.1 Collect used oil2 dry the oil- Heat to a temperature greater than 212degrees.3 Titrate the oil. you will need to know the ph of your oil in order to use the right amount of catalyst4 Mix Methanol or Ethanol with Cataylst (NaOH). Produce Methoxide5 Mix with oil for aprox 1-2 hrs.6 pump into seperating tank takes aprox 24 hrs to settle out.7 pump the biodiesel into a water wash tank. let settle again.8 pump into storage tank or your fuel tank.I have been making biodiesel for the past 8 years with various rigs that I have made myself. The simplist was 3) 55 gallon drums, and old water heater and 2) water pumps from habor frieght. I use 100% in my truck and then mix a 55 gallon drum into my heating oil tank. My final cost per gallon is about $.50 per gallon not counting my labor and the propane I use to dry the oil.
Fiorela, 14.04.2012 00:26:23