Tasmania turns poppy seed oil into biodiesel

Tasmania’s first biodiesel plant, Macquarie Oil, which turns poppy seed waste into fuel, is expected to be in full production mode by August. The facility at Cressy, in the state’s northern midlands, is producing 12,000 liters of poppy seed oil a day. Purchased equipment to turn the oil into diesel fuel is expected to arrive in September. The company’s director Rob Henry says there has been strong interest in biodiesel within the state. “Metro are very keen to use it, we’ve had talks with Hydro Tasmania as well regarding power generation on Flinders Island,” Henry said. “We’ve been approached by a couple of large trucking companies who are very keen to use it so I don’t think we’ll have any trouble and I’m sure there will be a lot of farmers who would be very interested in it as well,” he said. (July 18, 2008)