Oakland energy company to sell locally-made biodiesel
on April 22, 2011
Beginning on Earth Day, April 22, Bay Area truck drivers will have a new place to buy locally-made biodiesel.
Sirona Fuels, an Oakland-based energy company, has been selling diesel made from recycled cooking oil to retailers and distributors for the past two years. Now it has opened its doors to the public.
Paul Lacourciere, CEO of Sirona Fuels, said most of the oil that the company uses to turn into biodiesel is collected from restaurants in the Bay Area. “Everything happens here,” he said. “It’s all about being local and supporting our local community.” Lacourciere said restaurants and businesses can also donate used cooking oil. Twenty percent of the sales of the resulting biodiesel will be donated back to support local schools.
Lacourciere said what makes the Bay Area stand out as a biodiesel market is its environmentally-conscious population. “There’s a huge amount of potential out there,” said Lacourciere, whose company now produces 50,000 gallons of biodiesel per month.
Watch this video to see how the oil you cook with is turned into engine-driving fuel.
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