600L of new vege oil and 500L or waste vege oil - for a favour

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Now, hopefully this thread will get some activity.

I've been speaking to a guy from here. It's a local community ecovillage and I think it might be a nice place to set up some sort of a community biodiesel processor.

You know the kind? I mean the sort where a small community of people all get together, help design, scrounge parts, build and run the plant. The same community then takes turns in collecting oil, running training workshops etc.

I think it would be really great if we could set up a community/coop operation. I think that with our combined skills and expertise, as well as our contact network we could do something.

What do you all think? Does anyone like the idea?

[Emporator Member Find all posts View Profile Close Emporator]

Re: Setting up a community biodiesel plant in Sydney?

Hello Robert!

Sounds like an excellent idea! Count me in for sure!

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Setting up a community biodiesel plant in Sydney?

Thanks Thomas. That's one. Anyone else? We'd need at least a few enthusiastic people for something like this to get off the ground.

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

600L of new vege oil and 500L or waste vege oil - for a favour

I've just been contacted by 2 different parties.

One of them works in film and has bought 30 20L steel containers of new vegetable oil (600L) and needs to get the oil out so that the empty cans can be used for a film set. An option would be to either swap them with empty steel containers (he said they are square), or to pour them into a few 200L drums. Sounds like a rare score

The other one has offered 500L of used vege oil if someone wants to make an offer (so I guess he expects something in return). He has also said that he can supply some chemicals.

Now, normally, I'd just tell them to post their own messages in the forum and see what happens, but for this one, I'm looking for some sort of favour in return.

I've been getting the feeling of late that many biodieselers are not demonstrating much community spirit, or if they are, they are doing it underground. Whilst I completely understand the reasons why most home producers are underground, I'd really like to see them being a little more community minded. I see the potential for a community project to begin, which might give an opportunity to allow some biodiesel production to happen in a more open manner. Unfortunately, although 40 people have read the request so far only 1 has responded.

There are loads of useful things that we could all be doing to try and build something bigger than ourselves, or try to help the larger community, rather than just pretending that helping ourselves is a noble cause. So, I'd be happy to put people in contact with this oil supply, but I just need a few of you to put your hands up as being willing to help out some way in return (possibly for this project, or perhaps to help run some biodiesel training sessions, or whatever you can think of -maybe post your suggestions).

I'd also like to see some SVO people come forward and offer their skills, I'm sure you'd also like this oil.

Who wants the oil?

[Guest Close David]

Re: 600L of new vege oil and 500L or waste vege oil - for a favour

I'd be interested in the SVO and have other containers to put it in.
I'm certainly happy to help out with some advice as far as SVO and blending is concerned. If there is anything else you would like, let me know.

[geewizztoo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close geewizztoo]

Re: 600L of new vege oil and 500L or waste vege oil - for a favour

Ditto, always willing to help promote bio.

[Grimwood Heating Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Grimwood Heating]

Re: Setting up a community biodiesel plant in Sydney?

Let me know what I can do to help.
Brian

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Setting up a community biodiesel plant in Sydney?

Thanks Brian - Some heating elements will do nicely I'm sure, but we have to get to that point first. Appreciate your support.

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: 600L of new vege oil and 500L or waste vege oil - for a favour

Thanks guys. How much could you take, all of it, or would we need to spread it around a bit? I guess we'll see what other people post in the next day or 2 and go from there.

I guess for setting up the community reactor, we'd need help welding, plumbing, designing etc, so any help in that department would be appreciated.

[Guest Close David]

Re: 600L of new vege oil and 500L or waste vege oil - for a favour

I could take all the SVO because I would use that and pass on the bit of oil I have saved up atm to some of the regular recipients of my excess supplys.

I know Wayne has some difficulties getting what oil he needs but is always generous with what he has.

I have just welded up some fittings for a reactor and built a stand for a 400L tank so I would have no trouble helping out there. Unfortunately I have pretty much ran out of metal with that project and the places where I scrounged it from before have closed or moved so I'm not sure what I will be able to get in the future and may need some help with procuring suitable material.

What size reactor are you planning to build? I have an inside line to get old water heaters when they come up but never know when that will be or what sizes but I have managed to source a few so far. I would suggest a 250 or a 400L so unless something smaller is required, I'll put an order in for those.

