ASB Biodiesel may expand biodiesel project in China

Hong Kong-based ASB Biodiesel, which is building a 100,000 tonne per year plant to produce biodiesel through processing city waste materials, claims it will aim to roll out the business to the mainland if the model proves successful.

The new factory, based at the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, is aiming to be completed by the end of 2012 and start commercial production in the second quarter of 2013.

The private company will generate biodiesel from waste materials including animal fats, used cooking oil and grease trap oil, as well as palm fatty acid distillate which a by-product of crude palm oil refining.

ASB CEO Anthony Dixon was quoted as saying that the company currently uses nearly 15% of the total used cooking oil in the city which it buys from 1,800 local restaurants.

ASB Biodiesel is backed by the Middle East lender Al Salam Bank-Bahrain as well as some regional investors.