Bates Hoping To Benefit From Biofuel

Bates Hoping To Benefit From Biofuel

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Bates College is joining the ranks of other Maine universities and state government by switching to a biodiesel fuel mixture to heat some of it's residential buildings.

This March, Bates agreed to test some heating oil mixed with 5 percent biodiesel fuel in 12 small residential buildings. Around the same time bates' science department started developing a way to produce biodiesel right on campus.

And since the college is in the process of building a new dining facility, it is also looking to install a new biofuel conversion system so that the 1800 gallons of waste oil generated in the kitchen each year can be recycled to heat some college buildings and run some diesel vehicles.

"It's very exciting to see this happening. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 30 percent over the last 150 years because of our burning of carbon based fuels," said Bates Geology Professor Beverly Johnson. "To educate the students about the possibilities of using renewable carbon based fuel, as well as recognizing there's a move on campus to make it happen, it's very exciting," Johnson said.

Bates senior class decided that for it's senior class gift it would donate $19,000 to the college to be used for renewable energy.