The University Farm will no longer pay $3.34 a gallon for diesel fuel after May 2008.

The senior project for a group of mechanical engineering stuents is to design, build and test a bio-diesel facility by the end of the spring semester.

The bio-diesel fuel created by the facility will be used to run Western’s agricultural vehicles, such as the tractors and off-road vehicles used on the farm.

It might also be used in all campus vehicles that run on diesel fuel, including shuttles, in the future.

Kevin Schmaltz, associate professor of engineering, assigned the project to a group of mechanical engineering students.

Jack Rudolph, head of the agriculture department, presented the idea for the facility and pairing the agricultural department and the mechanical engineering department.

Currently, the farm uses about 6,200 gallons of diesel fuel a year, Rudolph said.

The project will include the collection of used vegetable oil from Garret food court, the Fresh Food Company and the Downing University Center food court. The oil will be converted into bio-diesel fuel.

Western is providing containers at those locations, said Justin Morris, a student involved in the project. Once a week, they’ll be picked up and taken to the facility.

The project is set to be complete by May 2008. Then the collection of mass quantities of waste oil will begin, and the mechanical engineering department will start producing bio-diesel fuel.

Upon the completion of the project, Western will produce about 1,000 gallons of bio-diesel fuel per month for less than $2 a gallon.

Western is able to create the fuel for so little money because the mechanical engineering department is collecting the waste vegetable oil for free.

The project is funded by Ogden College. The project will cost the college about $25,000.

Despite the cost, the project will be saving Western thousands of dollars, Schmatlz said.

The facility will be designed to allow for expansion and could potentially produce up to 78,000 gallons of bio-diesel fuel per year.

Currently, students are involved in the design phase of the project. Construction of the facility will begin at the start of the spring semester. It will be located in a building on the agricultural farm.

The facility, when completed, will be the only bio-diesel facility in the Bowling Green area. The closest facility of its kind is located in Owensboro.

Future plans include running all campus vehicles, including campus shuttles, using the fuel. That initiative is expected to save Western money.

Reach Danielle Bullock at news@chherald.com.