Cowichan Biodiesel Coop

[Kuan]

Just thought I would pass along some info that I received about whats happening here.

THe Cowichan biodiesel coop has now 53 members

Cost to join is $100 (you get your first 20 litres free)

Production is about 800L/month.

Price of biodiesel from the coop is $1.25/litre

If you make biodiesel for the coop they buy it for $1.00

THere are plans to get a large refinery up and running in the near future to up production.


Website:
http://www.cowfuel.org

[josh]

How much does fuel cost on the island? It sounds a bit pricey to me. It is a cool idea though.

Josh

[Kuan]

Diesel is around a $1 on the island.
BioD is a bit pricey but I think its pretty much on par with other Biodiesel prices. More members and more makers would make the price go down I guess.

But price is not everything. Its like buying organic! Personally, I don't mind if its a bit more. I rather the money go to folks around here than the big companies + pollution factor + the recycling aspect... Makes it worthwhile for me.

And they are willing to teach members and help them get setup with suppliers. Once you start making and selling - your fuel costs go right down!

[Phatburner]

Hey Kuan;

My costs are about 35 cents a litre at the present time. If you make your own you not only save some money but it is better environmentally and from a sustainability perspective. Burning fuel to go get fuel doesn't make sense and niether does transporting waste oil over distances to a central processing facility. Small scale local production is what I believe in that's why I designed a home size system and I give my design away on the web for free. Granted not everyone has my technical skills but now that I've worked all the bugs out of it I could teach my 13 year old to run the process, it's that simple. Of course if you can make more than you need there is nothing wrong with spreading the love around :)

Joe

[Kuan]

Yeah I agree on making your own and will definately be there for the seminar :D

At the same time though, I think the coop is a great idea as not everyone has time, willingness or motivation to learn how to make it and then continue making it.

There must be some economies of scale for having a processing facility. Burning fuel to make fuel? I see what you mean, but unless you have a restaurant out back you have to transport it don't you? Not sure where the waste oil is going to come from for the facility.

I don't know what the best solution is but I like the idea of the coop. It gives people who make bio a potential source of income and it gives people who don't make it an opportunity to burn cleaner fuel right? You said your costs are 35 cents/litre - does that include labour?

Its fueling a self supporting local economy - I think its a wonderful thing and a step in the right direction for main streaming biofuels quickly.

These guys are at the Saturday market iand you can pick up your fuel when you get your veggies.

Its all good.

[Phatburner]

Buying at the market is so cool. I'm not knocking the coop, just commenting about sustainability ideology. In the real world even driving back and forth to get fuel or transport wvo from greater distances to a central processor location, if it is done by burning biofuel is better than burning petro. It will be nice if a distributed coop could have excess capacity so that individual members could hook up and share capacity. It is complicated since there are fuel quality issues to be concerned with, and other legalities.
Currently I am building a 1600 litre size reactor somewhere in Ontario which will be for private use but with some excess capacity. The owner intends to do something nice with the excess. I am also very keen on the idea of a mobile trailer mounted processor. This is another way that a coop can share resources. I am considering building one and I can also take it around for demos and events.

Cheers[/img]

[josh]

Where are you building that in Ontario? A lot of my relatives live in Ontario and would be real interested.

Josh