Project background:

Biodiesel is one of the alternative fuels that is produced from renewable resources. Specifically, it is a mono alkyl ester produced from vegetable oil, canola oil, soybean oil or animal fats. Waste animal fats and waste cooking oils (known as ?yellow grease?) are also potential feedstocks. Just like petroleum-derived diesel, biodiesel operates in diesel compression engines, including those used in vehicles and stationary electrical generator units. It can be used in a 100 percent pure fuel formulation or as a blended component with petroleum derived diesel. The most common blend is called B20, which is 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel. Essentially, no engine modifications are required, and biodiesel maintains the payload capacity and range of petroleum-derived diesel. Each liter of biodiesel could lead to 3 kg reduction in CO2 emission.

Biodiesel has a number of other advantages over ordinary diesel:

?Readily broken down by bacteria. Even small amounts of biodiesel mixed with diesel will speed up the breakdown of fuel spills.

?Much higher flash (ignition) point than mineral diesel, making it safer to transport.

?Lower emissions, reduced ozone forming potential, almost no sulfur, and reduced production of carcinogens.

?Better engine lubricating properties resulting in reduced engine noise.

?Growing crops for biodiesel production can mean that otherwise poorly positioned or infertile soils can become profitable for their owners. The crops can often improve the quality of the soil.

Project activities:

The current project aims at the following:

?Utilization of waste cooking oil

?Preventing such waste materials to find their way to sewerage systems and ultimately to water resources such as rivers (e.g. Aras River) and Caspian Sea as well as underground waters.
?Environment preservation (water resources) considering item 2.

?Production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil.

?Substitution of part of petroleum-derived diesel with renewable fuel; biodiesel produced from waste cooking oil.

?Reducing environmental pollutants (emissions) such as sulphur oxides, carbon monoxide, soot and so on.

?Preservation of air quality and decreasing respiratory and gastrointestinal disease such as related cancers considering items 5 and 6.

?Introducing a model and extension of this environmentally friendly system as well as establishing sustainable management in selected chain restaurants and food factories.

?Establishment and extension of the model of sustainable management of waste cooking oils for the production of biodiesel as a clean and renewable fuel and patterning for its extension throughout the country.

To achieve the above-mentioned targets the following activities will be conducted:

?Investigation and preparation of a report on the current status of quantity of waste cooking oils in the country especially in the cities selected in the project.

?Production of a photo-story.

?Preparation of the current blueprint and the computerized model of the training site.

?Identifying the representatives of the chain restaurants and food factories to attend the practical programs held in the training site.

?Creating awareness among the producers (chain restaurants and food factories), experts, students, and citizens about the concerns related to emissions produced due to the combustion of fossil fuels especially by using simulation methods demonstrating the impacts of such poisons on body and the unique advantages of clean fuels.

?Production of biodiesel as a clean fuel from waste cooking oils.

?Training the producers (chain restaurants and food factories) to produce biodiesel as a clean fuel from waste cooking oils.

?Using CSTR reactor for the production of biodiesel as a clean fuel from waste cooking oils.

?Improving waste management through the application of waste cooking oils and production of biodiesel as a clean fuel in order to substitute part of the consumption of the polluting fossil fuels.

?Enhancing production sustainability and utilization of produced biodiesel from waste cooking oils through the establishment of waste cooking oil collection methods in urban areas, direct purchase of biodiesel from the producers (chain restaurants and food factories), and establishment of a permanent booth in pumping stations.

?Training the citizens for using biodiesel produced from waste cooking oils as a clean fuel in vehicles and diesel-based electricity generators.

?Organizing none government organizations and community associations related to each of project?s objectives such as cancer disease, waste management, and environmental protection.

?Introducing biodiesel to pumping stations (offering diesel fuel) and encouraging them to offer biodiesel produced from waste cooking oil as a clean fuel.

?Organizing workshops for promoting biodiesel and its utilization in pumping stations.

?Identifying the best packing system for offering biodiesel (inert).

?Introducing the packed product to the industrial manager in the country.

?Production of a documentary.

The outputs of this project include:

?Investigating the current status.

?Achieving a model for sustainable management of waste cooking oils through the production of biodiesel as a clean fuel for partial substitution of petroleum-derived diesel fuel and protection of the environment through organizing the representatives of selected chain restaurants and food factories to attend practical programs held in the training site.

?Establishment of two protocols for Production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil suitable for chain restaurants, food factories, and city centers.

?Strengthening the producers (chain restaurants, and food factories) in converting their units into sustainable ones.

?Organizing the producers (chain restaurants, and food factories), regional recycling companies, and organization through the Extension Group of Environmentalists (EGE).

?Selling the produced biodiesel in the training site and two restaurants under support of the project.

?Production of a documentary as a model for strengthening the owners of production units (chain restaurants, and food factories) to promote and extend the production of biodiesel as a clean fuel from waste cooking oil and the utilization of this clean fuel.