BANGKOK, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- A Thai major oil
refiner, Bangchak Petroleum Plc, has launched a project to buy used vegetable
oil from consumers to produce biodiesel to help recycle vegetable oil that would
otherwise provide a health risk and disposal problem.
Bangchak president Anusorn
Saengnimnuan and Prince of Songkhla University (PSU), Hat Yai Campus Rector
Boonsom Siribamrungsuk signed an agreement to cooperate in producing biodiesel
from used vegetable oil, Thai News Agency reported Monday.
Anusorn said Bangchak is now constructing biodiesel
refinery which has a capacity of 20,000 liters per day which is expected to be
completed in November.
The biodiesel refinery would use technology developed
by PSU and biodiesel from the plant would be sold at Bangchak's gas stations, he
said.
Five Bangchak petrol stations in Bangkok will
initially buy used vegetable oil from consumers at 12 baht per kilogram if the
oil passes the company's acceptance criteria such as bright color and not being
contaminated with water or food.
One liter of used vegetable oil can produce 0.9 liter
of biodiesel fuel, according to the company.
The program is in response to the Thai government
policy to promote the use of biodiesel to 8.5 million liters per day, Anusorn
said, as Bangchak expects to have 100 biodiesel stations operational by the end
of this year. Enditem
