A Saskatchewan company that makes a canola-based diesel additive has found a new distributor for its product.
Milligan Bio-Tech Inc. of Foam Lake, Sask., is teaming up with Westward Parts of Red Deer, which will sell the fuel conditioner across the Prairies through its chain of agricultural parts stores.
The additive cleans diesel fuel and improves its lubricity. Poor lubricity causes wear in the top rings of pistons on a diesel engine.
Canadian winter diesel is particularly tough on engines. Molecules in the fuel have to be broken up so they won’t freeze in the tank during harsh winter conditions, which causes lower viscosity and less lubricity.
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“We have the worst fuel in the world here in Canada as far as lubricity goes,” said Milligan general manager Helgi Helgason.
That problem is exacerbated by a move to lower sulfur content, which makes fuel lighter and less protective of engines.
Helgason is pleased to be partnering with Westward, a company that operates about 900 dealerships, most of them in Western Canada.
Westward president Gary Harris said the fuel additive is a top-notch product.
“The Milligan Bio-Tech fuel conditioner meets or exceeds all the European standards for diesel additives and a University of Saskatchewan study has shown that it improves engine efficiency.”
He said it’s also a fine example of using crops for industrial purposes, something that should help sustain the rural economy.
Helgason said the Foam Lake pilot plant can produce one tonne of additive per day, enough to clean and lubricate 1.1 million tonnes of fuel. The facility could double production if it operated around the clock.
“This plant can keep up with the additive market quite easily,” he said.
A larger commercial plant is planned to meet the increasing demand for Milligan’s canola methyl ester biodiesel, a fuel used by some city transit buses in Saskatoon.
