Business Case for Biodiesel

Pickens County invested in a biodiesel production facility capable of producing 240,000 gallons of biodiesel annually from raw vegetable-based oil, enough to fuel the County’s entire fleet of on- and off-road diesel trucks.  The County collects used cooking oil from 20 schools and 40 local businesses and uses its custom-built facility to convert the oil into mixture varying between B5 and B100, depending upon conditions.  The biodiesel produces 78% less carbon dioxide emissions than regular diesel fuel and is free of sulfur and aromatics.

Pickens County’s custom-built biodiesel production facility

The County and Upstate Forever recognize an opportunity to collect and share information about Pickens’ program with other governments in the Upstate and across the nation.  Pickens County’s Solid Waste Department performed all the research and development for the biodiesel facility. Their staff attended numerous seminars across the region and collected significant amounts of data regarding processing equipment, oil sources, permitting requirements, shipping vendors, and cost estimates for the development of biodiesel programs in South Carolina. 

Upstate Forever has summarized the program into two presentations that will enable local governments in the Upstate, throughout South Carolina, and across the Southeast to replicate this successful program. 

Raw oil (right) collected from school cafeterias and restaurants is converted to finished biodiesel (left) to power Pickens County’s truck fleet

Links to the presentations follow. They include step-by-step descriptions of how local governments may develop their own biodiesel programs, including a cost analysis, benefits and challenges, a look at how biodiesel is actually made, and contact information for more details. Upstate Forever has presented this project at InnoMobility 2011 and plans to present the information to neighboring local governments as well.

Resources:

• Biodiesel 101: How It Works
  A Basic Introduction To The Biodiesel Plant and Production Process (pdf)
  by Upstate Forever and Pickens County
  
  
• The Business Case for Biodiesel: Easy as 1-2-3
  A Look At Investment, Return, and Benefits of a County Biodiesel Operation (pdf)
  by Upstate Forever and Pickens County