Two Arizona firms step up efforts to produce 15 Mgy of biodiesel from restaurant grease

In Arizona, Amereco and AZ Biodiesel are expanding their efforts to produce biodiesel from waste vegetable oils and grease. Amereco is paying up to 20 cents per pound for grease and has production capacity of up to 15 Mgy for their Phoenix-based facility.

AZ Biodiesel has established its own collection company for grease, and will produce 5 Mgy from collections at 300 restaurants, averaging 75 gallons per restaurant per month.

Arizona has been a leader in efforts surrounding the development of algae, among other  unconventional biodiesel feedstocks. PetroSun BioFuels Refining has signed a joint venture to develop and operate a 30 Mgy algae biodiesel facility in Coolidge.
PetroSun has announced its intention to establish 1,000 algae cultivation pods that will produce up to 2.56 billion gallons of algal oil per year. The announcement highlighted the potential of algae to supply a large percentage of domestic fuel consumption needs within a compact space, even with early-stage yields. PetroSun indicated it would pursue joint ventures with Mexican companies to establish its pods in Sonora state, which is located along the US border south of Arizona.

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