Made from biological waste materials, Bio-Residual Oil is a viable alternative to fossil fuel

DANBURY, Conn., Dec. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A renewable fuel oil called Bio-Residual Oil™ (or BRO) is quickly becoming the go-to alternative to fossil fuel oils. While bio-based fuels have existed for more than a decade, BRO technology has advanced to the point that many formerly fossil fuel-dependent applications have made a permanent switch.

BRO is made from biological materials like animal fats, used cooking oil, vegetable grease, and food waste. This renewable energy source has 85 percent lower emissions that typical fossil fuels and has the potential to reduce carbon emissions in the United States by thousands of tons per year.

A Connecticut company that's in the business of helping facilities increase efficiency and meet emission standards recently made a commitment to switch to BRO. Preferred Utilities Manufacturing of Danbury now uses BRO to power its entire 50,000 square-foot plant, which manufactures fuel oil handling systems, burners, and burner controls.

Manufactured by Renewable Energy Group in Ames, Iowa, BRO is the biodiesel equivalent of No. 6 oil. It is made up of the heavy hydrocarbons left over after the refining of biodiesel (which includes those waste products mentioned earlier). BRO is too heavy and viscous to be burned in an engine, so Renewable Energy Group has been working with Preferred Utilities to test the capabilities of BRO as a boiler fuel. So far, the results have been impressive.

"We are very positive about the growth of BRO as a successful alternate to fossil fuels," said David Bohn, President and CEO of Preferred Utilities. "By utilizing it to fuel our entire operation, we've had the perfect opportunity to learn all about it. It's been efficient and reliable, and we're using our experience to help customers make the transition. We anticipate exponential growth in BRO over the next couple of years."

Renewable Energy Group maintains that BRO produces up to 135,000 BTUs per gallon, a higher BTU value than coal or wood-fiber material, with approximately 100 to 125 percent more energy per pound than wood chips or pellets, and that it burns cleaner by creating less particulate matter. REG's BRO has the lowest carbon intensity of any commercially available liquid fuel, and since it is manufactured from plentiful recycled fats and oils such as used cooking oil, inedible corn oil, animal fat, and other vegetable oils, it's both affordable and environmentally preferable.

Additionally, BRO produces less carbon dioxide than does natural gas, and it is less expensive and has fewer carbon emissions than No. 2 oil.

As the use of heavier heating oils like No. 4 and No. 6 fall out of use, through efforts by several states as well as by the Environmental Protection Agency, both Preferred and REG believe that BRO represents a promising economic and socially responsible alternative. Preferred provides products including the API-Ranger Burner and Burnermate Universal Controls that are compatible with BRO fuel.

"Our burners and controls have proven to be a great solution for companies making the switch to BRO," continued Bohn. "Our experience handling it, maintaining it, and using it allows us to serve our customers better than ever before."

About Preferred Utilities Manufacturing Corporation:

Preferred Utilities Manufacturing Corporation is an engineering-based manufacturer of products for commercial, institutional, industrial and nuclear power facilities. Our products include fuel oil handling systems and components, boiler instrumentation and controllers, high quality burners, and nuclear power plant outage reduction tools and component parts. Continuous research and development are applied to our existing products and help us to lead the industry with new and innovative power plant solutions. Our manufacturing, engineering, and administrative headquarters is located in Danbury, Connecticut, and regional sales and service offices are located throughout the United States. Learn more at preferred-mfg.com.

SOURCE Preferred Utilities Manufacturing Corporation