Pratt & Whitney Sponsors UConn Biodiesel Lab

STORRS, Conn.– Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp (NYSE:UTX) company, has donated $10,000 to the University of Connecticut’s alternative energy biodiesel laboratory, which is used by undergraduate students to generate the environmentally friendly fuel for use in UConn vehicles.

The donation will be used to pay the laboratory operating expenses for the next year, where more than 30 UConn students work to generate approximately 50 gallons of biodiesel per week. About a dozen university buses run on a blend of biodiesel/diesel fuel. Pratt & Whitney’s contribution comes shortly after the company paid for the renovation of the 1,000 square foot facility.

“We are proud to support UConn’s biodiesel research program, as well as help facilitate the operation of cleaner buses on campus,” stated Jerry Tarnacki, Pratt & Whitney Vice President, Environment, Health & Safety. “In addition to the $10,000 donation, Pratt & Whitney will also provide 50 gallons of waste vegetable oil from our employee cafeterias every week for students to convert into biodiesel.”

“This support from Pratt & Whitney allows UConn to educate every chemical engineer in the fundamentals of biofuels in order to prepare them to contribute to this new industry, American energy security and improved environmental stewardship,” said Richard Parnas, associate professor and director of UConn’s chemical engineering program.

According to the National Biodiesel Board, Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. For more about the biodiesel lab: http://biodiesel.engr.uconn.edu/home/index.php.