Chicken Fat

[DanG]

Amidst all the gloom and doom about "peak oil" and high fuel prices, if you look around a bit you find people doing their bit to help out.  In one of the area newspapers, I found an article about a newly developed process to turn chicken fat into fuel.  It wasn't real specific about the process itself, but it appears to be similar to Biodiesel.  The plan is for the poultry processing plants to install the equipment, and convert their own waste into the fuel to heat the massive quantities of water they use.  According to the folks at The University of Georgia, where the process was developed, they slaughter 1.3 billion chickens in Georgia every year, and all of that hot water is currently being heated with petroleum.  They figure to save over nine million dollars in fuel costs, plus eliminating the fuel usage in transporting all that fuel.

Now, killing chickens is a cutthroat business ;D and I don't think for a minute that they're doing this for the good of our economy, but this is a good example of how higher fuel prices are causing people to think of alternatives.

[Ron Wenrich]

So, what are they doing with the chicken fat now?  In our area, they have their own rendering plant, and they make pet food.  So, if we take away the fat to make fuel, then pet food prices will increase.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Nothing new  ??? ???

  http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/719605551/m/7851049732?r=7851049732#7851049732

[DanG]

So, what are they doing with the chicken fat now?  In our area, they have their own rendering plant, and they make pet food.  So, if we take away the fat to make fuel, then pet food prices will increase.

Fewer pets?  Cheaper chicken?  The plant that was featured in the article is currently selling the fat to a rendering company for 3  cents a pound.  I'm kinda hoping they will stop leaving the 5-6 oz of fat in each chicken that I'm currently paying $1.29/lb for. >:(

[DanG]

I couldn't open your link, Harold.  Were they actually doing anything there, or just flapping their lips?

I know the technology isn't new, but the fact that an industry is actually going to use it in a significant manner is.

[Fla._Deadheader]

The link works for me ???  It's a guy in the Bahamas thats looking for info for their 100,000 bird ranch, to convert the leavins to heat all their water, for processing.

  There is/was a Turkey processing plant in Missouri, I believe. There was a processing plant for the oil set up right next to it.  Don't remember if it was Tyson, Purdue, or one of those other mass producers of Poultry.

  The plant could convert all sorts of stuff into oil for fuel.

  The problem came up, with neighbors calling about the stink. Turns out, the Turkey processing plant was creating the stink, NOT the oil processing plant.

  Turkey plant was in cahoots with a major renderer, and cut off most of the supply to the oil plant ???  Mafia, maybe ???

  Oil plant was nearly shut down, last I heard.  Another was slated to open in Colorado. Maintaining supply of input product is the problem. Renderers are taking more of the input, after contracts are signed, and putting the fuel processers out of business, after spending millions ???

  A google should turn it up.

[DanG]

Hmmm.  I didn't realize the Mafia had a chicken fat department. :  I don't suppose the success vs failure of such an operation could have anything to do with $100/bbl oil vs $60/bbl oil, could it?

[Fla._Deadheader]

Who do you think Waste Management is ???

  There are renderers going by the name of Mahoney, in several different states, and not necessarily neighboring states, that are creating havoc for small guys getting WVO from Restaurants. ALL SORTS of dirty tactics going on. WVO is getting increasingly difficult for small guys to get their hands on.

  Threatening restaurants to turn them in for allowing "unlicensed" collectors to pick up a couple 5 gallon jugs of WVO. ???  Doesn't sound like Mafia ???  I grew up around the Mafia operated businesses, in NJ.

  Chicken Fat is BIG BUSINESS.