According to a survey by Abanaki, Corp., there is a growing consideration for recycling waste oil to provide energy back into a plant. In the survey, 78 percent of respondents are seeking to find methods of reducing plant energy costs and 35 percent said they would consider burning waste oil to heat their plants.

President Bush has challenged businesses to find new ways to reduce their oil consumption. While nearly 75 percent of respondents skim oil from their wastewater, only 8 percent burned waste oil to recover the heat energy.

“Plant managers should not let the money hidden in their wastewater go to waste,” said Abanaki president Tom Hobson. “Oil skimming cost-effectively reclaims oil from wastewater, and as heating bills climb, they can save energy costs by burning it or selling it to a recycler.”

The survey revealed that 70 percent of respondents believed EPA regulations to burn used oil would be more restrictive than normal disposal methods. The EPA supports burning used oil on site as it prevents it from entering watersheds and eliminated the risk of spills during transportation.

Used oil can contain more energy than No. 2 fuel oil. Waste oils that can be burned for heat include almost any oil up to 50 S.A.E.: metal cutting oils, lube oil, crankcase oil, transmission and hydraulic fluid, No. 1 and No. 2 diesel fuel, vegetable oils and grease.

E-mail cott@abanaki.com for more information.

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