Two Sault Ste. Marie entrepreneurs are ready to 'Stick It to the Man' (SITTM) in a very big way.
The mantra espoused by Luc Duchesne and Norm Jaehrling has evolved into a green energy venture as they expect to commercially roll-out their 'Frankentank' mini bio-diesel refinery this fall.
SITTM Technologies Inc. is a spinoff company of their successful community development consulting firm, Forest BioProducts Inc.
Their nine-employee company has produced a small-scale refinery to produce diesel fuel for trucking companies, oil-seed growers and farmers, mining and rendering plants, as well as the general public. The technology transforms virgin or recycled vegetable oil into green fuel.
With safety certifications expected in place shortly, they expect to schedule a mid-October product launch event in Sault Ste. Marie.
Should Big Oil be worried? "We're counting on it," says Jaehrling, laughing.
The device has generated a "considerable amount of interest" internationally with 10 units already pre-ordered.
"We're getting inquiries on a daily basis."
The Frankentank name comes from the early welded versions of the contraption. Jaehrling thinks the unusual name should stick in the minds of consumers.
The original idea was to create a small scale device that "any person, community or co-operative interested in obtaining fuel independence can use to safely create a high quality fuel," says Jaehrling.
They were making final design modifications this summer towards seeking eventual Canadian Standards Association (CSA) approval before delivering their product to market.
The appeal of the Frankentank is its consumer friendliness and safety features.
The 300-pound device, which will sell in the $15,000 to $20,000 price range, is scalable to produce large batches of bio-diesel anywhere from 200 litres to 1,000 litres.
The final version of the device will be enclosed with a metal covering. An earlier prototype produced small gas leaks of methanol.
Jaehrling says if the device is to have wide-spread appeal, the Frankentank must be sealed to allow it to be placed inside a building.
As an added safety feature, the next generation of machine will be fully automated, allowing the operator to fill the hopper with waste or virgin oil, plus other ingredients, push a button and walk away. It will be easier to produce multiple batches over a 24-hour cycle.
The fuel produced will also meet ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards to safely guarantee it's use for diesel engines.
Jaehrling says many of competing bio-diesel home kits available on the web do not have the certification they are seeking.
The business partners have been on a mission for years to make Northerners aware of the abundant value-added opportunities in Canada's boreal forest.
Jaehrling has worked as an economic development officer in northeastern Ontario communities, while Duchesne is a former Canadian Forest Service scientists specializing in non-timber forest products.
The pending commercialization of the product has caused them to move from a small downtown office into a former Ministry of Natural Resources building. There, they lease about 1,200-square feet of space where they hope to eventually manufacture and assemble 500 units a year.
They have already showcased the device at conferences and small trade shows. Jaehrling says the product seems to resonate with a more environmentally-conscious public.
"We have encountered only good positive encouragement. I think people see our vision of decentralizing the ability to meet your own energy needs."
The Frankentank is electrically-powered, but Jaehrling says it could be connected into a complimentary co-generation power source that uses forest bio-mass.
"At trade shows, we use a diesel generator running on own fuel."
Currently the company is in negotiations with private groups to licence the technology in Costa Rica, Peru and the Philippines.
"We see the long-term potential for this innovation in rural communities and developing countries."
The business plan is distribute the device through a network of sales agents in various markets.
The company recently received $50,000 from the province's Northern Ontario Heritage Fund which will assist with engineering and certification.
But Jaehrling says they have also personally invested hundreds of thousands of their own money.
"The process of inventing and bringing a product to market is an exciting and challenging one. You're continually have to draw out of your pocket. Fortunately, we have a thriving consulting practice which helps us support our product development."
The partners are actively searching to bring other small-scale energy partners and technologies into their company. Jaehrling says they have a current relationship with an India-based entity offering a small gasification generation system.
"We're interested in reaching out and connecting with other companies or individual inventors that have created a concept and need some assistance to take it to market."
