Cowichan Biodiesel Fueling the Green Fire

BioRefineries/Renewable Fuel Production, Biorefinery/Fuel Production Infrastructure, Business News/Analysis, Canada, Infrastructure, Not Agriculture, Small scale biorefineries

November 29, 2012

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by Maeve Maguire (Cowichan News Leader) The CVS Victoria Cruise bus company is the first in North America to use 100% biodegradable fuel.
It buys that fuel directly from the Cowichan BioDiesel Co-op. The non-toxic biodegradable renewable gas made from the very canola oil that cooked the food those cruise passengers ate before riding on the bus.
A Victoria-based company called Greasecycle collects cooking oil from restaurants across Vancouver Island, including cruise ships, and brings it to CBC’s Bings Creek facility where it is processed into biodiesel. The bus company isn’t the only customer. In the past few years, CBC’s membership has grown from 20 to 170.
All this new activity has made a big impact on the co-op, according to its president Brian Roberts.
…Until recently, co-op administrators were subsidizing the cost of the fuel because it was too expensive to sell otherwise. That model was unsustainable as membership grew but with new processes in place and increased membership, the group is finding financial stability and is even able to pay employees.
“We were a volunteer organization for so long. No one got paid to do this. We used to give out a plaque like a Spirit of the Year award in recognition for their work,” Roberts said. “People are starting to get paid now that the work has gone up exponentially. READ MORE

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