Fifteen AAC Workstart participants have been
successfully trained in the production
of biodiesel

People may never look at the food on their plates the same way again thanks to the Ashburton Aboriginal Corporation (AAC).

The unassuming hot chip and other fried foods are part of a more intricate plan that goes beyond just filling stomachs.  The oil used to fry them is now being used to fill petrol tanks too.

Vegetable oil collected from sites around the Pilbara is being processed into biodiesel, to fuel vehicles and equipment for the AAC.

The story of the good oil started when Ashburton Aboriginal Corporation CEO Janet Brown was faced with the challenge of covering the vast kilometres between Onslow and Tom Price on a fuel budget of just $8,000 a year.

At today’s fuel prices this simply wasn’t enough so Janet began investigating how to decrease the organisation’s fuel costs by looking into alternative fuel sources. The solution she found was biodiesel.

“We approached BioWorks Australia who are involved in the production and distribution of renewable fuels and promote the construction of renewable fuel centres,” says Janet.

“They help communities develop their own fuel sources, value-add their own commodities and reduce their dependency on imported petroleum products. It seemed like the perfect fit for our operational and financial challenges associated with fuel costs.”

“If we could collect used vegetable oil from sites around the Pilbara and learn how to process this into biodiesel, we would have a renewable fuel source that’s an environmentally friendly and cost-saving alternative to the diesel we normally use in our vehicles.”

BioWorks Australia agreed to work with the AAC - all the organisation needed was to be trained in the biodiesel production process.

Enter Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s Community Partnerships Programme. With funding provided by the programme for the full training component of the initiative, comprehensive training sessions took place for 15 Aboriginal AAC Workstart participants.

Through intensive training sessions, Workstart
participants learned how to convert vegetable
oil into biodiesel

“The Workstart participants attended a basic introduction to biodiesel, participated in a practical laboratory session on how to make the fuel and covered all technical aspects of the fuel’s manufacture, its properties and usage, right through to the legislative framework for manufacturers and users of the fuel,” says Janet.

“Following the training sessions, we set up a mini biodiesel production plant in Tom Price and we now collect used vegetable oil from the messes and canteens at many of Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s sites.”

“The results have been fantastic and we’re running three vehicles and a backhoe solely on the biodiesel we produce.”

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Supervisor of Community Partnerships Leesa King explains that providing funding for the training program was an easy decision.

“The initiative not only delivers a product that’s environmentally friendly and sustainable, it has also delivered benefits to the Workstart participants involved,” says Leesa.

“The feedback we’ve had is that participants have gained confidence and an immense sense of pride and value from being involved in such a worthwhile initiative.”

Now, if you can’t quite believe you can run a vehicle on processed vegetable oil - the facts speak for themselves.

Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel that can be used directly in an unmodified diesel engine and can be blended with petroleum diesel at any ratio to work effectively.

It’s simple to make, cheaper than petroleum diesel, non-toxic, biodegradable and carbon neutral so it doesn't contribute to the greenhouse effect. It also delivers lower exhaust emissions and has higher lubrication than petroleum diesel, prolonging engine life.

With so many advantages to this alternative fuel source, the AAC is keen to produce as much of it as possible but can’t source enough waste vegetable oil to convert to biodiesel.

It’s therefore investigating growing the raw crop at local Aboriginal communities, creating an enterprise for these communities.

The beauty of the initiative really is in its simplicity and it seems the opportunities are endless. Ten more Workstart participants have since participated in biodiesel production training sessions…and who knows where it may go from here.