The acceptable input waste materials have been extended from waste vegetable oil to waste cooking oil of either vegetable or animal origin and rendered animal fat (tallow).
Consultation feedback report
The Environment Agency and WRAP have amended the draft Quality Protocol for the production and use of biodiesel derived from waste vegetable oil, originally unveiled in October 2007 (see letsrecycle.com story), which re-defines the point at which the fuel is no longer classed as a waste, and therefore no longer subject to waste regulations, in a bid to boost the market.
The move follows a 12-week public consultation in which respondents requested that fuel produced from animal-derived oils and fats also to be taken into consideration.
It had originally been thought that protein prions – or infectious agents – burnt during combustion in animal-derived oils could lead to humans contracting vCJD (the human form of BSE).
However, there was no industry concern over the health risks and Defra Animal Health policy confirmed that there was “no evidence of greater risk to the environment and human health from biodiesel derived from waste food oil (vegetable or animal oils) or tallow in comparison to biodiesel from virgin oil.”
A consultation feedback report said: “Following consideration of the valuable consultation comments received, the scope of the Quality Protocol has been changed.
“This change has been reflected in the revised title of the document with the acceptable input waste materials having been extended from waste vegetable oil to waste cooking oil of either vegetable or animal origin and rendered animal fat (tallow). This follows extensive consultation with Defra Animal Health Policy,” it added.
Acceptance
The draft Biodiesel Protocol has a strong focus on producers' rigorously recording data to ensure the quality of the biodiesel and that acceptance criteria are in place, such as the types of waste cooking oils and rendered animal fats that are accepted; the quantity and method of acceptance; and the date of delivery and source of the waste cooking oil and rendered animal fats.
The document also states that producers must hold evidence that their product conforms to the standards set out by the Quality Protocol, and a sample batch of each batch of biodiesel must be kept for 12 months to allow retrospective analysis on request.
Following submissions to the European Commission, the Quality Protocol is likely to take six months to be approved, with a spokeswoman for the Environment Agency envisioning no changes to the draft copy and hoping for a final publication date of spring 2009.
Once in place, the protocol is expected to help boost oil recycling in the UK.
The amended publication comes just a few weeks after a consultation was launched on a protocol for the use of lubricating oils in fuel production (see letsrecycle.com story).
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