NC State Students Transform Campus with NC State Dining
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 18, 2012) – North Carolina State University engineering students are taking used fryer oil from two campus dining facilities and converting it into biodiesel fuel which is then being used in a variety of tractors and other off-road equipment. NC State’s Biofuel Research and Implementation Club (B.R.I.C.) has partnered with NC State Dining, the N.C. Solar Center and the NC State Dairy to lead the initiative.
“Our goal is to use the oil instead of paying to eliminate the ‘waste product,’ and to fuel NC State’s vehicles,” said Ben Gillespie, a senior in chemical and textile engineering. “We’re starting to look at using solar heat instead of electricity and maybe a waste oil burner to heat our process. We want to be as energy efficient and renewable as possible.”
According to Clark Dining Hall Manager Scott Curtner, NC State Dining produces almost 1000 gallons of fryer oil a month. The club is able to convert about 200 gallons of that every month into 100% biodiesel fuel at NC State’s biodiesel pilot plant. The rest of the waste fryer oil goes to Piedmont Biofuels. With funding from Student Government and Engineers’ Council, B.R.I.C. hopes to convert more of NC State Dining’s used cooking oil into fuel that can be used on campus.
The sustainability efforts of B.R.I.C. and NC State Dining will be displayed on the brickyard Friday, April 20, as part of NC State Earth Day 2012.
Links:
NC State Dining www.ncsu.edu/dining
Waste Reduction and Recycling www.ncsu.edu/recycling
University Sustainability Office sustainability.ncsu.edu