Farmers in New Brunswick to launch bio-diesel refinery
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 2, 2006 | 4:47 PM AT
CBC News
Atlantic Canada's first bio-diesel refinery will begin operations by the end of this week in Waterville, near Woodstock.
The refinery, established by four potato farmers, will produce bio-diesel fuel from oilseed plants like mustard seed, soybean and canola.
James Banks, a farmer and shareholder in the company Eastern Greenway Oils, said the fuel can be used in any diesel engine.
"You're standing on the corner some day and the city bus that leaves, instead of that big cloud of blue smoke, you'll wonder who's cooking french fries. [It's] because there's bio-diesel in that bus," he said.
Bio-diesel is more expensive than diesel fuel, but it's a renewable energy source.
David Walker, an official with the provincial Department of Agriculture, said it's important for farmers to be innovative.
"Farmers haven't been making money on grain for the last two years, and there's disease problems and of course commodity grain prices are low," he said. "So they're looking at other opportunities to expand the rotation crops of potatoes, and this could hopefully be one of them."
The provincial government announced Wednesday that it would invest $300,000 to help the company through the startup phase.
