A Study of Process Optimization of Extraction of Oil from Fish Waste for Use as A Low‐Grade Fuel

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Waste oils are potentially advantageous over petroleum and virgin vegetable oil based fuels due to waste utilization, and an overall lowering of gases and most other emissions over the life cycle of fuel production, use, and disposal. Waste generated from fish processing plants varies from 10–50 wt% of landed fish depending on the type of fish, product and processing techniques. A portion of this waste contains fish oil and varies significantly depending on the species. The oil recovery process must maximize extraction of oil and at the same time be able to integrate into the existing infrastructure at fish plants. In this study, we have optimized the recovery process developed in our lab (based on a fishmeal processing) and tested with the waste of a variety of fish species. The oil had low impurities (<0.5 wt% moisture) and degradation products, and physical properties suitable for substitution of No. 6 fuel oils and marine distillate/residual fuels. Based on this, pilot scale experiments were performed to determine scale‐up challenges and design specifications for eventual costs analysis (e.g. size, residence time, etc.), energy required and waste emissions.