A Sault Ste. Marie green energy technology company hopes to warm up the local market to the idea of using green fuels.
SITTM Technologies Inc. is supplying a soybean oil product called B99.9 Soy Bio-diesel to a City Transit bus on a trial basis.
The one-year pilot project will test the effectiveness and economics of using bio-diesel fuel versus conventional diesel in vehicles.
Some small companies are also involved in their own trials including Mike Moore & Sons Construction and Meakin Forest Enterprises.
"There's a lot of educational aspect in regards to trying to sell this fuel," says Steve McKeown, SITTM's sales and market director. "You have to break perceptual screens people have in regards to using renewable fuel. They're really cautious about it given the lack of exposure of it in North America."
SITTM was importing some bio-diesel fuel from Michigan for the Transit trial expected to start Dec. 1. A 17-year-old bus will be used during the pilot project.
"They're going to start with a five per cent blend," says McKeown of the city trial. "They seem pretty ambitious so we're hoping they get the whole fleet up and running on bio-diesel."
SITTM is an offshoot of Forest BioProducts Inc., a research and innovations start-up started by local entrepreneurs Luc Duchesne and Norm Jaehrling.
For City Transit, Forest BioProducts prepared a blend schedule calling for a five per cent blend during the winter months with monthly increments of five per cent increasing to a high of 20 per cent by June.
McKeown says they're hoping to convince district farmers to grow commercial crops like flax which can be used as a green alternative to petroleum-based chemicals.
The green energy company is close to commercializing a mini bio-diesel refinery that uses virgin or recycled vegetable oil as a fuel replacement of petroleum-based products.
The device's original name, 'Franken-tank,' has been changed to the trademarked Green Star Bio-diesel System for international marketing purposes.
It's one of many proprietary technologies and value-added forestry initiatives the company is working on.
None of the local companies or Transit are using the Green Star system.
The tank is undergoing some final re-design changes to meet Canadian and international regulatory approvals and in preparation for a commercial roll-out in mid-January or mid-February.
"The sky's the limit, we're going to be expanding pretty quickly," says McKeown.
The 10-employee firm plans to re-locate again this winter to another undetermined site in town that provides more room for manufacturing and trial work on various new technologies. Some space will be set aside to demonstrate the Green Star unit and make bio-diesel for local consumption.
McKeown says international markets such as the Philippines show the greatest sales prospects for their technology, but so does any country that is dependent on fuel imports.
"I see a really big opportunity in developing countries."
Jamie Holmes, equipment manager for Mike Moore & Sons, has been testing the five-per cent blend in their one-tonne diesel pick-up -- roughly five litres per tank -- since November.
"It seems to be no problem so far," says Haines, even in cold weather.
Their General Motors dealer sat in on meetings and did his own research to ensure the vehicle's warranty wouldn't be affected. Everything seems fine, says Haines.
Holmes says bio-diesel may not save his company any money in the short-term, but research shows it's environmentally better in exhaust emissions, increases fuel mileage and is a better lubricant than normal diesel, which should extend engine life.
The contractors have found another environmentally-friendly use for bio-diesel.
The Sault contractor is experimenting with it on their concrete work, spraying it on their form boards in place of conventional form oil (a release agent to prevent the boards from sticking to the concrete).
They hope to eventually replace form oil. "We'll see how it works," says Holmes.
