County backs tax-free zone for planned biodiesel plant, Fun facts about biodiesel fuel

County backs tax-free zone for planned biodiesel plant
Adrian Daily Telegram - Adrian,MI,USA
ADRIAN - Support for establishing a tax-free renaissance zone for a biodiesel plant near Adrian was given Wednesday by the Lenawee County Commission. ...

Commissioners also vote to place a 911 surcharge renewal on the Aug. 8 primary election ballot.By Dennis PelhamDaily Telegram Staff WriterADRIAN - Support for establishing a tax-free renaissance zone for a biodiesel plant near Adrian was given Wednesday by the Lenawee County Commission.The commission also voted at its formal business session to place a four-year renewal of a 911 telephone surcharge on the Aug. 8 primary ballot, to take applications for a county farm extension agent and to approve a new county emergency plan.By an 8-1 vote, the commission gave its backing to establishment of a renaissance zone at a 20-acre site for a proposed biodiesel plant on West Beecher Road in Adrian. A resolution stated the tax abatement will make it feasible for Biofuel Industries LLC to build a plant that is to produce 10 million to 20 million gallons of biodiesel fuel a year from soybeans and other plant or animal oils.
A state government established Agricultural Processing and/or Renewable Fuels Facility Renaissance Zone is to exempt the property used for agricultural processing from city, county and other taxes for 12 years and provide a limited abatement for three more years.By unanimous vote the commission approved a ballot proposal to renew Lenawee County's 911 telephone surcharge of $2.52 per month through the year 2010. Commissioner Jim Van Doren, R-Tipton, said a two-year extension of a state law allowing the surcharge is expected to be enacted this month. The current law expires in December. The surcharge legislation is being extended only two years because of ongoing reform efforts that would spread the surcharge to cellular telephones, internet telephone services and other services. County surcharge fees pay for operations and improvements to 911 dispatch centers and emergency services communications systems.An updated county plan to guide agencies on how to respond to emergencies and disasters was approved by the commission. The plan assigns responsibilities for responding to different scenarios and provides a check list of steps that are to be taken, said county emergency services coordinator James Anderson. He has been working on the new plan for four years.By a narrow 5-4 vote, the commission agreed to a contract with Michigan State University Extension Service to employ a Lenawee County-based farm agent. Commissioners agreed last month to seek applicants for the position while funding assistance is available from MSU. A memorandum of understanding with MSU to employ an agent at an equally shared cost drew opposition in committee Tuesday from Van Doren. He said he worried the commission may be forced to hire an applicant it is not satisfied with if the contract with MSU is approved.
Lenawee County MSU Extension director Matt Shane said the county commission has input on deciding whether an applicant is qualified. Commissioners Jack Branch, R-Onsted, Ralph Tillotson, R-Adrian Twp., and Richard Bailey, R-Adrian, joined Van Doren on Wednesday in voting against the MSU agreement.

Chevron invests in biodiesel plant
Bizjournals.com - Charlotte,NC,USA
Oil giant Chevron Corp. said it invested in a Texas company that is building a biodiesel plant with the capacity to produce 100 million gallons per year. ...
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Fun facts about biodiesel fuel
Pasadena Weekly - Pasadena,CA,USA
Biodiesel can be used at 100 percent levels or mixed in any proportion with No. 2 diesel or No. ... One bushel of soybeans can produce 1.4 gallons of biodiesel. ...
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Biodiesel

• Biodiesel can be used at 100 percent levels or mixed in any proportion with No. 2 diesel or No. 1 diesel.
• Contains no nitrogen or aromatics
• Typically contains less than 15 ppm sulfur. Does not contribute to sulfur dioxide emissions
• Has characteristically low carbon monoxide, particulate, soot and hydrocarbon emissions
• Contains 11 percent oxygen by weight
• Biodiesel has the highest energy content (BTUs) of any alternative fuel and is comparable to No. 1 diesel.
• Fuel efficiency is the same as diesel fuel
• Fuel economy, power, and torque are similar to No. 2 diesel and vary linearly with the blend level
  

B2 biodiesel

B2, a blend of 2 percent biodiesel and 98 percent diesel fuel, is a fuel component to extend engine life through exceptional lubricity.

