Advanced BioFuels USA

(Saint Lucia News Online) Following the success of its first Biodiesel Conversion Centre in Saint Lucia, Sandals Resorts International is exploring ways to expand the project throughout its resorts across the region.  For the last five years, the company’s Dive Centre at Pointe Seraphine has been the site of its first biodiesel plant, successfully converting used vegetable oil from the kitchens at the company’s three resorts on the island into biodiesel fuel for use in marine vessels. Initiated as a pilot project in keeping with the company’s commitment to sustainable environmental practices, the project first started in 2015 by Maurice Moss, former Marine Boat Maintenance Manager at the Dive Center, who built the first conversion processor from “bits and pieces” he collected from all three resorts.

Since July 2018 however, the plant, which has since been upgraded, has been managed by Quentin Landman, who currently holds Moss’ former post while the actual fuel conversion is handled by the company’s Biodiesel Technician, Sammy Hillman.

Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative to petroleum diesel and is derived from new or waste vegetable oil. It is made by reacting fatty acids with a base in the presence of an alcohol, typically methanol, and a catalyst. The two most common bases are sodium hydroxide (NAOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH). According to the U.S. Department of Energy & Agriculture using biodiesel in place of petroleum diesel will reduce the emission of total unburned hydrocarbon by 60 per cent, carbon monoxide by 48 per cent, and particulate matter by 47 per cent and will see a 100 per cent reduction in sulphates. Research has also shown that biodiesel is the first fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing of the U.S. Clean Air Act with results revealing that biodiesel poses no health threats and reduces the compounds linked to cancer by 80-90 per cent.

According to Landman, the plant produces approximately 320 gallons of biodiesel per month and this is used to fuel the company’s four 16 tonne dive boats as well as his own company-issued van. He added, “We manufacture about 80 gallons over six days and our engines drink diesel at rates of 25 gallons an hour. What we save at the pump is about 90 cents per litre of diesel. We do get worthwhile savings.”

Landman explained that the use of biodiesel saves the company approximately XCD $1361.26 per month in fuel costs which translates to XCD $16,335.12 a year. He added, “Using the biodiesel fuel cuts our monthly diesel budget by 10 per cent. For a small project, those are commendable results.”  READ MORE

Luxury resort chain Sandals completes successful biodiesel pilot project (Biofuels International)