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.

BIODIESEL The Alternative Fuel That Is Already Here

Editor's Note: Will Biofuel Replace Crude Oil? There is a lot of discussion these days about biofuel, and there should be. Biofuel is an excellent fuel - it burns cleaner than petroleum-based fuels and is easier on the internal combustion engine. Moreover, we can grow biofuel, which means it is totally renewable. But can biofuel completely replace crude oil?

The answer, at least for now, is absolutely not. As the table below shows, even if a fairly high-yielding biofuel crop were planted all over the world, yielding 1,000 barrels of oil per year per square mile, and even if this biofuel were grown on every available scrap of farmland on earth, we would only replace 20% of the energy we're currently getting from crude oil. The algebra is immutable - about 10% of the world's land area consists of arable farmland, about 5.7 million square miles. If 100% of that land was planted with biofuel crops yielding 1,000 barrels of oil per square mile, each year that would produce 5.7 billion barrels of biofuel. But world consumption of crude oil currently stands at 85 million barrels per day, which equates to 31 billion barrels per year. Biofuel will greatly supplement crude oil supplies, and is an important part of future energy solutions, but that's as far as it goes.

CAN BIOFUEL REPLACE CRUDE OIL?

Growing biofuel on 100% of the world's farmland would only provideabout 20% of the energy produced each year from crude oil

This certainly doesn't mean we should stop developing biofuels. Much biofuel is grown on land that is too marginal to support food crops. Moreover, biodiesel and bioethanol, both refined from biomass, are renewable, clean-burning fuels; biodiesel fuel has lubricity that actually extends the life of diesel engines. And unlike hydrogen, biofuels can be stored and distributed using existing infrastructure.

Moreover, biofuel crops are basically converting sunlight into energy. As such, in future years it's possible biofuel crops may be developed that can more efficiently convert sunlight into biomass, creating potentially far higher yields. An excellent website for learning more about biofuel is http://www.journeytoforever.org/; it includes tables showing the yields of all well-known biofuel crops, as well as information on how to refine biofuel. - Ed Ring

Countless articles have been written on alternative fuels and hybrids, all have major technological and economic hurdles to overcome - especially hydrogen fuel cell cars, but also the popular new hybrids.

Hybrids require heavy batteries that are limited in where they can be placed in the vehicle, which can cause weight distribution problems, and the additional weight of batteries might be better used to strengthen the passenger structure. Batteries also take up valuable space. If one compares the standard 2006 Honda Civic to the hybrid version, the hybrid version has 14% less cargo space than the non-hybrid version. The current average hybrid battery replacement cost: $3,000. Hybrid cars, and, for that matter, 100% battery powered cars, have great potential. But they are not the only answer.

Whether or not hybrids or battery-powered cars will ever become part of clean, renewable, economical automotive solutions, clean diesel-powered cars are already available worldwide. The USA has been slow to adopt diesels because of the low grade/high sulfur diesel sold here (500 ppm). This will change in the 2nd half of 2006. Beginning on October 15, 2006, low sulfur diesel (15 ppm or less) will be required to be sold at retail outlets throughout the United States.
The diesel engine today is a far cry from the black smoke belching dirty diesel engines of the early and mid-20th century. And in addition to the vast mechanical advances already made to the current clean diesel engines, and the new technologies like particulate filters that will be coming out as standard equipment over the next couple of years, the use of Bio-Diesel fuel substantially improves the reduction of emissions. Diesels now approach the emission standards achieved by ultra-low emission vehicles. They are clean.

It doesn't end there. Diesels typically last 400,000+ miles before needing any major engine work. That's over twice as long as a typical gasoline engine. This, along with high fuel efficiency, gives diesels higher resale values than any other type of vehicle.

