Here you will find current news on the BioDiesel Industry along with spotlights on companies making a difference in the industry.
There's a show on the Discovery Channel that has a guy who takes on other peoples jobs for the show. In this episode he's making BioDiesel. This is in two parts. I hope you all find this interesting...
posted by Matt @ 3:08 PM
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City-owned vehicles to use biodiesel fuel
San Francisco Chronicle - CA,
City-owned vehicles in San Francisco, including fire engines, buses and even a mobile zoo, will use biodiesel fuel that reduces harmful emissions under an ...
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Lou Ross, President of TexCom, to Present at Platts Biodiesel ...
PR Newswire (press release) -
... OTC Pink Sheets: TEXC) announced today that its President and CEO has been selected to present at the 2nd Annual Platts Biodiesel Investor Conference in
Closer look: Biofuels - Port of Vancouver turns to alternative ...
The Columbian -
... With that simple shift to B20 biodiesel, the port will join the leading edge of a movement to make Washington less dependent on fossil fuels a movement given a ...
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posted by Matt @ 2:49 PM
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Banking biodiesel
Victorville Daily Press -
By TATIANA PROPHET Staff Writer. VICTORVILLE — Diesel prices are finally soaring high enough for biodiesel to be a practical alternative for commercial use. ...
VICTORVILLE — Diesel prices are finally soaring high enough for biodiesel to be a practical alternative for commercial use.
Like many companies in the
At its Palmdale plant, the cement mixers and loaders are running on biodiesel purchased from Darryl Evey, former diesel mechanic shop owner,
Evey has balanced his concern for the environment with business sense. With his tractor trailer, Evey makes the six-hour drive to Coachella every few days to pick up a load. This month, he began turning a profit for the first time — with two customers buying in bulk.
Looking ahead to new regulations, Service Rock didn't want to wait till June 1, when Califor nia is mandating a new, ultra-low sulfur fuel called S15, which is costly to refine.
"We'll be paying $4 a gallon for fuel," said Bob Burmeister, Service Rock's president.
Bob Kelley, vice president of operations, said the company has been testing the fuel to make sure it agrees with their trucks. So far, he's been pleased.
"Frankly, it makes the most sense," said Kelley, whose company uses about 200,000 gallons a month for 200 highway trucks and 80 non-highway trucks. "You don't have to do anything to the car."
No conversion is necessary for use of biodiesel, said Evey. All that's needed is a diesel engine. That's because German inventor Rudolph Diesel originally designed his engine to run on peanut oil at the 1900
Biodiesel advocates like it because it burns cleaner than diesel. According to biodiesel.org, biodiesel is the first alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. The fuel greatly reduces unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulates and eliminates sulfur altogether.
Kelley and Burmeister are taking it slow: there are issues with older equipment, which Evey warned them about. Older engines have rubber components, which biodiesel tends to soften. It also tends to clean the sludge from storage tanks.
"You gotta stock up on filters," Burmeister said.
And it turns to gel at 32 degrees, although that can be eliminated with additives.
But for Kelley, the fuel is promising.
"There's a lot of pluses about it," Kelley said. "I'd like to convince everybody not to use it so there's enough for us."
According to the National Biodiesel Board, 150 million gallons of biodiesel are expected to be produced in 2006, but that's only a drop in the bucket compared to the 44.8 billion gallons of diesel produced last year.
There are arguments for consumers to use biodiesel as well. While ethanol is used as an alternative to gasoline, Evey says that when it comes to engines, the diesel has no equal.
"The diesel engine is the most efficient engine in the world," he said. "Better gas mileage, fuel economy, and they last longer and need less maintenance."
Image: http://www.vvdailypress.com/storypics2006/051906_bio.jpg
Biodiesel Plant to Open in Owensboro
WFIE-TV -
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posted by Matt @ 10:42 AM
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INSEQ Makes Announcement
Business Wire (press release) -
INSEQ is 80% owned by GreenShift Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: GSHF), whose mission is to develop and support companies and technologies that facilitate the ...
INSEQ is 80% owned by GreenShift Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: GSHF), whose mission is to develop and support companies and technologies that facilitate the efficient use of natural resources and catalyze transformational environmental gains.
About INSEQ Corporation
INSEQ Corporation is a publicly traded company whose mission is to directly facilitate the efficient utilization of natural resources including metals, chemicals, fuels and plastics. More information on INSEQ is available online at www.inseq.com.
This press release contains statements, which may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of INSEQ Corporation, and members of their management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-statements include fluctuation of operating results, the ability to compete successfully and the ability to complete before-mentioned transactions. The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results.
posted by Matt @ 8:04 AM
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Hugo International Telecom Makes Announcement
Business Wire (press release) -
Hugo International Telecom is 67% owned by GreenShift Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: GSHF), whose mission is to develop and support companies and ...
