As part of the federal funding designated to benefit the military and its men in uniform, West Central Cooperative in Ralston has been identified as a recipient, along with General Atomics of San Diego, CA, of $3.3 million for a pilot research project involving waste plastics and biodiesel. The announcement came from Congressman Tom Latham's office. The funds are part of the Defense Appropriations Bill for 2006 approved by Congress.
West Central and General Atomics will use the funds to explore the possibility of using biodiesel to dissolve waste plastics. Those waste plastics are generated at the front lines, and typically consist of containers used with supplies consumed by soldiers. The idea is to dissolve the waste plastic in the biodiesel, while simultaneously creating potential fuel from the plastics.
West Central CEO Jeff Stroburg sees the project as a great opportunity: "We've been working with General Atomics for the past year on this project. We're excited about the prospect of biodiesel breaking into even more diverse markets." Stroburg also cited his enthusiasm for entering into this new field with a trusted partner such as General Atomics.
The General Atomics-West Central partnership arose over a year ago, when General Atomics was approached with the idea by one of its main customers. General Atomics was looking for a premier company in the biodiesel field to team with for the project.
The $3.3 million provided in the grant will fund most of the research needed to finalize this pilot project. The Battlefield Plastic Biodiesel project is expected to take approximately three years to complete. General Atomics program manager James Elliott said, "This project affords the opportunity to make a real difference in how biodiesel is used by the military. By combining West Central's biodiesel expertise with GA's technology development expertise, the project could provide a viable waste-to-energy process for frontline use by our soldiers."
General Atomics was conceived in 1955 at San Diego, CA, for the purpose of harnessing the power of nuclear technologies for the benefit of mankind. General Atomics' basic research into fission and fusion has matured into competence in many technologies, making GA and its affiliated companies one of the world's leading resources for high-technology systems development ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely operated surveillance aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless and laser technologies.
Currently, West Central is the nation's largest marketer of biodiesel. An industry leader, the company began producing SoyPOWER brand biodiesel in 1996 at its Ralston facility. SoyPOWER biodiesel is easy to use in an existing diesel fuel handling system, and improves air quality by reducing exhaust emissions of diesel engines without sacrificing engine performance and fuel economy. Most importantly, biodiesel is a renewable fuel that lessens national dependence on foreign oils. |
