Hong Kong produces biodiesel from waste oil

Hong Kong entrepreneurs and investors from the Netherlands and the Middle East are currently cooperating to build a plant that converts waste oils into biodiesel.

It is ASB Biodiesel factory with a total value of up to 165 million USD, an area of ​​18,000m ² located in Tseung Kwan O industrial park, in Eastern Hong Kong.

The biodiesel plant will convert engine lubricating oils, machinery and edible oils into the world's leading technology biodiesel.

About 75% of ASB Biodiesel's shares are owned by Al Salam Bank (Baranh), while the remaining 25% belongs to the founder of this factory.

ASB CEO Biodiesel, Anthony Dixon, said the plant will be completed in February 2013 and commenced operations in August 2013, with an expected capacity of 100,000 tons of biodiesel per year. .

Raw materials for the production of biodiesel include fatty acids from palm trees, cooking oils and used lubricants, along with animal fats.

Mr. Dixon said that while ASB Biodiesel factory is still in the process of construction, the most important task of management is to search for these raw materials.

According to Dixon, initially, about 40% of raw materials will be palm fatty acids - a byproduct of palm oil production - and ASB is discussing with palm oil producers in Malaysia. and Indonesia to access this material.

Meanwhile, about 25% of raw materials will be used cooking oil, which is abandoned by many people after frying food many times and cannot be reused.

Starting in November 2010, ASB collected used cooking oil from 1,800 restaurants in Hong Kong and became the largest used cooking oil collecting company in Hong Kong.

Engine lubricants and animal fat lubricants will account for 20% and 15% of the remaining raw materials in turn to produce biodiesel.

Mr. Dixon added that collecting fatty acids from palm trees is the most expensive of the four materials, but it requires less refining and the technology of converting into biodiesel is relatively simple.

Engine lubricating oil has the lowest cost, but requires higher refining techniques.

According to ASB's chief technology officer, Roberto Vazquez, the biodiesel refining technology used by ASB is the European bioenergy company BDI, which currently holds the world's leading position in providing production technology.

The estimated output of 100,000 tons of diesel per year can be compared to a large-scale diesel plant in Europe.