Hugo International Telecom is 67% owned by GreenShift Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: GSHF), whose mission is to develop and support companies and technologies that facilitate the efficient use of natural resources and catalyze transformational environmental gains.
This press release contains statements, which may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Hugo International Telecom, Inc., and members of their management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-statements include fluctuation of operating results, the ability to compete successfully and the ability to complete before-mentioned transactions. The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results.
posted by Matt @ 8:03 AM
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Owensboro biodiesel plant under way
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posted by Matt @ 8:01 AM
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City readies for CNG, biodiesel fuel campaign
The city administration is set to push motorists to use biodiesel fuel and compressed natural gas starting May 20. The campaign ...
The city administration is set to push motorists to use biodiesel fuel and compressed natural gas starting May 20.
The campaign is part of the central government's plan to make
"We'll start with the use of CNG and biodiesel fuels in big vehicles like the busway first, and then gradually move on to other public transportation vehicles like taxis and bajaj," Governor Sutiyoso said Thursday.
The campaign will be launched at a new gas station on Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan in
Sutiyoso said the administration fully supported the campaign as it was in line with its 2005 bylaw on air pollution.
Out of 264 gas stations in the city, however, only four will offer biodiesel fuels. They are located on Jl. Industri,
Biodiesel is a blend of petroleum diesel with oils extracted from plants such as oil palm or jathropa.
State oil and gas company Pertamina will supply the biodiesel, selling it at a price of Rp 4,500 (50 U.S. cents) per liter. In the preliminary stage it will supply 40,000 liters of biodiesel per day. Each gas station will have a capacity of 10,000 liters.
Sutiyoso said he would instruct all gas stations to provide CNG and biodiesel fuels. "They didn't want to sell it in the past because there was no market for it. Now many people will start buying it," he said.
The use of CNG was introduced in 1987 with the opening of 17 gas stations. However, most of the stations closed as the public response to CNG was lukewarm.
He said he would also instruct officials at the administration to switch to gas or biodiesel. "We'll start using it in our operational vehicles".
Powered By Home Brew
New West -
A
Do fuel prices make you wonder about making your own biodiesel? Maybe see if your favorite restaurant would save their used cooking oil for you?
Gorge-area resident Dick Janz did. Though it might be harder now:
Janz got in early and now collects used cooking oil from two local restaurants. Janz lives in
It’s the side product that makes Janz’s process different: A self-imposed surtax of sorts to support area science education. For each gallon of biodiesel Janz produces, he donates one dollar to Wasco County schools to improve high school science.
“I wasn’t in it to save myself money,” said Janz, “I did it to help the environment. I hope to inspire others so we can reduce our dependence on fuel from the
If you’ve ever seen an oil refinery, you know pipes twist and turn and cover acres of ground. Janz’s operation, though, would fit in a dining room and still leave room for the dining table. He bought a Fuel Meister kit that cost him $3,400 and spent another $1,600 in tanks, dollies, and other supplies. And then he started in.
He collects the used oil until he has about 50 gallons and then strains it with a household wire mesh strainer to remove the odd French fry and donut crumbs. The tank he stores it in heats the oil to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. He tests it to see how much lye to add. Then Janz pours a mixture into a plastic vat, consisting of 40 gallons of oil, eight gallons of methanol, and however much lye the test indicates. After stirring it, he leaves the mixture overnight to separate.
The next day, glycerin and residue have sunk to the bottom and the biodiesel floats on top. Janz drains the glycerin off (about six gallons per batch). A mist of water washes the biodiesel to take out any remaining impurities. The water sinks and is drained off. The fuel runs through one final filter as it goes into Janz’s 275-gallon tank. From there he pumps it straight into his vehicles.
Not counting the initial capital expense, Janz’s biodiesel costs him about 80 cents a gallon.
Janz gives the vestigial waste grease to a farmer who mixes it with feed for birds he raises. Janz hasn’t come up with a solution for disposing of the glycerin; some people use it to make soap, but he’s just storing it right now.
Janz has been making biodiesel for only about six months, so the money for schools hasn’t added up to a lot – yet. “The big story,” he says, “is to get farmers to grow something that would make them more energy independent. There is a need for the big (biodiesel) producers and the backyarders.”
At 80 cents a gallon? Maybe Janz is talking to me, or you.
Image http://www.newwest.net/images/thumbnails_feature/janz_pouring_oil.jpg 300
Image http://www.newwest.net/images/thumbnails_feature/janz_showing_system.jpg 300
posted by Matt @ 7:55 AM
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Biodiesel Backer Talks SF Into Oil Alternative
CBS 5 -
(CBS 5) SAN FRANCISCO Brie Matthews is a backer of biodiesel, and she is a big reason that all MUNI trains, all fire ... Biodiesel is made from vegetable oil. ...
