First batch of biodiesel produced at Ross plant
Tuesday September 02 2008
THE FIRST batch of biodiesel has recently been produced at the Green Biofuels Ireland Ltd. (GBIL) plant at Marshmeadows.
Green Biofuels Ireland Ltd. operates as Ireland’s first commercial scale biodiesel processing plant and so far has produced around 1,000 tonnes of biodiesel.
GBIL was incorporated in 2004 to capitalise on the growing demand for biodiesel in Ireland by establishing a state-of-the-art production facility in New Ross. Employing twenty people, GBIL, is designed to produce 34 million litres of biodiesel per annum.
Construction on the site at Marshmeadows began in March 2007 and the site was officially opened by the-then Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey. Wexford Farmers Co-Op and Green Gem Power are the main shareholders in this €21 million investment.
It is the first commercial scale biodiesel manufacturing plant in Ireland and is set to play a major role in this country’s reduction in CO2 emissions. The output from GBIL will displace 140,000 tonnes of CO2, or the equivalent of removing almost 25,000 vehicles from the roads, per annum.
‘Raw materials are used, such as used cooking oil from restaurants and cooking establishments from all over Ireland, which are waste materials.
‘We use various chemicals and put them through a chemical process and get biodiesel,’ explained Joe Byrne, the Chief Operations Officer.
‘The big thing about our process is that our raw materials are very environmentally friendly. In terms of sustainability we are as good as you can get,’ he added.
- Elaine FURLONG
