Bay area company says put an orange in your tank

Friday, April 9, 2004

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Orange rinds can be used to make fuel.
Florida's top crop could also be used as an alternative fuel solution.

The Bartow Ethenol Company has developed a unique way to turn the millions of pounds of orange rinds left over from making juice into a very clean burning alcohol additive for gasoline.

This has become good news for the local citrus industry.

"Because growers can sell their dropped fruit and if a frost comes along. They will be able to do that as well," said company spokesman Kieran Jennings.

The company could make up to 50 million gallons of the additive a year if it can get the funding to buy some high end processing equipment.

"It's hugely exciting to be involved with something that has so many positives. The clean air, foreign dependency on oil. The whole works," Jennings said.

The ethenol could turn up at the gas pumps in Atlanta in a couple of months.

It's not clear when it will happen in Florida.

Bartow Ethenol says congressman Adam Putnam is attempting to get a federal grant to help the company buy the expensive processing equipment needed to produce more ethenol.