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Hong KongHealth & Environment

Palm oil that spilled onto Hong Kong’s beaches turned into crude gasoline

One hundred tons of palm oil – about the same weight as a blue whale and half the total amount that spilled in collision between two ships – will be turned into biodiesel and then crude gasoline for sale next week

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The palm oil globs lie ready for treatment at the firm’s plant in Tseung Kwan O. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Louise Moon

Half of the palm oil washed ashore on beaches two weeks ago will be turned into 50 tons of crude gasoline to go on sale next week, according to a biodiesel company.

One hundred tons of palm stearin, about the weight of a blue whale and half of the total amount collected from Hong Kong’s beaches, arrived at ASB Biodiesel’s plant in Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate on Wednesday morning.

Hong Kong government struggles to clean up mess as palm oil spill spreads

The oil would first be turned into biodiesel, a green fuel that emits low levels of greenhouse gases when burned, and then crude gasoline to be sold next week, the city’s biggest waste oil treatment firm said.

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“We have kept a watchful brief on the oil spill incident since it happened,” said CEO Cheung Siu-ming.

Cheung Siu-ming displays the biodiesel distilled from the palm oil globs. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Cheung Siu-ming displays the biodiesel distilled from the palm oil globs. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
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“We would like to help society solve the problem by turning the palm stearin into biodiesel and investing in society,” adding that all profits after operational costs would be donated to local green groups and NGOs, which have yet to be chosen.

Two hundred tons of white, jelly-like oil clumps washed up on Hong Kong’s beaches after two ships collided in the Pearl River estuary 4km southwest of the city, resulting in one of the worst environmental cases in recent years.
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