Fuel up with biodiesel in Arden

Fuel up with biodiesel in Arden
Asheville Citizen-Times - NC,USA
... The B20 biodiesel pump at the Kounty Line BP on Hendersonville Road has been open for about a month, and the public has put it to use. ...

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ARDEN — After two years in Asheville, Blue Ridge Biofuels has opened a second location in Arden.

The B20 biodiesel pump at the Kounty Line BP on Hendersonville Road has been open for about a month, and the public has put it to use.

James Young, the owner of the Kounty Line, “was doing some research and saw that (biodiesel) was something new and upcoming,” said Alan Austin, manager at the Kounty Line BP in Arden.

“He thought it could help our business and the world out too.”

Austin said so far, people have shown a lot of interest.

In less than a month, 3,000 gallons of B20 biodiesel was pumped at the station. That equals filling up about 150 20-gallon tanks or 250 12-gallon tanks.

B20 biodiesel is made by adding 80 percent regular diesel fuel to 20 percent biodiesel. B99 biodiesel is made from 99.9 percent biodiesel and 0.1 percent regular diesel fuel.

Biodiesel creates fewer greenhouse gas and particulate emissions, according to Brian Winslett, partner/

owner of the Asheville-based Blue Ridge Biofuels.

B20 “is a foot in the door of the early stages of biodiesel development,” Winslett said.

Any diesel vehicle can run on biodiesel without any conversions or modifications, according to Bill Eaker, environmental services manager at the Land-of-Sky Regional Council.

As the coordinator for the Clean Vehicles Coalition and the Regional Clean Air Campaign, Eaker’s job is to promote the use of all alternative fuels and clean vehicle technologies in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties.

Even with all its environmental benefits, biofuel is competitively priced.

“The first load was priced real high, but since then the bottom fell out of the price situation,” Austin said. “Just (last) week we got another load and the price has come down considerably.”

When the station got its first load of B20 biodiesel, the price per gallon was $3.15. Now the cost is $2.82 per gallon. With the lower price, Austin expects the second load to go even faster.

“It gives more people initiative to try it,” he said, “and to make their own decision if they want to use it or not.”

And Young doesn’t plan to stop with just one station in south Buncombe County.

Young has another station, the Kounty Line Exxon on Airport Road, which will likely get biodiesel, Winslett said.

Winslett and the Asheville Biodiesel Cooperative started Blue Ridge Biofuels in 2004. The first station opened in West Asheville in July 2005. The next biodiesel pump will probably open in Black Mountain.

Winslett will be opening four new pumps in the greater Asheville area soon. He is not disclosing the exact locations.

“Eventually we want to branch out and offer biodiesel throughout WNC,” Winslett said. The Arden station “just happened to be one that was interested sooner than later.”

On the Net: www.blueridgebiofuels.com.

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