View the video by following the above link
(CBS 5) SAN FRANCISCO Brie Matthews is a backer of biodiesel, and she is a big reason that all MUNI trains, all fire trucks and many San Francisco city-owned vehicles will soon run on a cleaner, more environmentally friendly fuel.
Biodiesel is made from vegetable oil. As a firefighter-paramedic for the city of San Francisco, Brie decided a few years ago that biodiesel is such a good alternative to fossil fuels, fire department engines, trucks and ambulances should be using it.
"We're in the business of saving lives, and on our way to saving lives, we're polluting them. I saw a contradiction in that,” Brie says.
It turned out to be cost effective, could cut down on pollution, and help ease dependence on foreign oil. But it's a tough sell to change bureaucratic thinking.
"For the first year, when I was trying to do it on my own, no one would listen. But I just kept at it and kept at it," says Brie.
She found a kindred sole in firefighter Mike Ferry, and together they continued their crusade. It officially ended Thursday. The Mayor, the fire chief, and other city officials announced that by the end of next year, all city diesel vehicle must run on the much cleaner burning blended fuel.
"The city uses right around 8 million gallons a year of diesel. So at a 20 per cent blend, that will be about 1.8 million gallons a year," says Eric Bowen of the S.F. Biodiesel Cooperative.
That will replace 1.8 million gallons of petroleum. The first fire trucks to use the stuff are housed in Bayview-Hunter's Point, the city's poorest neighborhood, one that has long complained of environmental neglect.
It's a change that comes about because Brie Matthews and Mike Ferry had a passion and never gave up, inspiring others who believe individuals actually can make a difference.
posted by Matt @ 7:48 AM
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FFA Students Create Biodiesel In Classroom
Today's THV -
Members of
Members of
FFA teacher Barry Rogers says the
The project began with business and marketing students, who came up with a plan to market biodiesel. The students raised enough money to buy discounted equipment from a local biodiesel company and used donated fish fry oil to make the biodiesel.
The students say greater use of biodiesel will reduce the need for foreign oil. The biodiesel made by the students is being used in the group's tractor.
Image: http://www.todaysthv.com/assetpool/images/05923181247_biodiesel_02.jpg 230
Alternative Fuel Sources Are No Secret
Consumer Affairs -
... Readily available alternatives to the gas-powered engine include diesel, biodiesel, E85 and even such exotic-sounding solutions as coal and oil shale. ...
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By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.Com
As the internal combustion engine sputters into the 21st century choked by the rising cost of gasoline, public attention is turning, however, fitfully, towards alternatives to the old-fashioned gasoline powered buggy.
Automakers are looking to Washington for help in dealing with rising fuel costs but the alternatives to gasoline engines are pretty widely known and already in use in other parts of the world.
Readily available alternatives to the gas-powered engine include diesel, biodiesel, E85 and even such exotic-sounding solutions as coal and oil shale. Hydrogen is drifting out there somewhere.
Not Your Father's Diesel
Because diesel engines can produce excellent fuel efficiency, diesel technology is at the top of the list for many companies and developers as they scramble to come up with technology that meets clean air standards while producing exceptional mileage.
In
Once a stepchild in the automotive industry as well as with consumers, diesel technology is emerging from the dungeon but the industry still must transform diesel's image from that of a grimy, smelly mess if diesel is to become a serious contender for the future.
Nevertheless, today's diesel engines provide as much as 40 percent better fuel economy and offer more torque at lower RPM when compared to their gasoline counterparts. The engines can be substantially less harmful to the environment if cleaner fuel and improved engine technologies are used.
At least one group of diesel engine and truck manufacturers say they are ready to meet new, cleaner emissions standards starting in January.
In a recent gathering hosted by the Diesel Technology Council, the manufacturers displayed their next generation of cleaner-burning trucks. They used white handkerchiefs to demonstrate that the exhaust from diesel trucks contains no smoke or visible soot.
Combined with existing hybrid technology, clean-burning diesel power could help in the effort to slow global warming as well as carry lots of folks to the grocery store and beyond.
While some automakers don't have plans to offer diesels in light-duty passenger vehicles just yet, all of the major manufacturers are taking a long and hard look at diesel technology.
Diesel power would reduce
One gallon of diesel fuel can make more power than the same amount of gasoline. As a demonstration of the power and performance of a diesel engine, a diesel-powered Audi sports car won the 24-hour endurance race this year at Daytona International Speedway.
But much like hybrids, diesels require automakers to develop and implement more sophisticated technology to achieve a price that consumers are willing to pay.
