The UIUC Biodiesel Initiative began late in the Spring 2006 semester as a the local project under Engineers Without Borders. Our primary goal is to produce approximately 400 gallons of biodiesel per week during the academic year for use by the UIUC campus vehicle fleet. The biodiesel will be made from waste vegetable oil (WVO) produced by university dining halls, reacted in a space at the Campus Garage, and integrated into the fuel for the campus motorpool. The Campus Garage will be able to significantly reduce costs while also utilizing a non-toxic, biodegradable fuel that generates fewer emissions and achieves gas mileage equivalent to that of regular diesel fuel. The project is entirely student run but receives guidance from several campus organizations. We hope to achieve full biodiesel production by mid-Spring 2008 semester.
The UIUC Biodiesel Initiative is a project focused primarily on lowering the emissions of the university and promoting education of renewable fuel sources. Our team is striving to ensure that the UIUC Biodiesel Initiative becomes a model for university and community biodiesel production.
For more information contact the co-project coordinators at biodiesel at uiuc dot edu.