Description

Biosarg is a Portuguese certified company dedicated to the production of biodiesel, using an innovative cavitation technology – Biotron CT.

Renewable energies have different types of sources – the ones using biological sources are named bioenergy. Therefore, biomass, and liquid and gas biofuels (biodiesel, bioethanol, biogas, and hydrogen) are all named bioenergy. Made from recycled cooking oil, soybean oil, and animal fats, biodiesel is a renewable, clean-burning diesel that can replace fossil fuels without any modification.

The promoter is currently developing an expansion project and improving its biodiesel factory. This project has a global amount of € 420.000: € 150.000 will be raised through Goparity and the remaining will be invested by new partners that will join the company. The loan granted through Goparity will be used to buy new equipment that will be pledged for the loan – a new generation Biotron CT machine with 1000L capacity and a tank system with 300.000 L capacity. This equipment will allow the company to increase its efficiency and production capacity. The company is also considering buying additional equipment to transform the glycerine produced (the only waste produced throughout the fabrication process), making the production even more environmentally friendly.

Biosarg produces biodiesel from used cooking oils, that the company collects from its own local network of restaurants. The promoter is licensed by the Portuguese Agency for the Environment to produce biodiesel. The oils are collected on the restaurant locations by a service provider contracted and certified by Biosarg. All the restaurants have a Biosarg stamp that identifies them as oil providers eligible to recycle.

The Impact

Environmental impact

• Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions: biodiesel produced from used cooking oils is the biofuel with the lowest GEE emissions, guaranteeing a reduction of 88% on the total emissions. With the new equipment, the biodiesel produced by Biosarg (3.500 tons a year), will contribute to avoid the emission of 11.056,87 tons of CO2 a year, by substituting fossil fuels.  
• Less water contamination and negative environmental impact resulting from the improper disposal of cooking oils: when inadequately and illegally deposited in the sewage, it provokes the contamination of huge amounts of water (one litter of oil wrongly disposed pollutes around 1 million litters of water), is highly toxic to the oceans, rivers, and lakes, and other natural ecosystems. Besides this, biodiesel biodegradation contributes to raise GEE emissions.  
• An incentive to recycling: Biosarg foments the adequate deposition and recycling of used cooking oils from the 350 restaurants that are the company's partners.

Social impact

• Incentive to local economy: restaurants need a paid license for the oil disposal. By being Biosarg partners, the promoter becomes responsible for the oils disposable which results in the restaurants not having to pay for the license. On top of this, they pay a service provider to perform this operation, creating another revenue stream.  
• Contributing to the circular economy: the concept of the circular economy is based on the reduction, reuse, recovery, and recycling of materials and energies. It, therefore, substitutes the concept of end of life, used in the linear economy. This project generates a circular economy by valuing used cooking oils through its reutilization.  
• Raising people awareness about environmental questions relative to the improper disposal of used cooking oils.

Impact Indicators

5.528,45 t

CO2 avoided per year

175

people impacted

Contribution to the Sustainable
Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals

Financial viability

Download Key Investment Information Sheet

Guarantees

This project is guaranteed with the pledge of the equipment installed (Biotron CT 1000L and a tank system).

The Promoter

Business Model

Updates

2020-10-10

Project Photographs