College Biodiesel
There are two main classes of biofuel: i) biodiesel, made from vegetable oils or recovered fats, oils, and greases and ii) bioethanol, made from crops such as sugar beet, wheat, or hemp. These can be further classified into advanced biofuels and waste-based biofuels as defined by the European Renewable Energy Directive (REDII).
All biofuels are renewable fuels, but the sustainable biodiesel produced by College Group has the added benefit of also contributing to waste management because it is made from feedstock that is no longer, or was never, permitted for use in animal feed. We collect from 900 locations around the island of Ireland, turning waste into a commodity for all types of outlet. Our service is flexible, compliant, hassle-free, and competitive.
Lowering Carbon
Emissions By Up To 85%
Our biodiesel is produced at our recently constructed cutting-edge facility at Nobber in County Meath. Representing a significant investment and lengthy in-house research and development, our energy-efficient biodiesel plant has the capacity to produce millions of litres of biofuel.
Around 73% of Irish greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, energy production, and transport. Switching to biofuels such as ours is helping Ireland to reduce its carbon footprint and meet its EU Renewable Energy Directive commitment to reduce emissions by 20% by 2020.
There is a wealth of information about biofuels and our product, including details on grease trap installation and FOG collections, on our College Biofuels website.
Julie Ann O’Reilly
Business Unit Manager, College Biofuels
“My role as Business Unit Manager in College Biofuels is fulfilling and exciting. Feeling on a daily basis that your product can impact the lives of future generations and preserve the earth and environment for them is extremely rewarding. At a time when the environment is finally being given the attention it deserves, it is extremely satisfying to be involved in a project that will truly make a difference. Applying innovative technologies to achieve these goals means that every day is a learning experience.”
More information
College Biodiesel
Biodiesel is produced by esterification and transesterification of waste-based feedstock in the presence of methanol and a catalyst to produce crude ester.
The crude ester is further refined by fractional distillation to produce multiple products with specific characteristics. These fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) fractions are added to fossil diesel in accordance with EU Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) and litre by litre contribute to an 85% reduction in greenhouse emissions.