WTVM.com and WTVM News Leader 9, Columbus, GA | Auburn Researchers Look To Alternative Fuels
With gasoline prices still above $2.00 a gallon, some Auburn University researchers are working on alternative fuels. Farmers in Geneva County, AL, are getting a first-hand look at the benefits of using waste products as fuel instead of petroleum.
"Alternative energy, biodiesel, things like that are one opportunity to create new markets for Alabama agricultural products," said Dr. Tim McDonald, a biosystems engineer at Auburn University.
This basically means...
"We turn funny fuels into energy," said Shannon Vinyard, president of Vinyard Technologies in Hartford, AL.
Vinyard has generators that run on food byproducts. It's a growing trend to offset high gas prices.
"I have people that pick up used cooking oil from restaurants, and they bring it to my plant, which is north of Slocomb. We cook it, process it, filter it, clean it," said Keith Helms, owner of Helms Commodities, Inc.
It's then delivered to Vinyard Technologies where the owner has slightly altered the generators to use the biofuel.
"You have to make an engine run on the different fuels, and you have to have the technology to export the product. We export it through electricity," said Vinyard.
These generators can run entire buildings, and they even send electricity back into the power lines. That saves the city energy. Vinyard is also using engines that run on paint fumes and methane gas, which comes from fish manure.
One farmer said these projects could eventually replace diesel fuel.
"It's a big expense for them, and I know this is something that can, in that aspect, make it a lot more profitable to get back into farming," said Jody Richardson, a retired engineer and farmer.
Here's an example of the money these fuels could eventually save: Vinyard said if you were to run a chicken house on one generator using standard electricity, it could cost you about $100,000 a year in utility bills. It would cost next to nothing to use biofuel.
--Written by: Brock Parker
