The Aklan State University received an amount of P 14, 930,000.00 from the Department of Agriculture Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Executive Committee (DA ACEF-EXECOM) for the establishment of ASU Biodiesel Production Project. The Memorandum of Agreement between ASU and DA ACEF-EXECOM was signed on July 21, 2008 and was confirmed by the ASU Board of Regents on August 21, 2008. The Biodiesel Project will start its implementation schedule this October.

The researchers from Aklan State University are developing environment friendly ways to recycle wastes that contains fats and oils from meat product manufacturers and fast food chains in Aklan to protect the environment from further harm and to produce biodiesel that could be used as an additive to petroleum diesel.

The researchers found out that the fats and oils from the waste products of meat processing plants and food servers can be recycled and converted into biodiesel. The study also revealed that when this biodiesel was mixed with petroleum diesel, there is a lesser engine noise and smoke emission compared to an engine fueled with pure petroleum diesel

The researchers, Dr. Mary Eden Teruel, Engr. Tomas Ortega and Prof. Arlene Dela Cruz have been working on this research project for almost two years now. This project has won several awards in various Research Symposia.

They first presented it in the 2007 Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) In-House Review of the Aklan State University, Banga, Aklan held last July 5-6, 2007 where it won the Best Paper in the Completed Research Category. It also won the 1st Place in both the Development and Poster Category in the 17th Regional Symposium on Research and Development Highlights held the same year in the ASU Banga campus. The paper was also presented during the 2nd Visayas Cluster Agriculture and Fisheries Technology Forum in Sabin Resort Hotel, Leyte last March 4-5, 2008.

The practicability and significance of the project, especially in this time of oil crises, have caught the attention of the concerned agencies. Thus, it received funding from the DA ACEF-EXECOM with the hope that this project, in time, will be of great help to our country.