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UI steaming ahead with biodiesel |
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March 14, 2017 |
The University of Idaho steam plant, which heats
the Moscow campus with wood chips, is reducing
its emissions, eliminating waste on campus and
providing students with a learning opportunity
all at the same time.
By fueling their semi-truck and front-end
loaders with biodiesel made on campus from used
cooking oil, the Steam Plant discovered they
could easily reduce harmful emissions from their
operation while generating several other
benefits to the University.
“It's a great deal all the way around for all of
us," said Scott Smith, UI’s steam plant manager.
Smith first started investigating biodiesel as a
way for the plant to comply with the
University’s goal to achieve carbon-neutrality
by 2030. Using a 20-percent blend of biodiesel,
or B20, at the steam plant would reduce carbon
dioxide by an estimated 10 tons annually,
according the National Biodiesel Board’s
emissions calculator.
The used cooking oil is from the University of
Idaho Dining Services, operated by Sodexo, at
the Commons Building on the Moscow campus.
“Using biodiesel made from campus generated
waste cooking oil does so much more than just
give us cleaner air and minimize our carbon
emissions” according to Smith.
The used cooking oil is processed into biodiesel
on campus at the Biological Engineering
Biodiesel Lab and provides a “hands on”
opportunity for students to learn how to make
biodiesel from a waste product.
“In addition to reducing our environmental
impact and providing students with actual
production experience, it also reduces the Steam
Plant’s operating costs,” Smith said.
Sodexo is also using biodiesel made in the
Biodiesel Lab according to John Crockett, UI’s
Biodiesel Education Program manager. Using waste
oil as a fuel base - or feedstock - means that
waste cooking oil, previously dumped as waste
into landfills, can instead be converted into a
better diesel engine fuel.
Crockett said that biodiesel improves fuel
lubrication, known as “lubricity,” and
eliminates the need for another additive
required in straight petroleum diesel.
“Using biodiesel should make their diesel
engines last longer”, according to Crockett.
The University of Idaho began researching using
vegetable oil for diesel fuel in 1979 and is
recognized worldwide as the pioneers in
biodiesel research. |
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