Port of Vancouver, USA steps up to biodiesel, Ethanol Station Pumping Fuel, Cotton, canola show biodiesel promise

Port of Vancouver, USA steps up to biodiesel
Canadian Transportation & Logistics - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
VANCOUVER, Wash.--The Port of Vancouver USA said it is one of the first US ports to replace regular diesel fuel with environmentally-friendly biodiesel for use ...

VANCOUVER, Wash.--The Port of Vancouver USA said it is one of the first US ports to replace regular diesel fuel with environmentally-friendly biodiesel for use in its own vehicles and heavy equipment. The Port of Vancouver will use a combination 20 percent biodiesel blended with 80 percent regular diesel, called "B20." Use of B20 biodiesel can result in a reduction of emissions by up to 20 percent, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In April, Washington legislators passed a law that requires all state agencies to use a minimum of 20 percent biodiesel for state fleet vehicles by 2009. The Port of Vancouver, USA said it is the first public port in the state to implement a program for compliance.

"One of the key tenets of our mission is to be a leader in environmental stewardship," said Larry Paulson, Port of Vancouver USA executive director.

Port Commissioners also approved the purchase of the largest mobile harbor crane in North America, which will be biodiesel compatible. The port has purchased two trucks with ethanol capability and all future vehicles and equipment will be equipped to run on some form of alternative fuel, whether that is biodiesel or E-85 ethanol, a fuel derived from crops like corn and sugar cane.

Biodiesel has become even more attractive to the Port of Vancouver USA given the fact that the price of a gallon is now competitive with regular diesel.

"With the recent rise in oil prices, using biodiesel makes economic as well as environmental sense," said Curtis Shuck, the port's director of facilities.

Ethanol Station Pumping Fuel
Southern Pines Pilot - Southern Pines,NC,USA
... The station, which Smith named “America’s Fuel,” sells three types of fuel: E10, E85 and biodiesel. The official grand opening will be Thursday. ...

Grant Roper doesn't know how they knew the station was open, but customers were lined up Tuesday to buy fuel at the state's first ethanol gas station.

?We had seven or eight people here,? he said. ?One [couple] said they?d been driving around on empty all weekend.?

Bill Smith?s new ethanol fuel station is up and running at the former site of Red?s Exxon at the corner of Morganton Road and Old U.S. 1.

?We?re excited by the reception from the public,? Smith said.

The station, which Smith named ?America?s Fuel,? sells three types of fuel: E10, E85 and biodiesel. The official grand opening will be Thursday.

The E85 fuel is 85 percent ethanol. It takes a flex fuel vehicle (FFV) to run on E85. Many people in the area may be driving flex fuel vehicles and not know it. Some DaimlerChrystler, General Motors and Ford vehicles built since 1998 are FFVs. Most companies make an FFV model.

E85 is slightly cheaper than regular unleaded gas, costing about $2.72 per gallon, or a dime less per gallon.

E10, the other type of ethanol fuel, runs in any car. It costs about the same as regular unleaded gasoline, Roper said. He is quick to point out that E10 is rated 89 octane.

?In a vehicle that runs on unleaded regular,? he said, ?it?s going to perform a little better.?

Some critics of ethanol have said that it is more expensive than gasoline and that it burns more quickly.

The biodiesel sold at ?America?s Fuel? should run any diesel-powered engine.

At last count, nearly 700 stations in the country offer ethanol fuel. There is a possibility that this station is the only one committed entirely to environmentally friendly fuel. Stations selling ethanol fuel have generally offered gasoline as well.

?Nationally, we may be the first to offer nothing but ethanol and biodiesel,? Roper.

Now that fuel is pumping at the station once again, it resumes its place as the only self- and full-service gas station in the county.

The station has been open since Tuesday, but first got its sign up on Wednesday.

Roper, general manager of Bill Smith Ford Lincoln Mercury, said that with the exception of some first-day computer problems, the opening has been smooth.

?It?s gone surprisingly well,? he said.

Smith picked Roper to open up the station because he knew that Roper?s father used to run a gas station. Roper, who has worked in the auto industry for most of his life, now finds himself doing exactly what his father did.