• B2 can add core lubricity to No. 2 diesel, or enhance lubricity of a premium diesel fuel.
• Can increase lubricity by up to 66 percent over No. 2 diesel fuel, which means:
• Protection against fuel injector and injection pump failure
• Longer equipment life
• Lower maintenance costs
• Less equipment downtime
• Reduces friction so engine doesn’t have to work as hard
• Virtually identical to No. 2 diesel in fuel consumption, power output and engine torque
• In winter, virtually no difference in cold flow properties between B2 and No. 2 diesel.
• Virtually no difference in cold flow properties between B2 and a 50/50 blend of No. 1 diesel and No. 2 diesel

B20 biodiesel facts

B20 is a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent diesel fuel, which:

• Provides optimum emission benefits for the lowest cost.
• Keeps NOx increases small (1-4 percent) and within legal emission limits for engines. (NOx can be reduced further by changing engine timing.)
• Offers excellent emission benefits by reducing soot, particulates, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide by more than 10 percent each.
• Minimal increases in cloud and pour point levels can be easily managed by additives
• Does not contribute to sulfur dioxide emissions

Economy

• One bushel of soybeans can produce 1.4 gallons of biodiesel.
• Since June 1999, biodiesel sales have grown to an industry estimate of 15 million gallons, or the equivalent of 10 million bushels of US soybeans.
• A study completed in 2001 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Energy Policy and New Uses in conjunction with the Economic Research Services (ERS) found that an average annual increase of the equivalent of 200 million gallons of soy-based biodiesel demand would boost total crop cash receipts by $5.2 billion cumulatively by 2010, resulting in an average net farm income increase of $300 million per year.
• In the last year, the price of wholesale delivered biodiesel has decreased significantly. Generally, a 20 percent biodiesel blend (with 80 percent regular diesel, known as B20) costs about 15-30 cents more per gallon than straight petroleum fuel. B2 blends generally cost only a couple of cents more than No. 2 diesel fuel.

Environment

• Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable, cleaner-burning fuel. Unlike other fuel additives, biodiesel poses minimal risk to water quality.
• A 100 percent biodiesel blend lowers carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by 44 percent, particulate matter emissions by 40 percent and sulfate emissions by 100 percent.
• B20 lowers carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by 9 percent, particulate matter emissions by 8 percent and sulfate emissions by 20 percent. When B20 is used along with an oxidation catalyst, it reduces particulate matter by 45 percent, carbon monoxide by 41 percent and total hydrocarbons by 65 percent.
• The ozone forming potential of the speciated hydrocarbon emissions for biodiesel was nearly 50 percent less than that measured for diesel fuel.
• Biodiesel reduces air toxins by up to 90 percent.
• Biodiesel has the highest energy balance of any fuel. For every one unit of fossil energy needed to produce biodiesel, 3.2 units of energy are gained.
• Does not contribute to sulfur dioxide emissions

Performance

• Biodiesel has the highest energy content (120,000 BTUs per gallon) of any alternative fuel.
• Biodiesel has significantly improved lubricity, which can decrease maintenance costs and reduce engine wear.
• A flash point of over 300 F makes it much safer to use, store and handle than diesel, gasoline, or other gaseous fuels.
• More than 100 major fleets use biodiesel. Additionally, numerous biodiesel demonstrations, including three one-million-mile tests and more than 30 50,000-mile tests, have logged more than 10 million road miles with biodiesel blends. In these tests, performance, fuel mileage and drivability with biodiesel blends were similar to conventional diesel, but opacity levels were reduced and exhaust odor was less offensive. No adverse durability or engine wear problems were noted.
• Biodiesel can be operated in any diesel engine with little or no modification to the engine or the fuel system. In blends over 20 percent, biodiesel has a solvent effect, which may release deposits accumulated on tank walls and pipes from previous diesel fuel. The release of deposits may clog filters initially and precautions should be taken.
• Manufacturer warranties cover defects in material and workmanship, and those warranties extend to engines burning biodiesel. Using biodiesel will not void warranties.

Information courtesy of the Iowa State Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.