BARRELS OIL PER SQUARE
MILE PER BIOFUEL CROP

Bio-Diesel fuel has many advantages over traditional fuel:

• is VERY clean, environmentally safe, and non-toxic.
• has a high flash point making it the SAFEST fuel to handle, distribute, and in crashes!!!
  is inherently an excellent lubricant, making the already durable diesel engine last far past the typical 400,000+ miles.
• can be entirely manufactured in the USA and greatly reduce dependence on a foreign supply of vehicle fuel.
• can be made from many things, including wood chips, used restaurant grease, coal waste (which cleans up existing environmental pollution), seeds, grains, Jatropha, etc., and even from algae (ref: Motor Trend, Jan 2006, page 42)!
• creates thousands more US jobs

Jatropha is especially interesting in that not only can it be used for producing Bio-Diesel, it has the additional benefit of restoring previously degraded and unfertile land.

A common criticism of biofuel is that large-scale production of biofuel crops will displace commercial food crops. But like many bio-fuel crops, growing Jatropha will not use land currently being used to grow food - it grows on marginal lands that won't support food crops.
We already have the infrastructure to distribute and dispense Bio-Diesel. No expensive infrastructure to build from scratch, such as would have to happen with hydrogen. The requirements of hydrogen, which must be either frozen into a liquid or pressurized to at least 5,000 PSI in order to be stored in meaningful quantities, have never been fully acknowleged by hydrogen advocates. The costs of building a hydrogen storage and distribution infrastructure are staggering.
Bio-Diesel is gaining popularity: New diesel Jeeps are being shipped from the factory with a 5% Bio-Diesel blend. (Chrysler Group Touts Benefits of Modern Clean Diesel)
Minnesota requires a minimum of a 2% Bio-Diesel blend in diesel that is sold in the state, which started September 29, 2005. Minnesota also has three Bio-Diesel production facilities producing 63 Million gallons of Bio-Diesel a year. (Minnesota's 2% Biodiesel (B2) Program)
According to Edmunds.com, diesels will outsell hybrids 2-to-1 in the US by 2012, with hybrids having a limited future. (Compared to Hybrids, Diesels Show Remarkable Potential)
Brazil is requiring a 2% Bio-Diesel blend for the entire country, and the government is investing $34.5 Million in a Bio-Diesel Production plant. In addition, Petrobras (a Brazilian company) is investing $167.8 Million in additional Bio-Diesel production. (Brazil to Invest in Biodiesel Plant)
India is also heavily investing in Bio-Diesel production. (Bio Diesel - The Next Generation Sustainable Fuel [India])
Some additional sites:
Hawaii's Proven Alternative Fuel
ADM and Volkswagen Celebrate National Ag Day With Landmark Biodiesel Announcement
Northwest Biodiesel Network - Why Biodiesel
D1 Oils plc (UK based)
Bio-Diesel links in German:
Biodiesel, Schont unsere Umwelt
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Qualitaetsmanagement Biodiesel e.V.
Biodiesel GmbH & Co. KG
Lurgi realisiert in Sachsen-Anhalt weltgrosstes Biodieselprojekt
There are also many articles on Bio-Diesel in Spanish, Portugues, and French. Bio-Diesel is growing in popularity worldwide as the most viable alternative to gasoline currently available.
Bio-Diesel is made from renewable sources, offers high performance, and is the safest of any alternative fuel.

Huntington targeted for biofuel projects

Huntington targeted for biofuel projects
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette - Fort Wayne,IN,USA
... to 100 jobs. NuFuels LLC wants to build the ethanol and biodiesel plants on US 24, northeast of downtown Huntington. The project ...
See all stories on this topic

 A Fort Wayne company is considering building alternative fuel plants in Huntington in a project that could create 75 to 100 jobs.

NuFuels LLC wants to build the ethanol and biodiesel plants on U.S. 24, northeast of downtown Huntington. The project could bring “millions of dollars of investment” to the area, the company said in a prepared statement Thursday.

If NuFuels follows through on its plans, the project could be the single largest economic development investment undertaken in Huntington County, said Carol Pugh, executive director of the Huntington County United Economic Development Corp., in a prepared statement.

