By Lars Niven

A BID TO turn sewage sludge into fuel for cars—and jobs for Fifers—has been launched.

If successful, it will see a new factory in Rosyth built to cash in on the growing trend for environmentally-friendly energy sources.

Plans for the factory, on land off Milne Road, have been submitted to Fife Council by Edinburgh firm DMF Biodiesel.

The aim is to build a factory capable of producing one of the components of the biodiesel.

Managing director Gordon Clark said, if approved, the plant will process materials such as oil seed rape, palm oil and even some types of grass into one of the components of the fuel.

It will then be taken elsewhere to be mixed with other components.

Mr Clark told The Courier yesterday, “The planning application has only just been registered.

“We are waiting for the council to go through their normal process of checks, counter-checks and everything else before we get approval to go ahead with it.

“What we are proposing is a biofuel plant using different types of feedstocks.

“It will take in a range of feedstocks, including oil seed rape, palm oil and different types of grasses, etc, and will be of a competitive size with existing similar installations around the world.

“DMF Biodiesel has through associated companies extensive interests in green energy.”

It is likely to be weeks before the west Fife development committee considers the application.

In another green initiative, environment minister Ross Finnie yesterday announced a pilot project to use biosolids to help grow crops for producing more biofuels.