Major milestone in availability of environmentally friendly fuel
MONTREAL, Nov. 21, 2005 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX News Network) — Rothsay, a division of Maple Leaf Foods Inc.,
today announced the commissioning of Canada’s first commercial-scale biodiesel
plant. The new facility has the capacity to produce 35 million litres of
biodiesel annually and is located in Ville Ste. Catherine on Montreal’s South
Shore.
Rothsay biodiesel is a unique renewable fuel made by converting animal
fats and recycled cooking oils into an environmentally sustainable alternative
fuel that reduces harmful greenhouse gases, and can be used in all diesel
engines today without modification. Rothsay biodiesel is made using a process
pioneered and developed at the plant in Montreal.
“With this new state of the art plant, biodiesel is going big in Canada,”
said Scott McCain, President and Chief Operating Officer, Agribusiness Group,
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. “This plant is the first in the country to produce
biodiesel on a large scale, marking an important milestone in the
diversification from conventional fossil fuels to environmentally friendly
fuels.”
According to Natural Resources Canada data, the 35 million litres of
biodiesel that will be produced at Rothsay’s Ville Ste. Catherine plant is
equal to taking 16,000 light trucks or 22,000 cars off the road (122,000 MT of
greenhouse gases).
Already Canada’s largest independent rendering company, providing a vital
recycling service to the food processing industry, Rothsay is now also a major
player in the Canadian biodiesel industry. It helped foster the development of
the biodiesel industry in Canada with such landmark studies as the City of
Montreal’s Bio Bus and BioMer projects. Rothsay has also operated a smaller
pilot plant in Montreal for the last three years.
Rothsay, a division of Maple Leaf Foods Inc., is one of the largest
producers of recycled value-added products including the production of animal
feed ingredients, amino acid supplements, organic fertilizer, alternative fuel
and other industrial uses by converting edible and inedible by-products. It
operates five rendering facilities nationwide.
Biodiesel Fact Sheet
What it is: Biodiesel is a clean burning, biodegradable and renewable
fuel made from a variety of bioproducts such as vegetable oils, animal
fats and recycled cooking oils.
How it's made: Biodiesel is made by combining a natural oil or fat with
an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol. The process leaves behind two
products - methyl esters (the chemical name for biodiesel) and glycerin.
Not a new product: Vegetable oil was used in diesel fuel as early as
1900. The inventor of the diesel engine, Rudolf Diesel, originally
designed the engine for use with peanut oil. The biodiesel production
processes the oil to make it more acceptable to modern diesel engines.
Markets: Biodiesel is widely used and available at the pumps in Europe
and is rapidly gaining popularity in North America as an environmentally
friendly alternative to petroleum diesel. Currently, the key markets for
biodiesel are mass transit, marine and use in environmentally sensitive
areas.
Environmental Benefits :
- Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
It also reduces tailpipe exhaust emissions, minimizing black smoke and
smog-causing particulate matter, odour and harmful carcinogens and
does not contribute to sulphur dioxide emissions (acid rain).
- Biodiesel is as biodegradable as sugar and 10 times less toxic than
table salt. This makes biodiesel ideal for use in environmentally
sensitive areas.
- Biodiesel has an energy balance between 3.2 and 5 units i.e. for every
one unit of energy required to produce biodiesel, 3.2 to 5 units are
generated. The calculation is based on the energy required to grow,
collect, transport, and process the feedstock, and the type of
feedstock.
Advantages :
- Biodiesel is safer to handle and transport than petroleum.
- It can be used in all diesel vehicles with minimal or no engine
modifications and provides as much power as normal diesel fuel. It can
be used in cold climates in blended form, generally B20 (refers to a
blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel).
- In a B20 blend, biodiesel typically adds less than one cent per litre
to the cost of the fuel. A very small price to pay considering the
many environmental benefits.
SOURCE: Maple Leaf Foods Inc.
SOURCE: Rothsay
In English Canada: Phil von Finckenstein at (613) 233-1633;
In Quebec: Rita Mezzanotte at (301) 273-5655;
Or visit www.rothsaybiodiesel.ca