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Eastern Greenway Oils Inc.
  Eastern Greenway Oils Inc. operates from a Bio-Oil Development Center, the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada, located in Waterville, Carleton County, New Brunswick. Escalating oil prices, air quality requirements and the need for rotational crops are driving the interest in biofuel production from oilseed crops. EGO's pre-commercial pilot facility and production research will be instrumental in the advancement of oilseed crop production and processing in the eastern seaboard of North America. This initiative work moves the renewable fuel agenda beyond the study and discussion phase and into production of biodiesel, dust suppressant, and fuel additives for the regional market.









  Background

New Brunswick potato producers have traditionally grown cereal crops and green peas for fresh freezing as rotational cash crops with potatoes. The increasing prevalence of cereal diseases, BSE in the livestock industry and elimination of green pea contracts in 2005 by a major food processor have caused potato growers to seek out alternative crops. Recent experience with canola and soybean production and increasing awareness of bio-fuels has converged to create an interest in the potential for bio-fuel feedstock and other oilseed production in New Brunswick.

All of these factors make this an opportune time to initiate the production and processing of an alternative or complementary cash crop to the potato. Eastern Greenway Oils incorporated in May 2006 is the result of an initial partnership of Carleton County growers established for the specific purpose of undertaking a feasibility analysis to establish a pilot business model for the production and value added processing of bio-oil crops in New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada.

Results from the investigations conducted in 2005 identified a potential for canola and related Brasica species to provide significant benefits. Brassica sp. have potential as a rotation crop for New Brunswick's potato industry, since canola and mustard crops are thought to provide some degree of soil-sanitizing or fumigation features. This may in turn result in lower pesticide requirements during the potato-growing years of the rotation. The resultant bio-degradable totally organic vegetable oil can be used as a diesel fuel, heating oil and in other industrial applications. The product would make an excellent heating fuel within environmentally sensitive areas such as flood plains and protected well-watersheds. Blended with petrodiesel the oil can replace a significant amount of petroleum diesel thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Used as a fuel additive, it can also enhance engine performance subsequently improving mileage of both diesel and gasoline vehicles. Mustard oil has industrial applications similar to canola, but with the additional benefit that the meal has a potential to provide a biological (organic) soil fumigant. This market for meal is of significantly higher value than the canola meal market for protein feed to livestock and aquaculture.

With the establishment of the NB Bio-Oil Development Centre, Eastern Greenway Oils Inc's objective is to assemble the components of an on-farm, community or small business bio-oil (B-100) production and manufacturing plant and up-scale it to a commercial continuous batch process to refine oilseed crops grown in NB. This activity will provide benchmarks for the performance and economic viability of oilseed crops as a substitute for petroleum based products and exploit this potential to the best advantage of the primary agricultural stakeholders and the rural communities throughout Atlantic Canada.