Greasoline: biofuel from algae and waste fat

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology have developed a process to produce biofuel from waste fat and oil residue – and engines do not even have to be retrofitted.

The Greasoline team says it has come up with a way of making biofuels out of everything from used vegetable oil to algae, and engines do not need to be changed to run on the fuel. Photo: Greasoline

Both the product and the firm are called Greasoline. In the new process, waste fat is first made fluid for transport. Then, it is vaporized at 450 degrees Celsius. The triglycerides in the vaporized grease are then broken up into hydrocarbons at temperatures up to 500 degrees Celsius by means of an activated carbon catalyst.

The final product reportedly has the same properties as such conventional fuels as gasoline, diesel, and liquid gas, meaning that it can directly be used in current engines without further ado. Along with this breakthrough, another fascinating fact is that waste products can be used, though the company says a wide range of feedstock materials can be processed, including unused fats, fatty acids, and materials whose water content is too great for other processes. (Dittmar Koop)