Biodiesel in Chidham and Hambrook

The Biodiesel page

update 5th August

Chichester Grain gets permission for
Biodiesel Plant in Priors Leaze Lane:

Decision notice

More info

Comments

Bio Diesel:
Update July 3rd. From Ann Read: The decision to allow the planning application has been deferred pending a site visit. I thought this photo might go on the website with a caption " This is the access road to the proposed biodiesel production site at the Chichester Grain Store" I took the photo at about 4 pm on July 2nd.

Bio Diesel update June 27 2008	The Officers recommend 'PERMIT' despite Parish Council objections Committee papers
The Chichester Grain planning application for a Biodiesel plant will be considered by the Area Development Control Committee on Wed July 2nd starting at 10am in the Council Chamber, East Pallant House, Chichester. Planning application and letters of objection	This meeting is open to the public. Anyone who wishes to speak please contact Katherine Jeram on 534674 or Graham Thrussell on 534653 before 6pm June 27 (Friday) There are limits on the number of people who can speak at this meeting.
	Members of the ADC (South) Committee Chairman: Mr. D. Myers (C), Vice-Chairman: Mr. J. Ridd (C) Mrs. M. K. Bateman (C) Mr. J.C.P. Connor (C) Mr Q. R. Cox (LD) Mr. P. Clementson (C) Mrs. M. E. Elliott (C) Mrs. S. Fairley (LD) Mr. R. J. Hayes (C) Mr S. I. King (C) Mrs. M. Marrs (C) Mr. J. A. P. Montyn (C) Mr. C. Punnett (LD) Mr. F. Robertson (IG) Anne Scicluna (LD) Mrs. T. Tull (C)

The Proposal
Planning Application Description	Application to Chichester District Council for the use of a former grain store for the pressing and processing of rape seed and waste vegetable oil to produce biodiesel
Location:	Priors Leaze Farm, Priors Leaze Lane, Hambrook, PO18 8RQ
Applicant:	Chichester Grain Ltd
Agent	Henry Adams Planning Ltd Rowan House Baffins Lane Chichester West Sussex PO19 1UA
Outline info	Chichester Grain want to convert Rapeseed oil and waste vegetable oil by a process called esterification, to produce 'Biodiesel'. There is said to be 'very little fire risk'. The biodiesel is said to be 'more or less odour free' The process will require the storage of up to 10 tonnes of Methanol (the alcohol) and Methylate (the Catalyst) The process will require the storage of up to 30 tonnes of Glycerin and up to 60 tonnes of Biodiesel. The Biodiesel will be sold to Chichester District Council and WSCC
Transport	Currently Rapeseed is said to account for 300 HGV movements per year. (I am not sure if a delivery of rapeseed accounts for one movement or two - in (full) and out (empty), or is this one vehicle delivery? This will be less in future, it is asserted, but this needs to be explained more fully. see questions
IPPC permit	FP3536UG issued by the environment agency 50,000 litres per week

Technical - General background
How is biodiesel made?	Biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification whereby the vegetable oil is reacted (heated) with an alcohol (methanol) and a catalyst (methylate) to give a mixture of methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerin (a byproduct).
Properties of Biodiesel	Biodiesel is a liquid which varies in color — between golden and dark brown — depending on the production feedstock. It is practically immiscible with water, has a high boiling point and low vapor pressure. Typical methyl ester biodiesel has a flash point of ~ 150 °C (300 °F). Biodiesel has a density of ~ 0.88 g/cm³, less than that of water. Biodiesel has a viscosity similar to petrodiesel, the current industry term for diesel produced from petroleum. It can be used as an additive in formulations of diesel to increase the lubricity of pure Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) fuel, which is advantageous because it has virtually no sulfur content.
Is Biodiesel green?	Biodiesel is biodegradable and non-toxic, and typically produces about 60% less net-lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions, as it is itself produced from atmospheric carbon dioxide via photosynthesis in plants. Its emissions of smog forming hydrocarbon are 65% less, although the Nitrogen Oxide emissions are about 10% greater than those from petroleum-based diesel. Net-lifetime carbon dioxide emissions can actually differ widely between fuels depending upon production methods of the source vegetable oils and processing methods employed in their creation. It is therefore debatable as to the extent that biodiesel reduces total carbon dioxide emissions currently contributing to anthropogenic global warming compared to those from petroleum-based diesel. As production worldwide of Biodiesel increases there will be an increasing glut of the byproduct Glycerin, and new uses for this chemical will be needed. We also have to confront the question of our use of land, and the inevitable monoculture (lack of diversity) that that would entail.
Will Biodiesel be the fuel of the future?	There is a good case for arguing that it will provide part of our energy needs for transport. Will it be made from rapeseed? I doubt it. This would place enormous strains on our available arable land. Another exciting possibility is that oil to make biodiesel will be extracted from farmed algae.
Is it the same as petro diesel?	No. Biodiesel is biodegradeable, gives slightly less energy per litre, is reported to dissolve deposits in old diesel engines and fuel systems, which can cause problems at first. It can be mixed with petrodiesel. The volumetric energy density of biodiesel is about 33 MJ/l. This is 9 % lower than regular Number 2 petrodiesel. Variation in biodiesel energy density is more dependent on the feedstock used than the production process. Still these variations are less than for petrodiesel. It has been claimed biodiesel gives better lubricity and more complete combustion thus increasing the engine energy output and partially compensating for the higher energy density of petrodiesel.

