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Mobile Biodiesel Facility

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Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA) is a community development organization working towards social and environmental sustainability through hands-on youth driven projects. Their work consists of alternative energy projects, greenhouse gas (GHG) consulting for businesses, climate change education, educational resource development, organic urban agriculture, rooftop gardening, greening schoolyards, sustainable buildings construction, environmental procurement, and youth engagement in decision making, policy research, and environmental careers.

What are they doing?

Through previous funding, EYA and the University of British Columbia were able to develop a small-scale system that is ideal for small- to medium-sized municipalities that want to process their own waste vegetable oil (WVO). This system is now complete and operational and is designed to process ca. 1000 litres per day. The next phase after operational optimization will be to look for municipalities in which there is an annual 250,000 litre supply of WVO. However, research has determined that many communities lack the requisite supply to justify a permanent facility. Moreover, access to capital for infrastructure projects is challenging enough for a municipality and in this case would be considered too risky for a private entrepreneur dependant on commercial financing. Since the supply as surveyed may be too small and uncertain to justify a permanent facility in each community, and the markets for Biodiesel in the area are as yet unproven, a mobile Biodiesel facility would be able to reduce the risk of market entry.

EYA plans to develop minimum WVO supply scenarios and a detailed business plan template for economical collection of WVO by micro-entrepreneurs. It will construct a mobile Biodiesel production facility capable of processing at least 600 liters of WVO per day and field test the facility with the WVO from three communities and/or stranded WVO source locations. Following this EYA will create a Biodiesel micro-entrepreneurship guide that includes business plan templates; competitive, logistical, and regulatory strategy guide; and fuel, engine, and emission testing reports.

Where can you find more information?

Environmental Youth Alliance Website

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Date modified:
2010-02-03