Is chicken fat the petroleum of the future?
Chicken fat fires energy plant
OAK RIDGE NORTH — Chicken fat and a $3.5 million investment are behind a breakthrough in the way Texans heat, cool and light their homes and offices.
Using the slimy, light-colored tallow as the source for clean-burning biodiesel, Biofuels Power Corp. flipped the switch on three 2,000-horsepower diesel engines a couple of weeks ago, adding a bit more energy to the massive grid that powers much of the Lone Star State.
Privately held Biofuels Power and others in the renewable energy business say the plant is the first of its kind to produce power for sale on the open market using only biodiesel, a petroleum-free alternative fuel made from plant oils such as cottonseed and animal fat — in this case, chicken fat.
The National Biodiesel Board, a nonprofit trade association, says it knows of no other plant that runs entirely on biodiesel, which can be used in any conventional diesel engine. A local congressman, Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Stafford, cited the fledgling company for its groundbreaking venture.
How very interesting. I had no idea we even this close to being able to power anything with biofuel. The fact that they started the plant two weeks ago surprises me. Not sure how I feel about using chicken fat to light my home but since I have no problems eating chickens so I should be able to get over my initial queasiness. I grew up a few miles from Niagara Mohawk and so it has taken years of adjustment to understand problems with creating power. Having the power of the Niagara River being able to light most of the eastern seaboard cleanly and efficiently very close to me as I was growing up makes power and water concerns non-existent. I love living in Texas but water and energy concerns are something new to me and certainly take some getting used to.
Technorati Tags: Biofuels Power Corp, Biofuel, Chicken Fat, diesel, electricity, energy
Filed under: Biofuel, Biofuels Power Corp, Electricity, chicken fat, diesel, energy
