McDonald’s UAE Completes 5 Million Kilometres on McFuel Biodiesel

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December 2, 2015

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by LeAnne Graves (The National) … McDonald’s UAE fleet will complete 5 million kilometres this month, or the distance to Mars and back, fuelled entirely by biodiesel, thanks to a partnership formed four years ago between the world’s largest fast-food chain and the Dubai-based biodiesel producer Neutral Fuels.

Sixteen vehicles collect cooking oil from McDonald’s 135 outlets up to twice a day, which is then converted into a renewable fuel, or biodiesel.

It is the first quick service restaurant in the Mena region recycling all of its “waste cooking oil for refuelling the company’s logistics fleet to transport its goods throughout the emirates”, said Rafic Fakih, managing director and partner at McDonald’s UAE.

Each litre of cooking oil can make about one litre of biodiesel, according to Karl Feilder, chairman of Neutral Fuels. And the price matches what customers would pay at the pump, although the company declined to comment on wholesale prices and discounts for providing the feedstock.

McDonald’s is not the only company using the alternative fuel.

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“We’d love to expand to the broader GCC and then Mena, but getting permission is hard,” he said. Mr Feilder related it to attempting to get a permit to start drilling for oil in a new area, which can take years of negotiation with governments and relative entities as well as feasibility studies. “Everyone knows how to get permission to drill for oil,” Mr Feilder said.

“With biodiesel, it’s a new concept to most.” READ MORE and MORE (Trade Arabia)

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