Pure Fuels which began operating from an industrial estate in Edmonton, north London, earlier this month, has the capacity to produce 3.5 million litres of biodiesel every year.
” Our biodiesel is a premium product and an environmentally-friendly, ethical fuel, that mixes perfectly with diesel and requires no engine conversion. “
– Tom Lasica, Pure Fuels
One of its founders, Tom Lasica, said it was currently the only biodiesel refinery in London, although a partnership of seven councils in south east London, lead by Bromley council, has been granted planning permission to build a facility in Bromley.
In Edmonton, Pure Fuels collects used cooking oil from outlets across north, east, west and central London.
The oil is recycled into fuel through a chemical process called transesterification. This includes drywashing it in magnesium silicate to removed dirt and passing it through a computerised filtration system, which analyses the particles and gives a purity reading.
Biodiesel emits 50% less carbon monoxide and 78% less carbon dioxide than normal diesel but sometimes gets a bad press when swathes of land are taken up to grow oil-producing plants.
The conversion of “virgin” materials, such as rapeseed, into fuel is sometimes preferred by manufacturers because it requires less treatement than waste oil.
“Ethical”
Mr Lasica said of Pure Fuels biodiesel: “Our biodiesel is a premium product and an environmentally-friendly, ethical fuel, that mixes perfectly with diesel and requires no engine conversion.
“It's completely safe and it stops the waste oil from being dumped into landfill where it pollutes the water table.”
In south London, Seltrans (South East London Transport Strategy) is drawing up a business plan for its refinery which will be sited by the current civic amenity site in Waldo Road, Bromley.
But at this stage, Bromley council is unable to confirm what technology will be used and when construction is likely to begin.
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