As far as Oil goes, this seems like a perfect opportunity to do something I have thought of for some time.
Instead of trying to get people to donate oil or scrounge it from various places, why not approach a few places in the local area like clubs or a burger joint that would be able to provide all the oil needed from the one place? The group could take over their present oil collection services.

If the oil is being removed for free, the club or resturant could get a back end out of it with some publicity within the group by "sponsoring" the project. Put an acknowledgement in the groups newsletter or website and make them up a "Thank you" certificate to hang in their foyer or wherever.
I believe some of the bigger places have to pay to have their oil removed so maybe the group could take it away for a greatly reduced price which would go towards things which have to be bought and could also be put towards setting up multiple reactors.

To really make this group as helpful to as many people as possible, perhaps sourcing an excess supply of oil for bio making may be an idea so there is also an amount of oil available for the SVO users? There are plenty of clubs and Burger franchises around the Parramatta area so sourcing a serious supply in the local area shouldn't be a problem.

I realise this is very early days yet, but having never been involved in such a co-op before, I'm wondering how something like this works on an onging basis. Would the Bio be made available to members at a price or given away in return for contributions and if so, how does this work as a general rule?

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: 600L of new vege oil and 500L or waste vege oil - for a favour

Dunno, it's a first for me too.
It's all still an idea, but I'd guess that whatever group formed to make it happen would have to decide on an equitable system that benefited the people contributing as well as the wider community. The Melbourne boys have had extensive experience with this sort of thing, so perhaps when we get closer to doing something with it, we could talk to them.

[pangit Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close pangit]

Re: 600L of new vege oil and 500L or waste vege oil - for a favour

Robert, I was thinking about this and what I might be able to do to help. Not necessarily for the WVO payment (although that would be nice), but as a good community spirited thing, and to put our expertise and manpower to good use and pass it on to others.

One idea that occurred to me was that perhaps we could plan a group day out to build this processor. For the next Sydney day out (which I'm itching to attend having missed the last two), instead of just chewing the fat and downing a few stubbies, we could bring as many people, tools and equipment together as possible. With a bit of organising and good will, we could get the whole thing up and running in one day.

I know what you mean about the "underground" culture that our activities tend to foster. I've been guilty of it myself - taking knowledge from these forums to put them to our own personal use, then keeping quiet about it for fear of losing our WVO supply to competitors, or falling foul of the ATO.

So I think to reverse that a bit a project like this would be a great way of bringing the Sydney biofuels community together and give us a better sense of identity. It's very difficult to form relationships when sitting in front of a PC posting on forums, but much easier when meeting face to face and working together as a team.

I really like the idea of sustainable housing projects, and to be honest I think that it's the way we should all be going, rather than building ever larger McMansions on ever smaller blocks of land, that completely ignore any environmental considerations. But that's a subject for another thread!

So consider me a volunteer and let's get this thing organised!

(EDIT: perhaps I should have posted this in the other thread - or maybe they should be merged?)

[Cameron Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Cameron]

Re: Setting up a community biodiesel plant in Sydney?

I am not putting my hand up as I am too busy but I would like to throw in a very solid endorsement for the Illabunda crew. They are very good value and a lot of positive sustainability activities in that local area are likely to be focused through that developing intentional community.

Cheers,
Cameron

[Cameron Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Cameron]

Re: 600L of new vege oil and 500L or waste vege oil - for a favour

As they don't really have a 'proper' site at Illabunda yet like they will have once the project matures if you are looking for a venue to build the initial reactor then perhaps it could be built here at UNSW during the next Biodiesel Info Day I am planning to hold here at the end of May with the help of some student volunteers?

I can't hold it any later than end May because it would need to be all done and dusted in order to be assessable for the students.

Ray from Nat Bio is super keen as are others and we are going to try to turn it into something big. I have no interest in retaining the reactor so it could then be delivered out to the co-op and i would even be happy to help with that if necessary.

Comments? Ideas?

Cheers,
Cameron

[pangit Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close pangit]

Re: 600L of new vege oil and 500L or waste vege oil - for a favour

That sounds like a great idea Cameron, but I think we now need some input from the Illabunda people here.

Robert can we get them to join in this discussion?