University Converting Cooking Oil into Biodiesel

BioRefineries/Renewable Fuel Production, Business News/Analysis, South Carolina, University/College Programs

April 12, 2012

Print This Article Share it With Friends

By Caroline Baity (Daily Gamecock) Program aims to offset fuel cost, turn profit Thanks to two grants worth a combined $89,090, USC’s Sustainable Carolina program now has the ability to turn all that greasy oil from Chicken Finger Wednesday into diesel fuel.

Tom Syfert, associate vice president for Environmental Health and Safety and Risk Management, and his team worked diligently for two years to get the money from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Environmental Protection Agency to start a completely sustainable biodiesel fuel program at USC dubbed Gamecock Biofuel.

On its surface, the process of turning vegetable oil from lunch to biodiesel is surprising easy.

Gamecock Biofuel has a specialized trailer where the team simply heats up the oil, adds a few chemicals and then waits for it to separate into two layers. The top layer is the fuel, and the bottom layer is glycerin, which the team uses to make soap.

The fuel costs $2 per gallon to make, and Syfert hopes to sell it for an extra dollar — a total of $3 per gallon, which is cheaper than the current market price for diesel (currently $3.987 in South Carolina, according to AAA). Syfert’s goal, he said, is that the margin will generate enough profit to pay the students and volunteers working on the project. READ MORE

Comments are closed.

Advanced BioFuels USA