As natural resources begin to grow scarce and world security issues threaten oil production, so fuel prices take a hit and the motorist has to pay more at the pumps. It is a familiar ever-decreasing spiral of availability and cost, but Jason Cattrell is one of the people who are pioneering a new type of fuel that offers hope to beleaguered motorists and concerned environmentalists alike.
Jason’s background is just about as far removed from the bio-power industry as one could be: originally trained as a psychiatric nurse, Jason spent several years nursing in Essex, Peterborough and then Holland, where he learnt to speak Dutch – a considerable achievement! Returning to the UK to become a full time carer for his mother, but in need of mental stimulation, he found time to indulge one of his other loves – drama – and studied for a BA in Performing Arts. During this time, Jason started a theatre company, a passion that remains prominent in his life. He has written and performed many plays and recently took some of his work to the Edinburgh Fringe.
His interest in bio-power was initiated by hearing about an alternative energy event in Wales. Bio-diesel had been around for some years, but whilst offering an excellent alternative to regular diesel it has the disadvantage of requiring the addition of some environmentally unfriendly chemicals. By comparison, bio-fuel uses a decanting process to remove impurities and requires a minimum addition of chemicals, which are carefully selected to pose as little threat to the environment as possible.
A friend told Jason about the Colbea’s services: “My friend had received advice from Colbea and gone on to set up a successful business. He knew how many different things were going on in my life and recommended them to me as a way of re-assessing my priorities. It certainly clarified my goals and helped me to make the decision to focus on the bio-power industry.” Since that time, Jason has received further advice from Bill Barrell, one of Colbea’s business advisers. “Bill’s encouragement was fantastic”, says Jason. “He showed me how important it was to thoroughly research my business idea, not only from a commercial point of view but also from a local and political perspective.”
Jason’s new company, JC Fuels, officially launches on 16 September 2004. The company takes used cooking oil from restaurants, collected free of charge in specially made barrels, and turns that spent product into a useful and clean alternative to petrol. A member of the Bio Power Network of fuel producers, Jason’s company adheres to strict codes of conduct and models of best practice. The Network is lobbying Westminster in an attempt to bring in new legislation specifically drawn up for the bio-power industry, as Jason explains: “There is currently no appropriate regulation over bio-fuels, and that means that regulatory bodies have to apply rules to us that were meant for other processes or industries. This is far from ideal and gives both parties quite a headache.”
Despite these problems, Jason’s new factory is scheduled to open on the company launch date in mid September. In Fordham Road, Wormingford, the building has been custom designed to handle bio-fuel processing, and is bunded to ensure that any leaks are contained. The free oil collection service, which is planned to commence immediately, should prove to be extremely welcome. From November, new legislation will ban the use of spent cooking oil in animal feeds, leaving many restaurant owners with a huge problem of oil disposal.
Unfortunately for many of us, Jason’s bio-fuel product cannot yet be found at the pumps. He is selling commercially to large organisations and supplying contract vehicles, but Jason is optimistic that one day environmentally friendly bio-fuel will be as freely available as regular leaded petrol is today.
Contact Jason Cattrell at JC Fuels on 07775 892675 or email djcatrell@hotmail.com
