Animal activists eye ConocoPhillips biodiesel plan

New York (Platts)--20Apr2007

While ConocoPhillips and US meat giant Tyson Foods work out the economics
of producing animal fat-based biodiesel, they may want to factor in a possible
backlash by the US' millions of vegetarian drivers.

Not everyone wants to live by ExxonMobil's motto to "put a tiger in your
tank."

Activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has received
"dozens of emails and phone calls from concerned people" this week about the
ConocoPhillips plan, said Matt Prescott, manager of vegan campaigns for PETA.
"We're going to keep an eye on it."

Vegans do not eat or use any animal products.

ConocoPhillips and Tyson announced April 16 they intend to make a
"renewable diesel" feeding animal fat through a hydrogenation process at
ConocoPhilips' Borger refinery in Texas starting in the fourth quarter. The
aim is to produce as much as 175 million gallons/year of renewable diesel by
2009.

"With so many people becoming vegetarian and vegan these days it does
seem unwise for Tyson and ConocoPhillips to produce fuel from animals," said
PETA's Prescott.

"Our membership would not be thrilled about [animal fat-based fuel],
especially the vegans," said Jeanne Yacoubou, research director of the
Vegetarian Resource Group. The group has 20,000-30,000 members, she said, both
vegetarian and vegan.

Some 2-3% of the US population is vegetarian, said Yacoubou, translating
that to 6 million to 9 million people, based on the latest US Census data
showing 300 million people in the US.

"Please note that this 2-3% is a low figure, and represents those who say
that they NEVER eat meat, fish or fowl," she said in an email response. "There
are probably closer to 6-9% of people who may say they are vegetarian, which
is equivalent to 18-27 million people. They may be interested in the animal
fats as biofuel issue for various reasons, whether for animal rights,
environmental, ethical or health reasons."

Thermal depolymerization production technology will process animal fats
with hydrocarbon feedstock to produce diesel at the ConocoPhillips plant.

--Beth Evans, beth_evans@platts.com