Companies Collaborate on New Technology to Trap Grease for Viable Biodiesel Feedstock

May 29, 2008
'Brown grease' can provide afforable feedstock for biodiesel

Planet Resource Recovery, Inc. and Affordable Bio Feedstock are collaborating to develop a process utilizing PetroLuxus products for the separation and recovery of oils from waste trap grease materials rendering an affordable, marketable grease feedstock for biodiesel producers.

Rising commodity prices for feedstocks have greatly hindered the growth of the once burgeoning Biodiesel manufacturing industry and surging raw feedstock costs have halted the construction of new biodiesel plants. A potentially viable feedstock to replace current costly feedstocks is grease trap grease commonly known as "brown grease."

Today brown grease generators such as restaurants and food service facilities are burdened with the costly handling and disposal of this waste stream. These entities pay trap grease haulers to pump out grease traps and haul off for disposal in municipal landfill sites. The National Renewable Energy Lab estimates the U.S. generates 495 million gallons of waste grease trap material yearly -- which does not include millions of gallons of waste grease captured at municipal water treatment plants. Despite an abundant source of raw material for fuel, no viable technology has been developed to convert this trash into a marketable source of biodiesel feedstock due to chemical and engineering challenges.

Affordable Bio Feedstock provided Planet Resource Recovery, Inc samples of brown grease from different sources for testing to determine: the quantity of oil in the raw samples and the potential recovery of oil from these samples using PetroLuxus products. Independent lab tests verified that the two raw samples of brown grease contained 40% and 44% oil. After treatment, utilizing minimal heat, it was verified that the recovery rate of approximately 75% of the oil was realized. This high rate of recovery makes the treatment of brown grease commercially viable resulting in an affordable bio feedstock for biodiesel producers.

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