Alpha Biofuels joins forces with The Westin Singapore and Wearnes Automotive in breakthrough Green Luxury initiative.

Leading the march towards sustainable energy sources in Singapore, local renewable energy enterprise Alpha Biofuels has stepped forward with a breakthrough initiative, in partnership with The Westin Singapore, newly opened on Marina Bay, and Wearnes Automotive, official distributor of iconic automobile brand Jaguar in Singapore.

Alpha Biofuels has signed a three-year agreement with The Westin Singapore to provide the upper upscale hotel with its exclusive Green Luxury biodiesel-powered limousine fleet, which consists of two Jaguar XJ sedans. What makes this project revolutionary is that the biodiesel will be obtained exclusively from recycling waste cooking oil generated by The Westin Singapore, thereby forming a self-sustaining 'waste-to-energy' loop. In addition, The Westin Singapore’s Green Luxury limousines represent the first luxury limousine fleet in Singapore to consist completely of biodiesel-powered vehicles.

“This is no longer technology of the future. Our pioneer batch of Green Luxury limousines proves that it is now commercially viable to power a transportation fleet in an environmentally responsible manner,” said Mr. Allan Lim, Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Biofuels. “We are delighted that The Westin Singapore and Wearnes Automotive share the same conviction in environmentally responsible business practices. With an upper upscale hotel of one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world and one of the leading luxury marques on board, this paves the way for other MNCs and SMEs in Singapore to adopt similarly sustainable arrangements for their transportation needs.”

The Green Luxury project, which began running in November 2013, offers several environmental benefits. First, each kilogramme of Alpha Biodiesel used produces 65 percent, or 4.11 kg, less greenhouse gases over its life cycle compared to the same quantity of ultra low sulphur diesel, according to research conducted by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). The life cycle of each energy source refers to all stages of its product life, from raw material extraction through processing, distribution and disposal. Furthermore, the 7 percent biodiesel/93 percent diesel composite that powers the Green Luxury fleet emits 95 percent less Particulate Matter than ultra low sulphur diesel, according to the same A*STAR study.

Moreover, the project ensures that The Westin Singapore’s waste cooking oil will be recycled in an environmentally friendly manner, all at a lower cost than the current price of diesel at the pump. The Westin Singapore generates about 7,800 kg of waste cooking oil in a year, which will produce enough biodiesel to help power the two Jaguar limousines over the approximately 150,000 km that the hotel estimates the fleet will cover each year. The waste cooking oil will initially be refined at Alpha Biofuels’ plant in Tuas, but the installation of a micro-refinery on the fifth floor of The Westin Singapore in the coming months will allow the entire process to be completed without leaving the building.