Background Since the European Parliament ratified a regulation on animal by-products in October 2002 (EC 1774/2002, PBEG L273 10-10-02), these products as well as spent cooking oil in animal food are prohibited. Therefore, other outlets will have to be found for these products. On the other hand, the demand for green energy is growing faster than ever before. As a result of this, biomass has become recognized as a renewable energy source with great commercial potential. Renewable energy from oils and fats, with the logistical advantages and high energy content, can play a major role in creating a sustainable environment. The company QLEAR has spent 5 years developing a Biomass Processing System (BPS) for generating energy from waste oils and fats. The system includes the cleaning of waste oils and fats, the distribution into the engine, the production of electricity and the recovery of the heat. The development was mainly focused on the material of the engine to be used in relation to the acid levels of the liquid biomass, the removing of impurities in fats and oils, how to reach the optimal viscosity of the different kinds of liquid biomasses and the optimisation of the combustion process. QLEAR achieved very encouraging results on pilot tests at laboratory scale. Objectives The main objective of the BPS project is to demonstrate for the first time an innovative processing system that (integrated in the industrial process of a plant) uses liquid biomass to generate electricity and heat, which can be fed into the plant's system (e.g. heating of the storage tanks) or to external public providers. The BPS system will thus generate "green electricity" as well as "green heat", while at the same time reducing the need for external energy and reducing waste. The specific objectives are: - Demonstrate economic, social and environmental benefits of the BPS in the production of "green" electricity and "green" heat by employing the BPS in the heating process of the partner (VOPAK). - Obtain reliable data (input, output, emissions, etc…). - Demonstrate the economic and technical feasibility of a BPS during a full-scale implementation. - Inform, motivate and activate interested market parties and other relevant actors to work with the BPS. Results The beneficiary decided to stop the project anticipatively in April 2004.