Plantations International Information

Willunga, South Australia-based Peats Dirt has developed its own biodiesel manufacturing plant, utilising ‘dirty water’ it accumulates from food manufacturing places.

The biodiesel will be made use of to fuel a new fleet of 13 Scania trucks it is acquiring for its compilation and also distribution workings around the state.

Peats Dirt MD Peter Wadewitz claims he intends to make greater than 1 million litres of biodiesel in the very first year at his McLaren Vale headquarters, a hr south of Adelaide, which would provide the mass of the 1.3 million litres his fleet of vehicles as well as loaders will take in every year.

‘The first set of 1,000 litres is now in production,’ Wadewitz states. ‘We gather residual wash-down water from food planning as well as production areas. We call it “dirty water”. From this we draw out the fats we make use of as the base stock of the biodiesel.

‘This biodiesel production idea has been created in association with Adelaide College and also has enticed financing from the Australian Study Council,’ Wadewitz proceeds. We have now progressed from confirming the concept in a research laboratory to building a new biodiesel manufacturing center at our head office in Willunga. As for we understand there is just one other plant such as this around the world– the United States.

‘We have ordered 13 new vehicles from Scania that will run on 100 % biodiesel. These vehicles will change our already existing Scania fleet, plus we are adding 2 many more trucks and also two many more loaders. This means we will certainly be developing four brand-new jobs for drivers plus adding personnel for the lab.’

Alfons Reitsma, local exec manager for Scania in South Australia, includes: ‘We will be supplying Peats Dirt with 480 hp six-cylinder trucks as well as some V8-powered 560 hp prime movers which will certainly be utilized to accumulate excrement and also after that provide mass and also bagged natural materials once they have actually been refined at the plant.

‘Scania currently generates a portion of the most fuel-efficient heavy trucks available in Australia, but the button to biodiesel will certainly make this one of the most affordable CO2 producing fleets in Australia. Our study shows biodiesel makes 80 % much less CARBON DIOXIDE than normal diesel, making it extremely ecologically friendly.’

Biofuels Plantations International