Comments
17/9/08	Response from Graham Hicks (sent as a JPG file) - sorry about the poor quality image.
Stephen Johnson 26/8/08	E mail; to Graham Hicks, Robert Hayes (Southbourne Parish Councillors with e mail addresses, Mary Marrs doesn't have e mail as far as I am aware. ) Dear Mr Hicks, Mr Hayes, Further to the planning approval for the Biodiesel plant in Priors Leaze Lane, there are some concerns amongst residents who are surprised that a rural location for the process of converting rape seed oil and waste vegetable oil into biodiesel was given approval when a location zoned for industrial processes would seem more appropriate. There is also concern that the process will exacerbate traffic problems in Priors Leaze Lane, and that the situation will go unmonitored. Please could you give me a statement that I can place on the community website to explain the reasons for this decision, and reassure worried local residents? Thanks for your help. Stephen Johnson for Chidham and Hambrook Community Website
Bob Read 24/8/08	In the light of the worrying position in which we now find ourselves, we hope that the Parish Council and the Residents' Committee will be informing potentially affected parishoners and residents as to how they intend to monitor the situation.
Carol Haskett 23/8/08	Well have to agree with Lorraine what are we doing in Broad Road apart from building in our back gardens! I am disgusted with their apathy!
Lorraine Resident Priors Leaze Lane 21/8/08	I am in agreement with Bob Read, it is scandalous that there was only 1 letter of objection from a Broad Road Resident and 1 from the Avenue. Do the other residents of Hambrook and Southbourne think that they will not be affected? I am sure that when they see the petrol tankers and see and smell the by products from the plant they will realise that it affects the entire community. Maybe a counciller who voted for this to go ahead woul have the courtesy to explain to the parish councillers of both Hambrook and Southbourne why their views were totally ignored. Also the conditions that have been set are laughable who exactly is going to monitor the amount of traffic and the times of use. Chichester Grain currently are not supposed to operate before 7am or after 9pm so maybe they could explain the grain lorry that went past at 04.30 last week
Philip MacDougall (Dr) Southbourne Parish Councillor 20/8/08	That Chichester Grain Ltd will soon be building a biodiesel refinery in Priors Leaze Lane is a disaster for Southbourne and more especially so for residents of Hambrook. Priors Leaze Lane is a narrow, winding country lane that is ill-suited to the extra lorry traffic that will assuredly be generated. Inevitably there will be accidents and near misses. It is beyond belief that Chichester District Council has actually agreed the application. In failing to listen to either Southbourne Parish Council or Chidham Parish Council those elected to the District Council have chosen to ignore both local feeling and local knowledge. Of course, it could be argued that biodiesel has some virtue in its own right and that such refineries should be built irrespective of local concerns. But this is just one of those little fallacies that are frequently preached to the general public. In fact, biodiesel is the very product that is currently forcing up food prices by reducing the availability of land for the production of food. Furthermore, bio fuel refineries – such as the one planned for Southbourne - are extraordinarily wasteful. For every litre produced some 13 litres of de-oxygenated waste water is produced – this having an inevitable effect on our local environment.
Bob Read 20/8/08	I would like to express my agreement with the latest comments from Carol Haskett. I am sure that the residents on Priors Leaze Lane appreciate her support.(Of course, the Broad Roaders are also affected.) I am surprised, however, that there have not been more comments from residents on this matter - I don't know how many people read the Village Website - and I still wonder how many locals even know what's happened. Or they do know and they don't think there's a problem. As Sir Terry would say:"Is it me?"
Carol Haskett 18/8/08	Surely it is time for HDRA/Parish Council to stage a major campaign for speeding in Broad Road, Not only are we up against huge grain lorries it looks as if we now have petrol tankers too! This should be an A road now.
Bob Read 11/8/08	The Council Planning Committee has passed Chichester Grain Store's application for processing bio-diesel on its site. The permission is on a temporary (four year) basis and several conditions have been imposed. Residents who will be most affected were devastated by the decision. They are now dreading the future on Priors' Leaze Lane, the traffic plight of which has been the subject of much anguish in the recent past. Residents are also wondering how the conditions are going to be monitored. The main concern is the number of traffic movements that may be caused by the new situation. The conditions imposed by the Planning Officers included traffic movements, but residents were told that this would not normally be checked. Hence, confusion is added to dismay. Time to move house?
Carol Haskett 13/2/08	I agree with Lorraine alot more people need to object. The HGV situation is intolerable now without any addition to the numbers using these roads. I have spoken to the police who say it is Highways problem. Surely there should be some limitation on tonnage on these roads. CDC and WSCC should find a suitable industrial site well away from any residential areas if they think bio-diesel production is the way forward. As the planning permissions have been flouted on numerous occassions any new permissions will obviously be ignored too.
Lorraine 12/2/08	The stated number of HGV movements only mentions the Rapeseed movements,what about all the other HGVs transporting the grain that use the Lane?as residents of Priors Leaze Lane on very many days even out of season we can have up to 30 lorries a day thundering past,therefore as a rough estimate you can put the amount of HGVs using the lane at very very many more than 300.Currently these are only supposed to operate after 7am however we have heard them at 5.30hrs which breaks the terms of their current planning permission Priors Leaze lane is now an extremely dangerous lane to walk along if you dare.There are no pavements which would be fine if we did not have to dodge the HGVS.We could now potentially add Petrol Tankers to the list.This is a rural Lane and biodisel should only be produced in an industrial area.Why is the Highways agency not monitoring the amount of traffic?The grain stores were only granted planning permission to be used as grain stores and should therefore only be used as such.At time of writing there are only 18 objections to this plant we need more than this,this plant could potentially effect everybody in Hambrook and surrounding area.
Charlie 12/2/08	Saw a Bio Diesel plant on a recent trip to Scotland, they are ugly and smelly places and look like this: www.theecologist.org/images/refinery.jpg
Andy Collins 6/2/08	Please note bio-diesel is not the way forward as an alternative fuel. It is not a green fuel and has toxic by-products. If we allow this process to take hold in this country it will push up the price of ordinary food stuffs it will still contaminate the atmosphere with higher NOX emissions than petrol and diesel and it does not have a carbon balance as is made out. In fact it will push up to 20% more carbon in to the atmosphere than the original crop adsorbs. We should not, under any circumstances allow the production of this product any where near our community. Should there be a fire at the plant it will spread toxic fumes across the whole village of Hambrook. Do not let the greens try and persuade you that this stuff is good for the environment, it is not.
Terry Butcher 6/2/08	I was just wondering if there would be anyone interested in doing some kind of leaflet drop as on talking to various people in the area they are not aware of the application as they have not been notified by letter. Due to them supplying WSCC there is a good chance this could be passed this time so we need as many objections as possible.
Ann Read 28/1/08	We are very concerned at the most recent planning application which yet again ignores the residents of Priors Leaze Lane and their safety. The traffic which goes to the grain store is already heavy and dangerous and the new proposals will only make a difficult situation worse. We have no pavement and the lives of pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders are threatened by huge lorries. The fuel may be eco friendly but the production of it is not. This is an industrial undertaking which is proposed for a rural location. It is disgraceful.

