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ALTERNATIVE FUELS
Waste Vegetable Oil
Supply / Sources
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Alternative Fuel Coops around the country, in
alternative fuel forums and in alternative fuel
publications that discuss this concept of using WVO as an Alternative Fuel source
it is said that you can find your sources of WVO (waste vegetable oil - used
fryer oil - reclaimed oil), for FREE from local area
restaurants. True in most places across the U.S. I
get my WVO alternative fuel source from my local Grocery Store, Deli Dept. It
still remains
true that businesses have to Pay a rendering service to come pick up and haul off their
waste veggie oil. You as an individual only need from 20 to 40 gals of WVO per month
- depending on your avg. miles of driving per month. Since you only use a small
portion of the average restaurant waste oil, they usually don't mind at all
if you take some which in most cases may save them money from their disposal
service. In cases of a small volume restaurant, or if you are in a coop with
other, you may use "all" the
restaurants waste oil, and in that case you would definitely be saving them
all the cost of having a service come pick it up for them. In many cases, you
can trade the saved disposal fees for a free meal once a month!
UPDATE: The
trend has changed in may locations that have an alternative fuel production
company in the area. If you do have a biodiesel production company near
you both the rendering businesses and emerging Bio-Diesel companies will be in a
battle to acquire the waste fryer oil. They will be offering to pay to
pick up the WVO. The going rate is .10 - .15 a gallon. The Bio-diesel
companies are aggressively marketing the high population center. It is now
recommended to develop your own contract and get your oil accts Locked up and
pay what ever the going rate is in your area.
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I currently get my
alternative fuel in the form of Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO), from my local grocery
store deli department fryer. They love me taking some of their waste instead of paying to have it
all picked up. When I do pick up the WVO they put it back in the original 5 gal
plastic cubies it
comes in and is often still hot from them doing a boil out cleaning on the
fryers. I take it home and filter it right away because it filters easier when
hot. This oil is Canola oil used for 4 days and only for chicken. I
do get chicken fat (tallow), in my oil. I do have to let this oil "SETTLE OUT"
for 2-3 weeks before using it to allow "ALL" impurities, water, tallow settle
to the bottom of the containers before pouring the clear good filtered oil
into my tank. Your conversion system will run fine on chicken tallow, but this
tallow is more sensitive to temperature, which may cause some hardship if your
system gets any WVO left to cool in your system - depending on your purge system. Just make sure to turn
OFF of WVO back to Diesel with time enough for your system to purge the WVO out
and the Diesel (bio-diesel) Into the system.
I have switched to using a small 2 year contract and paying .10 or more per
gallon for all new accts. The price has been fluctuating in our currently
fluctuating economy and the relative price for other fuels. Demand.
It all boils down to demand for any fuel, alternative fuel or cutting back on
the need (demand) for fuel at all.
ALTERNATIVE FUEL OILS: There are Hydrogenated and NON-Hydrogenated oils commonly
used.
- The more any vegetable oil is used (heated repeatedly to
cook foods with during the course of business), the more it breaks down.
- Hydrogenated oils (and partially hydrogenated - creamy
liquids), will set up much thicker
below 70 which may make them more demanding on you to filter.
These oils are said to be better fuel for our vehicles because of that hydrogenation
(oxygen) that is in the makeup of the oil. Hydrogenated oil can be very, very difficult to
work with.
- NON-Hydrogenated oils are liquid at room temperature and down to about 50
degrees. Easier on you for pickup/transport/filtering. Still, they will filter
better if heated to 90 degrees or so. Olive oil, Canola oil, Corn
oil, Soy oils, are the more desirable oils to work with.
- Scout your area - Make a list of 5 top choices of suppliers you would like to use.
- Pick a good time to go talk with the manager or owner (non-busy times are
best)
- Write out what you are going to say to them: Intro, very, very brief description
of what you are doing (running your car on bio-diesel is easier for them to
understand than saying waste veggie oil), how much you
would like to use a little of their waste oil. Or come right out and tell
them you are paying restaurants in the area for used fryer oil. You could also offer to put
a sticker on your car promoting the business.
- Make a plan on when / how you will pick up the oil without disturbing the business.
- You may have to supply a barrel, drum, or get them to
re-use the plastic totes they purchase the oil in. You can "dip" from a
55 gal drum or get some fancy lids, or pump them, or replace them.
- There are many types of fryer oils: Canola oil,
peanut oil, saffron oil, coconut oil, mustard oil, soy oil, olive oil, corn
oil; any common food crop oil can be used, some are better than others.
- There are many additives which may be used to extend the
use of oils in a restaurant. Many of these extenders further break down
the oil quality and may complicate your filtering efforts.
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