Company spokesman Brose McVey declined to disclose the size or cost of the proposed plants. He also declined to say whether the company intends to construct one or two plants. NuFuels is still finalizing the design of the plants and would not release more information for competitive reasons, McVey said.

NuFuels estimates the project could create 75 to 100 jobs, McVey said. The company has not yet determined wages for the positions.

The firm has options to buy land in Park 24, an industrial park on the city’s east side, Pugh said in her statement. NuFuels plans to make a final decision on the site within a few months, the company said.

About 30 neighbors concerned about the plant’s potential environmental effect are forming a non-profit group to study the project. Biodiesel and ethanol plants generally have a poor environmental track record, said Jim Hittler, who lives a half-mile northwest of the site and is involved in Huntington County Citizen Advocates for a Responsible Environment. Many alternative fuel plants release carcinogenic chemicals into the air, he said, and also can pollute groundwater.

The residents want more information about how the plant would be built and what it would release into the air. The company and local government officials have not provided many details about the proposal, Hittler said. If the plant is not monitored, it could create an unhealthy situation, he said.

“It’s going to impact a large part of this community,” he said.

NuFuels expects to use state-of-the-art equipment in the proposed plant to meet state and federal environmental standards, the company said. The company’s founders want to make alternative vehicle fuels from corn and soybeans demonstrating their commitment to the environment, McVey said. The company will provide additional information to neighbors as soon as possible, he said.

“We’re very, very committed to being a good neighbor and steward of the environment,” McVey said.

NuFuels is working with a steering committee of about 15 local farmers and agribusiness leaders. That group formed more than a year ago to investigate ways to add value to local crops, said John E. Hacker, a member of the county council who is on the steering committee. Huntington County United Economic Development Corp. introduced the steering committee to NuFuels executives, said Hacker, who is a farmer.

The proposed plant would feature cutting-edge technology designed to make it more efficient than competing alternative fuels plants, Hacker said.

NuFuels’ plants would compete with others proposed in northeast Indiana. A subsidiary of Paris-based Louis Dreyfus Group broke ground on what is expected to be the world’s largest biodiesel plant and a soybean-crushing facility in Kosciusko County last month. American Ag Fuels LLC produces biodiesel at a plant in Defiance, Ohio. Indiana Bio-Energy LLC plans to build a $150 million ethanol plant in Wells County.

 

Legislation impacting biodiesel industry, Rise in output creates 30 jobs

Legislation impacting biodiesel industry
Bismarck Farm & Ranch Guide - ND, USA
... and leaders of the American Soybean Association (ASA) hope Congress will act this year on several pieces of legislation affecting the biodiesel industry. ...

Farm state lawmakers and leaders of the American Soybean Association (ASA) hope Congress will act this year on several pieces of legislation affecting the biodiesel industry.

“I think biodiesel has as much or greater potential (than ethanol),” says Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn. Peterson is the ranking minority member of the House Agriculture Committee. He joined ASA leaders at a teleconference recently where they pushed for three specific moves from Congress.

The first of those desired moves is the extension of the existing volumetric biodiesel tax incentive passed by Congress in 2004 but slated to end at the end of 2008 without further action by Congress.

The second is extension of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Bioenergy Program, started by the USDA in 2001 but slated to end this fall at the end of the fiscal year.

The third program is a small agri-diesel producer tax credit that was included in last year's federal energy bill but slated to expire in 2008.

“By taking these actions (extending or making permanent all three programs) we estimate on-road diesel supplies could be increased by 2 percent by 2015,” says Bob Metz, a South Dakota farmer and president of the ASA. “Each gallon of domestically produced biodiesel represents an expansion of distillate supplies, additional refinery capacity and is a direct replacement for imported refined diesel fuel.”

Peterson says he hopes Congress will extend the programs but is disappointed they weren't included in a large tax bill recently passed, almost entirely on party-line votes, that would extend several other large tax cuts that were passed in recent years.

