Students in the Sustainable Living Program completed construction of a biodiesel processor in a recent course taught by Lonnie Gamble and are now hoping to use the fuel it makes to power University vehicles and to eventually set up a co-op to make fuel available to the community.

The processor is capable of producing up to 500 gallons of fuel a day. It uses discarded vegetable oil from restaurants as well as sesame oil and turns it into fuel via a chemical process.

“Our goal is to be more sustainable,” said Troy Van Beek, who helped build the processor. “Biodiesel fuel is cleaner and cheaper, and we’re not pumping natural resources out of the ground to make it.”

The fuel can be used by any vehicle with a diesel motor. Mr. Van Beek and classmate Robbie Gongwer are hoping to organize the charitable donation of vans that will use the biodiesel fuel. These vans will be used for activities such as field trips and to pick up new students at the airport and will be emblazoned with the words, “Maharishi University of Management Sustainable Living — Powered by Biodiesel.”

The students made the biodiesel processor from an old water heater and tubing. It is capable of producing 40 to 50 gallons per hour. The fuel processed so far has been tested and found to be of high quality, Mr. Van Beek said.

The goal is to integrate the use of biodiesel fuel into the University’s activities initially in order to test the product and work out the details. Once that program is in place, the students envision starting a co-op that would make fuel available to the community.

Mr. Van Beek and Mr. Gongwer said that the next step is to organize a core group of Sustainable Living students and other students who will focus on implementing the project. The tasks include monitoring the processor during production, storing the fuel, and making it available, as well as approaching sponsors and charitable organizations such as Charity Cars to secure the donation of vehicles.

They said that this core group will also focus on implementing wind and solar projects begun by the students.