Noosa Council visits Biodiesel Industries Australia at Rutherford
The team undertook a visit to the Biodiesel Industries Australia biodiesel processing plant located
at Racecourse Road, Rutherford, to meet with one of the Directors of Biodiesel Industries
Australia, Mr Andrew Hill.
This biodiesel plant was established by Mr Hill and his partners in 2003 to reprocess used cooking oils and other organic oil-based feedstocks. The purpose-built biodiesel refining plant produces high quality bio-fuel (biodiesel) made in accordance with the Australian
Standard for biodiesel.
The plant is located on a 50m x 80m industrial site and produces 18 million litres of biodiesel per year. The process of making the biodiesel involves screening of feedstock based on the level of free fatty acids within the feedstock and moisture levels. The process involves the use of methanol with a catalyst to transesterify the waste oil into a methyl-esters(biodiesel) and glycerol with the biodiesel component meeting the Australian Standard for biodiesel.
The site consists of the following key components:
- Feedstock storage capacity of 150000 L
- A biodiesel refining plant which was initially based on a plant
obtained from USA, but which has been substantially upgraded to improve the efficiency of the plant
and the reliability of the final product
- A resource recovery plant which reclaims water and methanol from the
biodiesel production
process, which is then able to be reused on site;
- A resource recovery plant which reclaims water and methanol from the
biodiesel production
process, which is then able to be reused on site;
- A water catcher and storage system that allows all rainwater that falls
on the site to be
captured and utilised in the biodiesel production process;
- A fuel storage and dispensing facility for the finished biodiesel
product
- An office and a laboratory where incoming feedstock is analysed to
determine the
appropriate refinement process. The finished product is then analysed
in the laboratory to
ensure its compliance with specification;
- Vehicle fleet storage area where the company'fss distribution trucks are
stored; and
- A tanker fleet that runs itself on biodiesel.
Mr Hill informed us that based on current production projections, he has
secured a used cooking oilsupplier to meet his requirements for the next 5 years. However,
increasing levels of competition for the waste product that is used for the fuel feedstock in recent years has meant that Mr Hill has needed to diversify the range of resources that he uses to produce biodiesel. The company is currently investigating alternative feedstock options, such as oil derived from algae, fuel crops, and grease trap waste.
One of the most encouraging aspects of the biodiesel refining plant
visit was the concepts of environmental best practice that have been engineered into the plants
operation.
The plant has specific measures in place to improve its energy efficiency, to ensure
the safe storage of hazardous chemicals, and to minimise the use of hazardous chemicals by
undertaking recycling of substances such as methanol.
Rainwater from the premises is captured on site and fed into the refining process. It is then reclaimed out of the refined biodiesel product in a way that allows for it to be reused in the process rather than being discharged immediately into the sewer.
While at the Rutherford plant, the delegation also met representatives from Freedom Fuels, an
independent fuel wholesale/retail company (Matthew Morlan, Director Freedom Fuels and Peter
Langley, Wholesale & Operations General Manager of Freedom Fuels). This company indicated
that at September 2005, they had 20 retail outlets in Queensland which are currently offering retail sale of fuel with blended ethanol 10% (E10). The company is planning to
develop capacity for retail sales for a blended biodiesel fuel across a number of outlets
in South East Queensland in the next 12 months.
Both companies indicated that they see the biggest impediments to the development of the biofuels industry in Australia coming from large oil company interests and vehicle manufacturers providing negative information in the media and to customers about the potential implications of biofuels on engine longevity.
The company concluded that while *Noosa* Council would be an early adopter of this innovative fuel substitution system, it is likely that there would be reasonably strong uptake of alternative fuel usage within conventional fleets in the coming 2 - 5 years. Factoring in limited feedstocks we can expect demand competition in the future to be significant.
It is noted that Noosa Council has already received a great deal of interest from Brisbane, Gold
Coast, Redlands, Caboolture, Beaudesert and Toowoomba Shire Councils about the outcomes of
the Noosa biodiesel trial.
Source: www.noosa.qld.gov.au
In late February 2004, Noosa Council on the Queensland Sunshine Coast called for expressions of interest from suitably qualified organisations to conduct a biodiesel trial. The scope of the project was for the supply, storage and dispensing plant, fuel and testing services and would involve Noosa Council, Cleanaway (Sunshine Coast) and Buslink.
Source: Bioenergy Australia Newsletter June 2004
BIODIESEL WORKING GROUP
The working groups last meeting was held on the 10th November 2005. At this meeting the Cities
for Climate Protection Officer provided to the working group members a summary of results to date of
the Noosa Trial.
Results thus far indicate that significant regulated and non-regulated emission reduction can be
achieved and that there are no ill effects on engine life, by using B20 (blend of 20% biodiesel and
80% fossil diesel). Fuel efficiency is currently being monitored by using the log-book method. This
method of analysis has revealed an increase in fuel consumption across all trial vehicles. The
Cities for Climate Protection Officer is currently investigating a scientific method that would help to
validate this result. As the Trial is still current any definitive conclusion on the effects of biodiesel
have not yet been reached.
The Biodiesel Trial is due to complete at the end of February 2006. At which time a comprehensive
report on the Trial outcomes will be presented to Council.
Source: Noosa Shire Council Environment & Planning Committee Reports 27/01/06 - Ordinary Meeting 09/02/06
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