Chicken fat the next big biodiesel ingredient?

bfischer send in the latest depressing article about animal-based biodiesel companies, this time focusing on the conversion of chicken fat to fuel. While biodiesel can be (and is) made from soy oil, chicken fat is about 33% cheaper, so there’s a push to use it for something other than pet food and soap. The economics get interesting here – companies are starting up to take advantage of the opportunity, but so are the major poultry slaughterhouses. Since they control the majority of the animal fat, it’s possible that outside refiners will be left out in the cold and be basically forced to compete with plant-based fuels. Link.