?I?ve come full circle,? he said.

For those wondering if their car can take E85 fuel, the station has signs next to the pumps that list all FFVs.

Smith decided to convert the old Red?s Exxon a couple of months ago when the nation?s attention turned to ethanol. Even President Bush mentioned it in his State of the Union address.

?There was an opportunity there and it would be a good thing for the country,? he said. ?We?re too dependent on imported oil.?

There is a possibility that the federal government will start giving tax incentives for those using E85, Smith said.

Smith said that coming up with the name for the station was difficult. They did a lot of research and asked for input from employees before deciding on ?America?s Fuel? and the logo of ?corn in motion? as Smith calls it.

?It was a toughie,? he said.

Operators hope motorists will purchase fuel from the station because it?s better for the environment and could help lessen America?s dependence on foreign oil. Ethanol is produced primarily from corn, so it also helps farmers.

It?s not a long-term answer,? Roper said. ?But it certainly is a Band-Aid on the bleeding.?

Smith may have started a trend. The former Tommy?s Citgo in Eastwood is also going to begin selling ethanol fuel.

 

Cotton, canola show biodiesel promise
Capital Press (subscription) - Salem,Oregon,USA
MODESTO — The commercial development of biodiesel from select agricultural commodities grown in California may only be a few years away. ...

IMAGE: http://www.capitalpress.info/SiteImages/Article/25101a.jpg   200

Jars of biofuel line up at attention, illustrating the promise that agricultural products can be used in fuels of the future.

 MODESTO — The commercial development of biodiesel from select agricultural commodities grown in California may only be a few years away.

Last week Sustainable Conservation, a San Francisco-based environmental organization, celebrated the opening of a new office in Modesto by focusing attention on its plans to join the emerging biofuels industry.

“We’re very excited about the prospects of biofuels in California,” said Ladi Asgill, a project manager in Sustainable Conservation’s Modesto office. While the Midwest is already ahead of the biofuels game, California is still trying to catch up, and in some cases catch on, Asgill said.

Similar programs that have worked for soybean and corn growers in the Midwest may also work in the Golden State.

“California can’t produce the cheap oils like corn and soybean, but there are models that can work for us,” Asgill said.

Both canola seed and cottonseed show promise as a biodiesel ingredient crop in California.

Asgill believes the 900,000 tons of cottonseed produced in California each year could help generate enough biodiesel to allow every cotton farmer to convert equipment over to a biodiesel and petroleum blended fuel.

The biggest challenge is developing enough capacity in the state to crush the seeds and refine the fuel. Sustainable Conservation, in cooperation with the cotton industry, has applied for government grants in hopes of completing a feasibility study to prove that the economics of crushing cottonseed would work.

“The goal for this project is to add value to cotton production,” Asgill said. “Farmers will get more for the value of their cottonseed and cotton ginners will also add value by being able to market biodiesel.”

The idea is already being tested on a smaller scale.

A pilot project with the organization and the Center for Irrigation Technology at the California State University in Fresno is allowing one farmer to press canola seed and cottonseed for use as a biodiesel ingredient.

“It looks like it will be viable if it’s viewed in a holistic perspective,” said James Tischer, a Center for Irrigation Technology regional programs manager. He explained that in order for the economics to work, canola would need to be produced economically and all of its byproducts used efficiently.

“We’re hopeful because we could see 10 of the (small biodiesel) refineries going in between Bakersfield and Redding,” he said.

In the Fresno area, growers are seriously looking at the potential of growing canola as a biodiesel fuel additive, said Joe Bezerra, executive director of the California Agricultural Technology Institute at CSU-Fresno. “We work with some of the most innovative farmers in the country,” he said.

Biodiesel, which can be blended with petroleum-based diesel, can reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by up to 80 percent. Fuel blends that contain even 5 percent biodiesel can make a significant impact on reducing emissions, Asgill said.

Sustainable Conservation is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 to involve businesses in efforts to promote clean air, water and healthy ecosystems.

Ali Bay is based in Sacramento. Her e-mail address is abay@capitalpress.com.