According to the company, 225,000 tonnes of used cooking oil are thrown away annually in the UK, and it claims that if this was all collected and refined, the resulting biofuel could generate more than 13,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year, the equivalent to the annual average consumption of 2,200 households.
Food and drink processors are facing rising energy costs, and as a result are being forced to look at alternative energy sources that could also help them meet targets to cut carbon emissions.
Cash asset
David Chalk, managing director, Bio Driven, told FoodProductionDaily.com that the firm can offer European food processors various sustainable and cost effective ways of managing their waste cooking oil such as a simple cash purchase for bulk oil for conversion to biodiesel at its own facility or a fully automated mobile unit for conversion of the oil at the food processor’s plant.
“We are the only company in the UK offering this portable conversion service. We can take 100,000 litres of cooking oil and convert it within four days into reusable biodiesel for plant power generation or for use in the manufacturer’s logistics fleet.
“Conversion on site in this way reduces road miles associated with shipping the waste oil off site for disposal or alteration and turns a waste stream into a cash asset,” argues Chalk.
He said the mobile converter will be introduced in early 2009 and that the company anticipates considerable demand from the sector for the facility.
Renewable energy source
Chalk added that the company can also provide training and expert advice on how to install and operate a permanent biodiesel plant at the manufacturing facility that would be tailored to a food processor’s particular requirements.
He said that the firm is currently in negotiations with a large German food manufacturer who is planning to install a converter on site to turn its output of 150,000 tonnes of used cooking oil a quarter into a renewable energy source.
“Working with Bio Driven will result in fuel price stability, significant savings and a greater understanding and positive contribution to current environmental issues [for the food processing sector],” said Chalk.