Grease Guardian has been a leading manufacturer and distributor of automatic grease removal devices and grease traps for several decades. Now, the company is at the forefront of technology for harvesting grease as a renewable resource. Sales and Marketing Director Michel Fitzpatrick explained more to Hannah Barnett.
Northern Ireland-based FM
Environmental is made up of two divisions: wastewater and grease management. The latter division, known as Grease Guardian, has been manufacturing grease management equipment for years, but has now found itself in an ideal position to serve a demanding and developing biofuels market.
“Historically, grease management was about complying with environmental legislation and preventing drain blockages,” Michel Fitzpatrick, Sales and Marketing Director, explained. “The discourse has now evolved to include the provision of raw material for biofuel production.
“We have witnessed a change in vocabulary, with use of the term ‘harvesting, like a crop’ when talking about what a Grease
Guardian does. We are harvesting what was ‘a nuisance waste’ into a source of biofuel.”
From strength to strength
Headquartered in Newry, Northern Ireland, FM Environmental employs over 70 people across five countries and enjoys an annual turnover in excess of £15 million.
“The business has continued to grow at an impressive pace over the last 18 months, as environmental legislation strengthens at both national and local levels across the globe,” said Mr Fitzpatrick.
Notable recent installations of Grease Guardian products include at Harvard University, the Bangkok One mixed-use development and the ITER fusion energy
experimental reactor in France. Grease Guardian also recently became the first non-native grease management manufacturer to be performance-certified in Japan, following extensive product testing.
“We’re very proud and excited by this achievement,” Mr Fitzpatrick reflected. “The key to gaining approvals is finding the right partner and vision in Japan. Together, the message of grease harvesting is being f|ollowed with active interest by local authorities and stakeholders.”
The company has recently launched several new products, including the Grease Guardian Pro, which features an ‘action ’ button that allows kitchen staff to initiate a forced skim programme and a monthly maintenance routine. In March 2024, the Grease Guardian Pro emerged as a finalist in the Catering Equipment, Design and Technology category of the IFEX Innovation Awards 2024.
Grease Guardian products are crafted from durable 304/16-gauge stainless steel, ensuring robustness and reliability. Unlike competitors with plastic internal components, the company uses high-quality and hygienic materials to guarantee long-term performance, with many units functioning efficiently decades after installation.
Grease Guardian may be a relatively small player in its industry, but its contribution and influence are undeniable.
“We punch above our weight and contribute very positively,” said Mr Fitzpatrick. “In the UK, we have about 35 per cent of the market. If it’s the Irish market, then we’re talking closer to 65-70 per cent. For the US market, I would put us at 35-40 per cent, even though we’ve only been there 10 years.”
Flying with biofuel
The company has recently been focused on resourcing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), an alternative to jet fuel. SAF is made from renewable biomass or waste-based feedstock, such as harvested grease.
“Thanks to the efforts of Judith Marquez, an Environmental Analyst in Southern California, and Piervincenzo Benvenuti of HYDRO BEN in Italy, we have proven the quality of harvested grease using Grease Guardian technology is very high,” Mr Fitzpatrick said. “This grease has the potential to meet the quality requirements of the SAF-hungry industries.”
Grease Guardian has a significant role to play in this ecosystem revolution, known as the Fork to Fuel Initiative, led by Ms Marquez. This is a complete system supporting sustainable grease management and provides a vision for transforming what can be perceived as waste into a clean energy source.
“Anytime that we’ve installed a Grease Guardian, and we’ve got over 30,000 of them installed around the world, the common question is: What do I do with the skimmed off grease?” said Mr Fitzpatrick. “This conversation has evolved over the last number of years. Now, companies like Quatra, Neste or Frylite here in Ireland can take the waste oil away and refine it into biofuel.”
With over 32 million litres, and growing, of fresh filtered waste oil recovered by Grease Guardians annually from the commercial kitchens of the world, Grease Guardian automatic grease removal devices have the potential to deliver positively to the raw feedstock
requirement to be developed into biofuel and SAF.
Currently, the general permissible limit for blending SAF with fossil jet fuel is 50/50, however in November 2023 Virgin Atlantic completed a transatlantic flight on 100% SAF.
“Biofuel can be used wherever there’s an engine,” explained Mr Fitzpatrick. “There is no need for motor changes and it’s completely compatible with existing fossil fuels. We are already starting to see it at the petrol pump, on commercial trucks and even ferries are beginning to be powered by a blend of fossil fuel and biofuel. The goal is to get to 100 per cent across the board as soon as it’s safe to do so and there are enough biofuel resources.
“We’re running out of fossil fuels, so this is an excellent way of complementing what society is now trying to do with solar and wind power. As long as we cook foods, there will be fats and oils. So, within reason, there’s an unlimited supply of waste product. Even actual food waste is a source of fuel, it is just a slightly different process.”
Foundations for the future
Grease Guardian has had an office in New York for the last 10 years and, therefore, enjoys a strong presence serving the East Coast. Though the company also has a good commercial footprint on the West Coast, the next stage will see that presence reinforced by bricks and mortar.
“The coming years will see substantial investment in the North and Central
American markets,” Mr Fitzpatrick explained. “Our US company, Grease Guardian LLC, will logically expand to encompass production and commercial activities. How can one not get excited?”
None of the company’s successful ventures would be possible without the development of long-term contracts with its suppliers to provide stability and predictability for both parties.
“Regular communication with partners is vital,” said Mr Fitzpatrick. “This includes regular meetings, updates and feedback sessions. We also share relevant information regarding production processes and sourcing to build trust and involve our partners in strategic planning and decision-making processes. The result is an alignment in goals and expectations, which is very important to us. Zaminox in Malta has been a valuable partner in this regard over many years.”
The second half of 2024 will see Grease Guardian exhibit at multiple trade shows including METSTRADE, Food Systems Solutions Tokyo, California Restaurant Expo and the Restaurant and Takeaway Innovation Show in London.
“I will openly admit that I love my job,” Mr Fitzpatrick concluded. “No day is like another. We have such diversity of customers around the world. A project can range from a local supermarket to a Ukrainian McDonalds or a London Hilton. With the drive towards sustainable sources of fuel, I have the sense that we are on the cusp of a new industrial revolution.” n
