Cooking oil gets new life as fuel for vehicles

By Keith Purtell
Phoenix Staff Writer

July 16, 2008 12:17 am

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The city of Muskogee is moving into the future of recycling. Beginning Saturday, used cooking oil will be collected for conversion into biodiesel fuel.
The kick-off event is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Muskogee Recycle Drop-off Center, on the northwest corner of Main and Iola streets.
Francie Martin, stormwater clerk, said the city heard how simple it was to arrange for the conversion process and took the initiative.
“We contacted BioFuels out of Tulsa and made arrangements as to how we could start collecting the used waste cooking oil,” she said.
Martin said Tulsa BioFuels will provide a large tank for storage. The city is hoping for a positive response from anyone with old cooking oil that can be given a second life.
“It will be kind of like a grand opening for all the citizens of Muskogee, including small restaurants,” she said.
Martin said old-fashioned disposal methods create a number of problems.
“It’s bad to pour it down drains because it clogs sanitary sewer lines and causes backups,” she said. “Trash trucks may release it onto the city streets. With this new method, we can eliminate oils out in our landfill. We’re just trying to determine a safe way to dispose of it.”
Todd Stephens, sales and marketing director with Tulsa BioFuels and one of its founders, said there is definite growth in the conversion of used cooking oil into biodiesel.
“Municipalities are coming into our purview pretty quickly,” he said. “Public schools are jumping on board quickly. The private sector is slower, sometimes because they may have contracts with waste disposal companies. They may also be a little skeptical when we tell them it’s a free service, and that we provide the collection bin.”
Stephens said they take the oil and place it in a tower. First they remove the water, then they filter it. A process called transesterification, which includes some proprietary technology, completes the process of changing oil to biodiesel. The process also yields glycerin, which can be sold to soap makers.
“We’ll probably install a 200-gallon permanent tank in Muskogee,” he said. “Then we can come around on a regular schedule and empty it in two to three minutes.”
Stephens said his company sells their biodiesel ready for use on the road at about $4 per gallon, which is typically less than at the pump.
“I think the future of biodiesel is bright so long as there is education and the word gets out there,” he said. “This oil is second-generation waste, it has already been used once, and now we can turn it into two useful products.”
Stephens said one California city has required this type of conversion for used cooking oil.
“In San Francisco it was ordained,” he said. “But that’s the west coast, and I don’t think it will happen that way in the Midwest.”

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