“It's going to be a tough fight because we've got a big deficit,” Peterson says.

But, he says he expects Democrats and Republicans from Iowa, Minnesota and other Midwestern states to join together to push for the biodiesel program extensions.

 

Rise in output creates 30 jobs
The Northern Echo - Darlington,UK
... By the end of next year, it expects production to exceed 220,000 tonnes a year by 2010, which will be about a quarter of the UK's biodiesel demand. ...

 D1 Oils is creating 30 jobs as it increases production to 72,000 tonnes by the end of the year.

The group, which recently opened its global headquarters in Middlesbrough, has built four environmentally-friendly refineries, the first of which is now running at full capacity.

As D1 moved the fourth refinery on-site yesterday, chairman Karl Watkin told shareholders at D1's annual meeting that another five refineries with a capacity of 8,000 tonnes a year would be installed at Middlesbrough by the end of the year.

continued...

The company also has plans to install several clusters of four or five refineries around the country. By the end of next year, it expects production to exceed 220,000 tonnes a year by 2010, which will be about a quarter of the UK's biodiesel demand.

Mr Watkin said: "Our combination refineries can produce biodiesel on terms which are competitive with larger plants. In addition, our refineries can be ordered, installed and made operational in a significantly shorter time frame, and at lower risk and lower cost than larger plants, enabling refinery operators to generate revenue more quickly."

Fellow green fuels company the Biofuels Corporation, which has built one of Europe's largest biodiesel plants, on Teesside, with a capacity of 250,000 tonnes a year, has been beset by problems and delays in bringing the plant online.

D1's smaller refineries have been installed and brought online in a matter of weeks.

Mr Watkin yesterday reaffirmed D1's ambition to become a global leader in biodiesel. The company has planted or has rights to 42,000 hectares of jatropha, a South American weed used in herbal medicine that can grow in poor soil, which means that D1's plantations are not using food-growing land in the developing world. When the jatropha seed is crushed, it produces oil that can then be refined into biodiesel.

Earlier this month, Mr Watkin addressed 150 government ministers and business leaders at the United Nations in New York, calling on it to encourage more use of biofuels worldwide.

The North-East entrepreneur challenged UN agencies to channel more resources into global biofuels production, particularly in developing countries. He said D1's agreements on land in the developing world had created more than 10,000 jobs, adding: "Think how many more jobs would be created if the UN helped countries to focus their resources and make more non-prime land available for planting and provide financial support to plant energy crops.

 

Montanans pleased with New Holland decision to drive biodiesel ...

Montanans pleased with New Holland decision to drive biodiesel ...
The Prairie Star - Great Falls,MT,USA
The New Holland engines have been engineered to utilize fuel blends of up to 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum-based diesel fuels, commonly known ...

  New Holland recently announced it fully approves the use of blends on all equipment currently produced with New Holland engines.

The New Holland engines have been engineered to utilize fuel blends of up to 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum-based diesel fuels, commonly known as B20 fuels.

“We are proud to once again take a leading role in giving support to the biodiesel industry as it rapidly moves toward fulfilling its fundamental role in the future of energy use,” said Dennis D. Recker, Vice President of New Holland Agricultural Business in North America. “In this era of uncertainty on issues relating to energy, we feel it is essential that New Holland reaffirm its already established support for the biodiesel industry.”

Industry leaders strongly agree with New Holland's decision. “This is what we have been working toward for years: a major equipment manufacturer announcing full support for use of high quality B20 in all of their equipment that has New Holland engines,” said Joe Jobe, National Biodiesel Board chief executive officer. “Although other OEMs have taken positive steps toward B20, New Holland is the first to specifically say that they approve the use of B20 in their New Holland engines. This powerful stand for renewable energy is helping lead us toward a safer, less dependent nation.”

“This move by New Holland represents a strong show of support for the soybean farmers who stepped up to the plate years ago to begin the biodiesel program,” added Darryl Brinkmann, an Illinois soybean farmer and NBB chairman.

