Last updated: April 14, 2011 3:30 pm
Renee Andor — Nexus (Camosun College)
VICTORIA (CUP) — Camosun College will soon be using biodiesel from cafeteria cooking oil waste, thanks to some students in the environmental technology program.
Ryan Olivier, Daniel Hayhurst, Paige Dawson and Michel France co-ordinated with Camosun’s physical resources and chemistry program to build a biodiesel reactor and come up with the correct chemical formula to make the alternative fuel.
Olivier says it will be up and running by June, and that it could even be sooner because the reactor is already fully functional; they’re just waiting for the formula to be finalized.
Brian Calvert, associate director for physical resources, can’t wait to start using the green fuel in the grounds equipment at the college.
“We’re very excited about it,” Calvert said. “We’re really waiting to try to mix a batch and start implementing it into some of our grounds vehicles for testing.”
The college currently buys biodiesel to use in the grounds vehicles, and the cafeterias have the waste cooking oil picked up and recycled, so Calvert considers it a win-win. The college will save money on fuel, and will use the cooking oil waste from the cafeterias for free.
Besides feeling good about helping Camosun become more sustainable, Olivier says the experience helped him improve his group co-ordination skills. And he hopes future students will learn new skills by using the reactor for training.
“I would just be happy if it gave other students a chance to get some hands-on experience,” Olivier said.
Calvert agrees, saying he wants the automotive and mechanical engineering programs to use the reactor for training. He also says the trailer the reactor is sitting on is licensed, so he hopes to take it to community events to show the public how it works.
“It’s good for the environment,” Calvert said. “And it’s a great opportunity to educate people about alternative methods of saving energy.”
Once the reactor is up and running, Calvert says students will probably smell it.
“I don’t know if it’ll drive up the sale of French fries when the guys drive around with the lawn mower,” Calvert said. “[But] that’s kind of the odour it’ll give off in the exhaust.”
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