OKI Recycles Waste Oil from its Cafeteria to be Used as Truck Fuel
Plans to reduce 10 tons of CO2 in a year
A truck running on used cooking oil
TOKYO, June 24, 2008 -- Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (TSE: 6703) today announced it has started to recycle waste oil from its cafeteria in Hachioji, Tokyo to be used as biodiesel fuel for the trucks of its logistics operations.
Project Transportation Co., a partner company of OKI Logistics Co., Ltd., is working together with G.O. Food Service Co., Ltd., who operates OKI's cafeterias. The two companies have signed an agreement to reuse cooking oil and have started recycling from April 2008.
"OKI Group has been implementing various activities to reduce environmental burden such as recycling our used uniforms. Now, to help contribute in a greener future, we are refining used oil from our cafeteria into biodiesel fuel, a clean burning alternative fuel," said Masataka Sase, Senior Vice President of Oki Electric Industry and General Manager of OKI's Global Environment Division. "Going forward, we will continue to reduce our environmental burden by actively implementing the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) through activities such as controlling waste and recycling water."
Biodiesel gasoline, today considered as a viable alternative fuel, is refined from vegetable oil, specifically from the used cooking oil from homes and cafeterias which conventionally was thrown away. The biodiesel also is a biomass energy source as follows:
- Zero count for CO2 emission
Vegetable oil is made from coleseed and soy beans, which absorb CO2 through photosynthesis while they grow. Therefore the net amount of CO2 generated from production and use of biodiesel gas does not increase, but rather remains neutral (real count rate: zero) in the biodiesel life cycle.
- Less than one-third black smoke emission
Biodiesel fuel has a higher firing point than that of light gas oil, which enables complete combustion, generating less than one-third the black smoke produced by burning light gas oil.
- Significant decrease of sulfur oxide
The auto exhaust from biodiesel includes little sulfur oxide (SOx), which is said to be the cause of atopy and acid rain.
- No need to remodel vehicles
When changing from light gas oil to biodiesel fuel, there is no need to remodel vehicle engines, but simply make changes to the vehicle inspection certificate to register dual fuel use- i.e. "also uses waste and food oil."
- Light gas oil tax is non-taxable
If the fuel is 100% biodiesel, it is non-taxable because it is not considered hydrocarbon oil.
Impact of reducing environmental burden
- Amount of refined biodiesel fuel
During the month of March 2008, OKI refined 314 liters of biodiesel fuel from 349 liters of used cooking oil, a refining rate of 90%. The remaining 35 liters (equivalent to 10%) was used to make soap and as compost for farming.
- Amount of reduced CO2 emission
Trucks running on light gas oil emit 2.64kg of CO2 per liter of fuel burning. This means, from the 314 liters of biodiesel fuel OKI refined during March, OKI can reduce 829kg of CO2 emission. When this cycle is continued for a year, OKI expects to reduce CO2 emission by 10 tons.
Waste cooking oil
Refined biodiesel fuel
About Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1881, Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. is Japan's first telecommunications manufacturer, with its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. OKI provides top-quality products, technologies and solutions to its customers through its info-telecom system business, semiconductor business and printer business. All three businesses function as a collective force to create exciting new products and technologies that satisfy a spectrum of customer needs in various markets. Visit OKI's global web site at http://www.oki.com/.
- Names of companies and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies and organizations.
- Press Contact:
- For Europe and Americas: Public Relations Division
Phone: +1-408-737-6279 - For Asia and Other Areas: Public Relations Division
Phone: +81-3-3580-8950
- * Information in the press releases is current on the date of the press announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice.