A new biofuel project will mean what's for dinner may also be what goes in the fuel tank with ConocoPhillips and Tyson Foods joining forces to make diesel fuel from animal byproducts. The project announced April 16 will produce "the next generation of renewable diesel fuel," to help supplement petroleum-based diesel fuel supplies, the companies said. "The alliance plans to use beef, pork and poultry by-product fat to create a transportation fuel," the statement said.
The companies revealed they have been collaborating over the past year "on ways to leverage Tyson's advanced knowledge in protein chemistry and production with ConocoPhillips' processing and marketing expertise." Tyson, one of the world's largest meat producers, will make capital improvements this summer in order to begin pre-processing animal fat from some of its North American rendering facilities later in the year. ConocoPhillips, a Houston, Texas-based oil and gas group, will make the necessary capital expenditures to enable it to produce the fuel at several of its refineries.
"The finished product will be renewable diesel fuel mixtures that meet all federal standards for ultralow-sulfur diesel," the joint statement said. The project is expected to produce as much as 175 million gallons per year of renewable diesel.
The alliance offers, " an excellent opportunity to use our company's manufacturing expertise and advanced technology to help increase the supply of renewable fuels and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions." said Jim Mulva, ConocoPhillips chairman CEO.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007