Biodiesel and E85
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel for the diesel engine and is high on the list of choices by environmentalists. It's more environmentally friendly than conventional diesel fuel and helps reduce pollutants and engine wear, according to proponents.
Biodiesel fuel is a "drop-in replacement," meaning any diesel engine can use it without modification.
In
The biodiesel can be used as a pure 100% fuel or mixed in any ratio with petroleum diesel.
Pacific Biofuel claims greater engine longevity and improved performance with the use of its biodiesel fuel. The company says that everything in its biofuel comes from "Mother Earth." (Of course, petroleum does too but let's not quibble).
E85 is an alternative to gasoline and is comprised of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. There are some vehicles on the market now or already manufactured that are capable of burning E85.
They are called flexfuel vehicles and were manufactured in part to help automakers comply with
The trouble is, E85 is hard to find.
The government provides tax breaks to filling stations willing to offer E85 in the form of federal income tax credit for the installation of E85 fueling systems. So far, not a lot of stations are signing up for E85. The tax credit was part of the 2005 Energy Policy Act and provides a 30% federal income tax credit, up to $30,000 per property, to install alternative fuel dispensing systems.
Besides being hard to find, E85 is less powerful per gallon than gasoline. More E85 will be required to cover the same distance traveled with a tank full of gasoline and you will have to fill up more often.
Hydrogen
Many automotive dreamers are looking at hydrogen technology as the yellow brick road into the 21st century for the automotive industry.
They see a global hydrogen economy as a new structure in which hydrogen is a realistic alternative to the world's present wide-scale use of hydrocarbon fuels.
A green hydrogen car might achieve 99 miles per gallon emission-free. Imagine that. Sound too good to be true? Unfortunately, it is, at least right now.
A handful of automakers are designing hydrogen-powered cars. The trouble is, they have not made much headway over the last five years.
In this summer of our internal combustion discontent, for only a moment let's follow the dreamers' path and imagine cars that run on hydrogen, the most abundant element in our universe.
Hydrogen burns twice as efficiently in a fuel cell as gasoline does in an engine, and produces a single waste product, water.
Hydrogen cars would make the country less dependent on fossil fuels coming from the
This is pleasant indeed to contemplate, but hydrogen technology costs a lot of money. Gasoline-powered motors are still easier on the wallet than hydrogen fuel cells and right now, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, the cost of hydrogen fuel is 100 times too high for hydrogen cars to have any impact in the market place.
So the dream may be just that for now. While you pour another few bucks into the ExxonMobil or BP Amoco pot of profits, just remember that a trip in a hydrogen car is probably not too far away -- maybe 10 years or so up the yellow brick path.
posted by Matt @ 7:24 AM
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Biodiesel power on show
FarmersWeekly -
What drew visitors in particular was a New Holland tractor with a sign saying that unmodified versions of the company's TM tractors can be run on 100% biodiesel ...
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Biodiesel touted to fuel future
... candidate Mike Blouin urged a group of southeast Iowans to look to the future and continue to build on new companies such as the city's biodiesel plant. ...
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posted by Matt @ 12:38 PM
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Sign on I-5 points drivers to Oregon biodiesel station
There aren't many places to fill up your biodiesel tank in
There aren't many places to fill up your biodiesel tank in
Rising Phoenix Biofuels had a sign for one of its stations installed as part of the blue highway signs on Interstate 5 near Talent.
Rising Phoenix Biofuels is
posted by Matt @ 8:11 AM
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Biodiesel Workshops Across America
DisInfo.com -
... year. We're in the process of buying a bus to convert to Biodiesel. ... G. "It's hard out there for a wannabe biodiesel homebrewer. You ...
posted by Matt @ 8:09 AM
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Port of Vancouver, USA First to Step up to Biodiesel Challenge
Business Wire (press release) -
...
The
"One of the key tenets of our mission is to be a leader in environmental stewardship," said Larry Paulson,
Both alternative fuels are considered "energy positive," which means these fuels yield more energy than the power required to produce them. Additionally, the state of
Biodiesel has become even more attractive to the
The Port of Vancouver, USA, created by
posted by Matt @ 7:34 AM
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Straw-bale biodiesel plant will leave small footprint
Greater
SF FIRE DEPARTMENT TO ANNOUNCE BIODIESEL PILOT PROGRAM
CBS 5 -
... San Francisco Fire Department is expected to announce on Thursday a pilot program in which some fire department vehicles will begin utilizing biodiesel fuel, a ...
Organic biodiesel could pay off for NW farmers (5/17)
... Some of the puzzle pieces are falling into place. Ground will be broken soon on big new biodiesel and ethanol plants in
posted by Matt @ 7:15 AM
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