Ethanol Producers and Consumers executive director Shirley Ball said she is impressed with New Holland's drive to utilize biodiesel in their agricultural equipment. “It's welcome news,” said Ball, a retired farmer's wife of Nashua, Mont. “This will help a lot of biodiesel companies, many of which the farmers are involved.”

Biodiesel usage in Montana has more than doubled in the past year, according to Howard Haines of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality office of Helena, Mont. Haines has been working with biodiesel development in Montana since 1982. “In 2005, when the Montana Legislature introduced legislation to benefit businesses providing biodiesel services there were only two biodiesel retailers in Montana,” said Haines. “Now, there are seven.”

Montana producers can access biodiesel fuel near Missoula, Mont., and in the Gallatin Valley area, said Haines. In addition, the “fleets in the National Yellowstone Park and National Glacier Park use biodiesel fuel,” he said. “The Bureau of Land Management uses it for its Charlie Russell management, as well.”

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel produced from oilseed crops, primarily soybeans in the United States and canola in Canada, and animal fats. Montana biodiesel is produced from canola. It can be blended with conventional diesel. The biodiesel must meet the specified industry standard for fuel quality of ASTM D6751 to ensure optimum performance and durability of the engine.

“New Holland strongly recommends the use of approved fuels and compliance with strict handling, storage and maintenance requirements to maintain the integrity of the fuel,” said Recker.

The necessary technical advice and specific maintenance programs are available through New Holland's expert dealer network to ensure the biodiesel is handled properly and critical areas such as fuel hoses and injectors receive further inspection so customers can confidently work with high-quality B20 biodiesel blends without compromising the machine's performance or durability. The biodiesel industry has also instituted a voluntary fuel quality program called BQ-9000 for biodiesel producers and marketers.

In the United States, the National Biodiesel Board credits the 2005 federal biodiesel tax incentive and scores of state pro-biodiesel legislation for the dramatic growth in the biodiesel industry. The federal incentive is an excise tax credit that lowers the cost of biodiesel to consumers and is expected to continue to significantly increase biodiesel demand. The NBB estimates biodiesel consumption will increase to at least 150 million gallons in 2006, but depending on a number of other factors including crude oil prices, the industry projects that demand could be much higher during the next decade.

“Biodiesel is the future,” said Recker. “As the availability of fossil fuels becomes a greater problem, we need to look at alternatives. But they must also be cleaner, environmentally friendly alternatives. New Holland is renowned for its innovation and forward-thinking approach, and we are committed to bringing our customers the latest technology and the benefits it brings.”

Since biodiesel is produced from a natural product as opposed to petroleum, Ball said she believes the emissions are less odorous. “At least for the guys in the fields, the exhaust emissions will smell better,” she said of New Holland's decision to support B20 usage.

New Holland is a brand of CNH, a world leader in agricultural, utility and construction equipment. New Holland sells and services an innovative and diverse line of agricultural and utility equipment, including a full line of tractors as well as hay and forage equipment, harvesting, crop production and material handling equipment. Sales, parts and service are provided to customers by New Holland dealers throughout the United States and Canada. There are more than 1,200 New Holland dealerships located throughout North America.

 

Students need biodiesel volunteers

Students need biodiesel volunteers
Rocky Mountain Outlook - Bow Valley,Alberta,Canada
Banff Community High School students are looking for local companies willing to test pilot the efficiency of biodiesel fuel in the Bow Valley this summer. ...

 Banff Community High School students are looking for local companies willing to test pilot the efficiency of biodiesel fuel in the Bow Valley this summer.

Already both The Banff Centre and Banff Springs Golf Course are piloting tests with their bobcats and other outdoor equipment, but four more test vehicles would enable the students for expand their two-year-old research project and apply for grants that would help take it to the next level.

“Our goal is to extend the use of biodiesel throughout the town and make a positive contribution to clean air,” said BCHS student Yuta Seki. “The goal is to have six organizations using at least one vehicle with biodiesel.”

