The comments came at an event in London yesterday (March 14) entitled London Conference Shared learning and waste services delivery, which was co-hosted by letsrecycle.com in association with the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWaRB). It was sponsored by BigBelly Solar Compactor Street Bins and MetalMatters.
Speaking at the conference, Mr Pencharz questioned why used cooking oil was being wasted when it could be recycled into biodiesel. The Greater London Authority estimates that between 32 and 44 million litres of used cooking oil is produced every year, two thirds of which is easily accessible from the commercial sector.
One reason for the wastage could be the lack of infrastructure. At present, there are four large scale biodiesel producers in the UK which are all located in the north of England or Scotland, meaning biodiesel users in the south of England pay a premium due to additional haulage costs, according to Mr Pencharz.
He added that the Mayor has questioned why this resource wasnt being properly exploited as it could be used to replace at least 10% of London buses demand on mineral diesel. He said the demand for the biodiesel could be created directly through the Mayors influence with the bus operating companies.
Mr Pencharz said the GLA was looking to answer these questions by developing a business case for investment in a refinery to produce biodiesel in the capital.
Investment
Discussing the Mayors plans for the material Mr Pencharz said: My officers will be putting together the business case for investment in production in London and engaging with the used cooking oil and biodiesel sector from collection through to refining.
Because it is the Mayors aim to not only save tonnes of CO2 but also encourage the biodiesel market to collect used cooking oil and locate a biodiesel refinery in London, delivering demand, investment and jobs. What we are looking for is an investment in major refinery capacity in London, with the collection network to provide reliably the feedstock.
A biodiesel pilot involving 12 dial-a-ride buses has already been completed by Transport for London (TfL) with a further one on double decker buses being investigated. The cost of the pilots, which was in the tens of thousands of pounds, was paid for by TfL. However Mr Pencharz said the business case would prove the demand is there allowing the private sector to come in and build a facility to handle the material.
He added that the Mayor was very serious about his aspiration to build a refinery to produce biodiesel from the waste.
Waste bill
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During his speech, Mr Pencharz noted that Londons waste bill is 2 billion a year, 600 million of which is from local authorities. By treating all waste in the optimal way, he added, London could save 200 million a year.
He said there were a number of ways to drive down the bill, including reducing waste arising, maximising reuse and recycling and minimising landfill. However, he said this would require a significant investment in waste management infrastructure, including materials recycling facilities, anaerobic digestion and mechanical biological treatment plants.
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