 This was a story published on the ABC about a group of Farmers in Orange who have formed a co-operative to make their own biodiesel locally from their own crops.
Producing bio-diesel By Bruce Reynolds, ABC Monday, 27/03/2006 A group of farmers in the Orange region are trying to beat the skyrocketing price for diesel. The four producers have formed the 'Cottage Group' and constructed a bio-diesel plant at Blayney. The plant can process up to 4,000 litres a day. The group has sourced a large amount of used fat from fish and chip shops, which is the basis of the fuel. They have also used canola oil from a local plant. These oils have to be clean and catalysts have to be added to remove other impurities in the plant. The fuel is then washed with water and is then used in the vehicles. The fuel has been used in tractors, trucks, utes and a bobcat. Farmer Ed Wilson says you notice a number of changes when you use bio-diesel. He says the revs on the tractor go up a couple of hundred, but there is about a 10 per cent reduction in power. Ed Wilson says another positive is the smell of the exhaust. It smells like fish and chips. Mr Wilson says the cost of using the waste oil is about 40 cents a litre, but the cost goes up to over $1 if you use new canola oil. The group claims bio diesel emits 30 times less pollution then petrol diesel. The Cottage Group aims to grow most of their own canola this year for their fuel needs as well as sourcing waste oil from fast food stores. They aim to also have a canola crushing plant on site to produce the canola oil. http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2006/s1601934.htm |
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