Biodiesel facility sought by City

Biodiesel facility sought by City
Pacifica Tribune - Pacifica,CA,USA
... No, not really. But the City Council did unanimously authorize a big step forward Monday night in Pacifica's biodiesel production plans. ...

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The big question is: Will the Calera Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant eventually smell like donuts?

No, not really. But the City Council did unanimously authorize a big step forward Monday night in Pacifica's biodiesel production plans. They authorized Public Works Director Scott Holmes to prepare and issue a "Request for Proposals" looking for companies interested in building a biodiesel production plant at the sewer facility. Holmes has said in the past that burning biodiesel fuel results in a donut smell rather than the typical fossil fuel diesel smell.

Holmes, long a proponent of biodiesel to be used in the plant's emergency diesel generators, said the facility will serve multiple purposes. Not only will it provide discount biodiesel fuel to the city, it will also enable used vegetable oil and grease to be diverted from the wastewater plant. The vendor will be generating money through the sale of biodiesel fuel, making it a valuable contract.

Holmes said it would take a few months to analyze the responses to the RFP. There are also concerns with the Coastal Commission permits, but Holmes was optimistic that a biodiesel production plant could be installed and operating, providing fuel at a discount price. He stressed that there would not be a retail outlet, but that any excess fuel not needed by the city would be taken off-site for sale by the vendor company chosen. There are several cooperatives in the Bay Area, including ones in Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, which purchase biodiesel for use in consumer automobiles. Interest in the biodiesel fuel is increasing all the time.

"The cost of power during peaks is rapidly increasing," said Holmes, noting that biodiesel provides "a good source of fuel not dependent on outside sources."

Council member Jim Vreeland, who has been working on the biodiesel idea for more than a year, said he was pleased at the advancement in the project, saying it was "a very smart investment in the future." He said that a testing procedure to identify the proper fuel blend that would be allowed to power the diesel generators is being put together.

By seeking a vendor who will build a production facility on city-owned property, the capital outlay is non-existent. "Coupled with the peak power generation, the production of biodiesel may reduce the cost of power at the wastewater plant by up to $60,000 per year," noted Holmes.

Once a proposal is accepted and if all permits are approved, construction could begin in early 2007.

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