Last year BCHS students physically manufactured biodiesel in the classroom and successfully tested it on equipment at the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course. This year, the project has continued, with students spending more time researching global use of biodiesel and trying to come up with ways to hurdle some of the obstacles to its use.

The Banff Centre joined forces with the students about a year and a half ago to see where that organization could fit into the project, and this year it, too, is piloting biodiesel fuel in several bobcats.

“We’ve been looking at The Banff Centre’s environmental performance for a number of years and were approached by the high school to see what kind of environmental partnership we could establish and perhaps facilitate some of the work the students are doing,” said Norbert Meier, the chief environmental officer for the Centre.

Students involved with the project, along with teacher-advisor Maya Capel, unveiled their most recent research and progress Thursday (May 18) at The Banff Centre. Joining them was John Rillet, representing Climate Change Central out of Calgary.

Among the challenges faced by any community trying to expand the use of biodiesel is the “chicken and egg” dilemma of supply and demand, Rillet said.

“A lot of the problem is ‘if you have it, I’ll buy it and if you buy it, I’ll make it.’ It’s very neat to come out here and see students that are interested in this — it’s great, because what’s really needed is this education outreach. We’re looking to create a sophisticated consumer of biodiesel, because there’s a lot of misinformation out there.”

Locally, Kyle White of the Rocky Mountain Biodiesel Company has been gearing up to supply the oil and equipment needed for the manufacture biodisel fuel, but a lack of demand has kept that project on hold.

Among the misinformation is that biodiesel doesn’t work in colder temperatures, but diesel engines require absolutely no modification to run on biodiesel, he said. Even equipment that stays outside in the coldest temperatures can be fittied with a fuel line preheater to prevent the biodiesel from becoming sludgy, he said.

In Europe, the use of biodisel is so widespread that most of the time, it’s not even identified at the pumps, he noted. European countries used 3.6 billion litres of low-level blended biodiesel, with between three and eight per cent vegetable oil or animal fat added to the diesel fuel.

“In some countries, more than 90 per cent of the fuel has a blend, a percentage of three to eight per cent.”

Mark Fuller, grounds supervisor at The Banff Centre who is operating the biodiesel-fuelled equipment, said he purchased his canola oil-based fuel through Milligan Biotech in Saskatoon. His research led him to start with a five-per-cent mix, but next year he may increase it to 20 per cent.

In Saskatoon, he noted, municipal buses are running on five per cent biodiesel year-round without problem.

BCHS student Jemilla Khan said the students are prepared to help any companies wanting to volunteer with the project in a variety of ways, including hooking them up with a supplier, supplying all of the research materials needed and helping with applications that may be available.

 

No challengers as of yet for Belden, Miller, Biodiesel finds home in backyards, Washington port switches to biodiesel

No challengers as of yet for Belden, Miller
Huntington Herald - Shelton,CT,USA
... Miller has been pushing for the state to use biodiesel fuel for the last several years. Biodiesel is the byproduct of combining vegetable oil into diesel fuel. ...

Biodiesel finds home in backyards
Lincolnton Journal - GA,USA
... Georgia. The biodiesel topic is hitting the lips of those working in places ranging from labs to government regulations offices. ...

