Timmy whale, which moved Europe, will have fat transformed into biodiesel

The humpback whale Timmy, which mobilized European public opinion by stranding repeatedly on the coast of Germany, will have an outcome linked to the automotive world: found dead in Denmark in mid-May, it will have its fat transformed into biodiesel – the same type of fuel mixed with diesel sold at gas stations. The processing will be carried out by the company Daka Denmark, in the Danish town of Randers, which specializes in converting animal waste into energy.

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From grease to tank

In the factory, the carcass is separated into three parts. The fat, rich in triglycerides, follows the same chemical route used with soybean, palm or beef tallow oil and becomes second-generation biodiesel. Bones, skin and tendons are crushed and transformed into a flour used as biomass, burned in a cement factory. The water removed in the process is treated before returning to the sea. Part of the skeleton will be preserved at the Natural History Museum in Copenhagen.

The saga that moved Europe

Timmy washed up in the German Baltic Sea in March and ran aground repeatedly on sandbars on Germany’s beach at Timmendorfer Strand. After the authorities suspended the official rescue — recommending letting the animal die in peace — two entrepreneurs funded a private operation: Walter Gunz, co-founder of retailer MediaMarkt, and horse breeder Karin Walter-Mommert. The cost went from about R$ 8.9 million (€ 1.5 million).

The team transported the already weakened humpback on a raft filled with water hundreds of kilometers to the North Sea. Experts warned that the metal walls would reflect the animal’s sonar and stress it; Drone footage showed the whale thrashing around. Instead of the planned high seas, she was released near a shipping route north of Denmark.

Two weeks later, Timmy was found lifeless near Anholt Island. The necropsy confirmed that it was a female, but the cause of death remains undefined because of the state of decomposition. In the digestive system, remains of fishing nets were found.