There is a smell of hamburger and French fries when Jon Håvard Sevaldsen drives up in his car. – I just don’t want fast food any less, he laughs. For almost four years, Sevaldsen has run on frying oil that he has collected from local fast food restaurants in Sunnmøre. It started as a hobby, and has now become quite time-consuming. Not only does he spend a lot of time filtering oil, but he also runs a Facebook page on the subject and answers several hundred inquiries a year from people who are interested in doing the same thing as him. – There are quite a few people who use me as a Wikipedia. Jon Håvard Sevaldsen has been running on frying oil for several years and has no plans to stop. Photo: Idun Aalbu Rasmussen / news Anne Flisnes owns Anne’s Gatekjøkken in Ålesund. She is one of those who willingly gives used frying oil to Sevaldsen. – I think it is absolutely fantastic. What else are you going to use it for? Her takeaway uses 70 to 80 liters of frying oil every week. She admits that she has thought a lot about the fact that it will just be rubbish afterwards. – It makes sense to rather give it away like this, she says. Anne Flisnes is happy that Jon Håvard benefits from the used frying oil from her fast food restaurant. Photo: Idun Aalbu Rasmussen / news – Not waste, but wasted resources Størker Moe, associate professor at NTNU, researches biofuels. He is not surprised that more people are interested in frying oil as fuel. It is cheap, but also more environmentally friendly than regular diesel. – Utilizing waste products into a valuable product is right in the middle of nowhere. There is no such thing as waste, it is called resources going astray. Jon Håvard collects many liters of frying oil from local fast food restaurants. Photo: Idun Aalbu Rasmussen / news Because frying oil comes from plants that absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere, the emissions from Jon Håvard Sevaldsen’s car are not as high as they would be if he drove on diesel, which causes new emissions into the atmosphere. – In principle, it is carbon neutral. By driving on used frying oil, you do not contribute to global warming to the same extent, says Størker Moe. Instead of the used frying oil from Annes Gatekjøkken being thrown on the rubbish heap, Sevaldsen takes the many liters with pleasure. Photo: Idun Aalbu Rasmussen / news On the other hand, he warns people against filling their new diesel engines with used frying oil. – There is a reason why the manufacturers do not guarantee more than 7 percent biodiesel in what is added to a modern diesel engine, he says and adds: – Older diesel engines are more crudely constructed, more robust and less prone to things getting stuck . The car runs just as well on used frying oil as on diesel, says Jon Håvard Sevaldsen. Photo: Idun Aalbu Rasmussen / news Not just simply filling the tank And although it may seem tempting to pick up a jug of frying oil and start like Sevaldsen, it is not as simple as one might think. First, he lets the oil stand for a few days so that all the dirt and food residue settles to the bottom. He then runs the oil through a filtration system he has built himself before it is filled into the tank. Jon Håvard has created an entire cleaning system for the frying oil that he uses before the oil goes into the car’s tank. Photo: Idun Aalbu Rasmussen / news The 24-year-old spends a lot of time filtering the oil to make sure it doesn’t damage the car. – It is very important to investigate it before starting, he says. But whether you want to try it or not, Sevaldsen reveals what is best about driving on frying oil: – It’s the smell of the exhaust when the car is cold. Then it smells like barbecue and I get hungry, he laughs. Photo: Idun Aalbu Rasmussen / news
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Jon Håvard Sevaldsen in Ålesund runs on used frying oil – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
