San Francisco To Build First City Grease-To-Biodiesel Plant

NBC11.com
POSTED: 11:31 am PDT May 29, 2008
UPDATED: 11:50 am PDT May 29, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO -- By John Boitnott, Web Producer

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that the city has received $1 million dollars from the California Energy Commission to build the city's first grease-to-biodiesel production facility.

The facility, which will be built by the city's Public Utilities commission (SFPUC), will be located at the agency's Oceanside Sewage Treatment Plant.

Mayor's office officials said the plan is considered unique because the facility would attempt to create three grades of biodiesel from "brown grease," which are pan scrapings and washed oil residue trapped in grease traps under restaurant sinks.

Mayor's office officials said there are more than 2.5 million gallons of brown grease in San Francisco, compared with 1.5 million gallons of "yellow grease," such as fryer oil.

Read the full story