01/11/07 Animal Fat as Fuel

While the cost of gas continues to hover at just the perfect price point to deter movement towards alternative fuels, ( imagine that ) some investors are looking at renewable energy options other than soy beans that could help reduce the cost of biofuel allowing it to be competitive with petroleum products. In the heart of Missouri's croplands a couple of forward thinking investors have pooled funds to build a new Biodiesel plant called Global Fuels. Global Fuels was strategically located by a Tyson poultry plant to take advantage off the oodles of left over chicken fat that can be had for a mere 19 cents a pound, compared to 33 cents for soybeans. That savings and the fact that soybeans now account for 90 percent of all Biodiesel fuel stock has been a wake up call for the meat packing industry. Tyson Foods, and several competitors are all adding renewable energy divisions and the word on the street is that within five years half of the Biodiesel fuel in the US will be made from animal fat. This could be bad news for farmers hoping for a shot in the arm growing crops for Biodiesel .