A biodiesel project which utilizes waste fats and oils will soon be implemented in Aklan after the Department of Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Executive Committee (ACEF-EXECOM) has approved a grant worth P14.93 million for the establishment of a 200-liter a day capacity biodiesel production facility at the AkIan State University (ASU) in Banga, Aklan.
The project which is the first of its kind in Western Visayas and the first biodiesel project by a state university in the country to receive an ACEF grant, is seen to reduce oil-containing wastes from a growing number of meat processors and food establishments in Aklan.
These oil-containing wastes, which are either dumped in the ground or sold to other food processors for recycling, can be converted into coco-methyl ester (CME), according to a research tem from ASU composed of Dr. Mary Eden Teruel, Engr. Tomas Ortega and Prof. Arlene de la Cruz.