Biodiesel

Jay Crawford

Dowhill Farm Shop and Restaurant, Turnberry

Filed 31 May 06
©www.land-care.org.uk

I suppose at 26 I must be seen as a very very young farmer. It was refreshing to hear Struan (Stevenson) this morning; someone who knows about agriculture in the Big Government, so to speak.

Let me describe my project at home.

Jay Crawford
Dowhill Farm Shop & Restaurant, Turnberry
(To enlarge photo Click Here)

Photo ©Kimpton Graphics

We used to be an 800 acre mixed arable livestock farm, 150 acres of which were malting barley, 150 breeding cows and 1200 ewes. We had one tractor man, one shepherd and one farm worker; 60 acres of potatoes, early potatoes, and grain crop.

Now we lease out 150 acres, and we have no livestock and no shepherd. We grow 60 acres of potatoes, 30 acres of vegetables, and have two poly-tunnels for strawberries, a farm shop, a gift shop and a 96 cover restaurant.

In 1995 we decided to diversify for well known reasons. A stall on the lay-by was set up to sell early potatoes opposite the farm.

In 1998 an old farm building was revamped into a farm shop.

In 2001 a restaurant was built to seat 96 people.

In 2003 the second kitchen was built for the production of ready made, home-made meals and a new gift shop was opened.

In 2005 to the present, I started the production of biodiesel from the waste cooking oil produced from the restaurant.

The effects of the new business, in terms of the farm shop and the restaurant

Most of the produce is either home grown or locally sourced. This has a knock on effect for other farms. Meats are supplied from surrounding farms and farmers wives are employed as bakers. Local eggs, cheese, ice cream and game are bought from nearby farms, and wholesale goods are supplied to the neighbouring farmer for retailing at the farmers' markets. There has been a boost to the local economy; we have created 30 new jobs on location.

So, why biodiesel?

The main reason we looked at biodiesel was our electricity bill. We approached Scottish Power. They wanted £15,000 to upgrade our electricity supply, and obviously we still had the cost for the electricity on top of that.

In December 2004 we contacted the local energy officer. Originally I thought wind power would be the thing: let’s jump on the bandwagon. But we were going to need 15 mini wind turbines at the cost of about £15,000 to 20,000 each, so obviously that wasn’t an option.

The local energy officer suggested biodiesel. Back then in December 2004 I knew nothing of biodiesel. We researched it and had a look at various systems for processing biodiesel. In January 2005 we purchased the Fuelmeister system. In August 2005 we installed two diesel generators, using an energy saving trust loan over a five-year period. In December 2005 we started claiming ROCs for generating rural energy.

The waste cooking oil is collected in the kitchen. Then it’s further processed using the Fuelmeister kit. From that system I can produce about a thousand litres of fuel on a daily basis. Once the fuel is filtered and processed it is ready to go straight into any diesel engine.

Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs)

ROC’s have an economic value. Because the fuel is renewable, it qualifies for Renewable Obligation Certificates. So for every megawatt of electricity we produce, you claim one ROC. The value of the ROC covers about 90% of the running cost of the generator, including the fuel, servicing and maintenance.

The benefit of biodiesel to my business is that there is no need for the expensive Scottish Power upgrade. With regard to the electricity bill, as in every other business, we were due to experience an increase in electricity supply costs of up to about 9p per kilowatt. We are now fully 100% self-sufficient and we don’t have to rely on the wind. It is also a good use for our own waste cooking oil from our own restaurant.

Because biodiesel is renewable, we are displacing about 300 tonnes of carbon per annum, including our generators and all our farm vehicles and road going vehicles which run on the fuel.

The ROCs are covering the majority of the costs, and we actually get a better electricity supply that we did from the national grid. Mum’s always saying that her hairdryer is blowing a lot more efficiently than it was on the national grid.

Another benefit is that we don’t have to worry about there being a business shut down through the day if there is a power-cut - much to the staff’s annoyance.

I’d like to finish by saying that I see biofuels and the biomass industry being a big part in UK agriculture in the future. I think it’s a great opportunity for UK farmers.

However I think we have to be very wary of fuel miles. Struan said earlier today that 0.3% of biofuels in the UK are actually being generated within the UK, so where does the rest come from? I drove through from home last night, and, as I was sitting at a friend’s house, my mobile phone rang. I couldn’t believe it! Someone from South East Asia had found that I was producing biofuel and selling biofuel. He offered me 10 million litres of biodiesel delivered to my nearest port.

I’m fully behind biofuels and biomass within the UK, but already the UK is being seen as an importer of biofuels instead of generating them ourselves.

Thank you.

Acknowledgements and Disclaimer

Land-Care is grateful to Tony Andrews, CEO Scottish Countryside Alliance, and to Dick Playfair of Playfair Walker for the invitation to attend the conference in a media capacity, the opportunity to participate in both formal and informal discussion, and for their help in providing Land-Care with transcripts of the papers presented.

No responsibility for errors or omissions in the transcription process can be taken by SCA, Playfair Walker or Land-Care.

Kimpton Graphics is a division of Land-Care.

Finis

MENU

Biodiesel

Jay Crawford

Dowhill Farm Shop and Restaurant, Turnberry

Filed 31 May 06
©www.land-care.org.uk

The effects of the new business, in terms of the farm shop and the restaurant

So, why biodiesel?

Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs)

©www.land-care.org.uk

Further reading recommended by Land-Care

Acknowledgements and Disclaimer

MENU

Biodiesel

Jay Crawford

Dowhill Farm Shop and Restaurant, Turnberry

Filed 31 May 06 ©www.land-care.org.uk

The effects of the new business, in terms of the farm shop and the restaurant

So, why biodiesel?

Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs)

©www.land-care.org.uk

Further reading recommended by Land-Care

Acknowledgements and Disclaimer

Filed 31 May 06
©www.land-care.org.uk