University Uses Students’ Chip Fat to Power Campus Tractors

14/5/2007

 Printer Friendly Page A Welsh University is the first in the UK to set up an on-site plant for turning waste cooking oil into eco-friendly biodiesel. The University of Wales, Newport is recycling its kitchens’ waste cooking oil to produce carbon neutral fuel to power the many campus maintenance vehicles and machinery, and production could eventually expand to provide the fuel for the University minibus and van fleet.

“We are very proud that, as a University, Newport is leading the way in pioneering this environmentally friendly process which recycles one of our waste products into a fuel that produces a lot less carbon dioxide than standard diesel,” said Matthew Bellamy, the University’s Environmental Officer.

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“It’s proving an extremely cost-effective and eco-friendly way of running a range of vehicles used to maintain the extensive grounds of our two campuses.  We can produce 120 litres of fuel from 150 litres of waste cooking oil, and with the potential to collect up to 4000 litres of waste oil for recycling per year, it should amount to an initial annual saving of about £1000.


ABOVE: Matthew Bellamy (left) the University’s Environmental Officer, examines a sample of the biodiesel fuel produced with Head Groundsman Mike Davies (right). Looking on are key members of the grounds maintenance team Gareth Davis and Neil Humphreys

“This process has many environmental benefits including minimising the University’s emissions of green house gasses which contribute to global warming - we estimate it will produce a saving of some 20 tons of CO2 emissions per year,” Matthew added.

The Biodiesel production facility is the latest in a series of environmentally friendly measures at the University. The recently opened Kegie Building, which provides much needed teaching space to cope with the University’s growing number of students, is full of eco-friendly design features.

The south facing side of the building is fitted with Brise Soleil shades that prevent heat gain and eliminate the need for mechanical cooling in the building, increasing comfort levels and energy efficiency during the summer months. The rain water that falls onto the roof is collected in a tank in the basement of the building and recycled to flush the toilets. In addition, the heating in the building is an efficient, state of the art system that uses the least amount of energy possible.