The City of San Francisco has announced a plan to partner with Darling International to build a large biodiesel plant in the city. The new plant will utilize an existing building owned by Darling International, which will be retrofitted to produce fuel from tallow, restaurant grease and other waste fats. The plant is expected to generate 7.5-10 million gallons of biodiesel each year. In all likelihood, the fuel produced will be bought by the city and used to power its biodiesel fleet.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome commented on the deal:

“This facility will serve as a model for cities throughout the world who aim to reduce their carbon footprint and transform their grease waste into useable, sustainable energy. Turning waste generated by local restaurants and other businesses into a sustainable fuel source is yet another major step in reaching our goals of carbon neutrality for City Government by 2020, zero emission public transit by 2020, a 75% recycling rate by 2010, and zero waste in 2020.”