Libby Hill to use biodiesel

GREENSBORO - Justin Conrad, president of Libby Hill Seafood Restaurants, said the decision to convert the restaurant chain's used fry oil to biodiesel was too good to not make.

"In this economy, restaurants are getting hit pretty hard right now," Conrad said. "We're seeing our customer number fall because our customers are experiencing layoffs and financial hardships."

The company has restaurants in Reidsville and Danville, Va.

Libby Hill has announced it would partner with Patriot Biodiesel LLC to convert oil that would otherwise be discarded. The resulting fuel, an estimated 200 to 300 gallons a month, will power the restaurant chain's five diesel trucks.

"If we save money where we can and find alternatives in areas where the price is rising, that's a cost we don't have to pass on to our customers," Conrad said.

The key to keeping the business afloat, Conrad believes, is not done by making customers bear the brunt of the souring economy. An overhaul of how the company operates boosts savings, meaning not all the slack will be taken up by the customer.

"We need to be smarter. We have to work harder," Conrad said.

According to a news release, biodiesel production will begin in August. Used vegetable oil from each of Libby Hill's 11 restaurants will be brought back to the chain's Greensboro distribution center, then handed over to Patriot to change into B-100.

"We use anywhere from 80,000 to 120,000 pounds of (vegetable) oil in a year. That would have all been waste otherwise," Conrad said. "From all that, we estimate 200 or 300 gallons of fuel a month. The savings we might see from that, say by using the more conservative 200-gallon estimate, would save us about $8,000 each month."

Conrad said biodiesel will save the company from paying the current rate of $4.69 a gallon, but the decision fits well with environmentally-friendly practices Libby Hill has initiated in the past few years. The company has already pushed for environmentally sustainable fisheries and beneficial aquaculture programs.

That reputation in part prompted this partnership. Conrad said he was approached by Patriot to invest in the company.

"They asked me and I thought, you know, I think there's something better we could do," Conrad said. And the business partnership was born.

Biodiesel is not only less harmful to the environment and clean-burning, it can be converted quickly from vegetable oil.

"Basically, it's extremely easy," said Gabe Neeriemer, president of Patriot Biodiesel. "In fact, when we do a test batch, I just do it in a beaker."

When he's done, the beaker contains a layer of biodiesel on top and a small layer of glycerin on bottom that is just as usable as soap as the fuel is to run engines.

"A lot of times, if there's a mess on the floor that I need to clean up, I just mix some water with the glycerin and mop it up," Neeriemer said.

The resulting fuel can be used in diesel engines without any motor conversion. Instead of what is expected from fuel that drives a large transfer truck, Neeriemer said, the mixture is no more flammable than vegetable oil.

"It's extremely safe," Neeriemer said.

Neeriemer said Patriot Biodiesel is not quite up and running, but the company is not sitting idly by. The facility is ready to begin conversion but must wait until Aug. 1 for all applicable permits from the state to begin fuel conversion. Then, Patriot will begin conversion for Libby Hill and other companies wanting to turn a little vegetable oil into big savings.

Staff writer Heather J. Smith can be reached at hsmith@reidsvillereview.com or 623-2155, ext. 15.