Questions (worth asking?)
Feedstock	How much rape seed oil and how much waste vegetable oil will be processed?
How big is this business going to get?	It will start small. When will it reach the permit level of 50,000 litres per week?
Transport	How many HGV movements will there be. Rapeseed Waste Vegetable oil Chemicals - Methanol, Methylate, Biodiesel delivery Glycerin byproduct disposal waste/Bio waste - (I'm guessing)
How green is the process?	Has a full life assessment been done?
How smelly will it be?	Although the application says Biodiesel is virtually odourless, this is worth checking since esters as a chemical class do smell, many are not unpleasant in small doses. How smelly could waste vegetable oil be?
Industrial or Farming?	It should be considered as two processes, one farming - the extraction of the rapeseed oil, one industrial or chemical - the conversion of rapeseed oil and waste oil to biodiesel. Why is this second process being located in a rural area when it is clearly an industrial/chemical process and would be better located on a site zoned for such types of industry
The byproduct?	How much will there be and what will happen (ultimately) to the Glycerin byproduct?

Links Wikipedia	Environment Agency Biofuels for Transport: Position Statement	Dept of Transport: Biofuels - Risks and Opportunities	Biomass Energy information sheet	Biodiesel fuel online	Biofuel review
EU Biofuels Fact Sheet	Article on the Ecologist website	Health and Safety Exec	envocare	Defra leaflet from 2003	Greenpeace article

I hope the information on this page is correct, but if you think it isn't please let me know and I will be pleased to correct and improve it.