New Biodiesel Plant Runs on Landfill Gas
by on 04. 1.05
A new biodiesel plant is being hailed as the first "renewable energy plant to run on renewable energy".
The plant was opened in Denton, Texas, and runs on biogas, collected from a nearby landfill.
Actress Daryl Hannah, who was on hand for the opening, said: "Taking waste, methane gas and turning waste, vegetable grease into fuel, that's remarkable... It has much more of a ripple effect than we realize."
According to the Associated Press, the city of Denton provided money for the project and will buy 300,000 gallons of biodiesel each year for five years to run its 386 garbage trucks, and other service trucks and buses.
Biodiesel Industries, the firm which headed up the project, plans to collect used soybean and vegetable oil from Dallas-Fort Worth area restaurants that produce about 12 million gallons of used cooking oil and grease a year and from farmers who grow oil-bearing crops.
[By Justin Thomas]
"the first renewable energy plant to run on renewable energy"...what? Call me dense, but I am not following the "spin" on this one?
Colin,
The idea is that not only is the plant producing a renewable energy product (the biodiesel) - they are also using a renewable energy source to run the processing (landfill gas instead of tapping the electric grid - largely fossil fuel driven in Texas.)
Biodiesel production requires energy for heating the waste oil, and also for pumping (waste oil, wash water, glycerin byproduct and finally the biodiesel.)