The biodiesel topic is hitting the lips of those working in places ranging from labs to government regulations offices. As fuel prices continue to mount, many Americans have started hunting ways to make transportation more economical. And that includes the production of biodiesel. "Biodiesel has true scale-ability," said Rob Del Bueno of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "It can be made in a multimilliongallon tank or in a 2-liter bottle in a kitchen if done carefully." Del Bueno knows this firsthand. After college, he promoted a band that played gigs wherever they could get them. To save money, they converted the tour van to run on vegetable oil taken straight from the fryers at the bars where they played. Del Bueno was hooked, not on the band, but on the fuel they used. He started tearing apart engines, making his own biodiesel and running his car on it. He then started making it for his friends. After an article in a local newspaper, the Environmental Projection Agency and the Internal Revenue Service also got interested, and he was audited and slammed with fees. From the curious to the Georgia legislature, interest in biodiesel is picking up steam. According to Ryan Adolphson, director of the University of Georgia's Biomass Processing Pilot Plant Facilities, from 1995 to 2005, four Georgia bills on biomass were introduced. In 2006 alone, at least eight bills came before the state legislature pertaining to biomass energy in general with six bills directly targeting biodiesel. In fact, Georgia Senate Bill 636 that passed in 2006 makes it illegal for someone to produce biodiesel for resale if that biodiesel does not meet standard specifications. And testing for those specifications is expensive. A license for a small biodiesel producer, who is someone who produces less than 250,000 gallons a year, costs $2,500 per year. That doesn't include the costs for extensive tests to make sure the product is engine and road-ready. "It's really easy to make biodiesel. To make it right is really hard," said Dan Gellar, who is on the UGA engineering department faculty and has been researching biodiesel for the past 10 years. According to Dan Walsh of National Tribology Services Inc., those hoping to produce biodiesel for resale should expect to ask for a loan between $1 million and $2.5 million just to cover startup costs, and then expect to pay between $800 and $1,300 for each complete test a lab runs on each sample from each batch they produce. "There's a lot of misinformation out there," Greg Hopkins said of the biodiesel movement. "It's a chemical manufacturing operation from the largest scale to the smallest. You have to factor agriculture on one end and fuel on the other and regulations on both. The bottom line is that it's hard, but it's incredibly rewarding if you do it." Hopkins is a biodiesel producer and owns U.S. Biofuels in Rome, Ga. It's his fuel that's flowing through the first biodiesel pump in Athens, Ga., which opened Tuesday, May 16, at the price of $2.92 per gallon. As the new industry takes its first few steps, "the biomass industry needs to work together and be directly involved in the legislative process," Adolphson said. "This means that agriculture and industry have to determine together what realistic goals and targets can be achieved." This includes everyone from people who want to run biodiesel in their own tractors to large producers, he said.

 

Washington port switches to biodiesel
eTrucker - USA
By Brittani Tingle. The Port of Vancouver, Wash., has pledged to run all its vehicles on biodiesel. The port will use B20, a blend ...

 

Raccoon Valley Biodiesel gets $400k, details still to come

Raccoon Valley Biodiesel gets $400k, details still to come
Storm Lake Pilot Tribune - Storm Lake,IA,USA
The proposed $70 million Raccoon Valley Biodiesel plant planned for Storm Lake got an early shot in the arm with $400,000 in state funds and approval for ...

 The proposed $70 million Raccoon Valley Biodiesel plant planned for Storm Lake got an early shot in the arm with $400,000 in state funds and approval for future tax breaks, but paperwork remains to be done to get the project off the ground.
The plant would create 25 jobs - most averaging nearly $20 an hour - and make biodiesel from soybean oil, vegetable oil and animal fats at a plant locate near the Gateway Lighthouse on Highway 71.
Officials of the project say that state rules require a "quiet period" until the necessary paperwork is filed with the state Securities and Exchange Commission.
"We are very pleased with the state funding, and that's really about all that can be said right now," said Dale Arends, Newell, president of the Raccoon Valley Bio Diesel Group.
The funding was approved Thursday by an Iowa Department of Economic Development Board. It allows for a $300,000 no-interest loan, plus an additional $100,000 in the form of a forgiveable loan, the latter basically a cash grant.
A couple of other applications for funding remain outstanding.
Incentives for 11 projects statewide were approved Thursday, totaling 250 jobs and more than $182 million in new economic developments, the IDED indicated.
Gov. Tom Vilsack applauded the funding decisions as "aggressive efforts to transform the Iowa economy."
"The state of Iowa is a renewable fuels leader and as demonstrated by today's projects, we are continuing to develop jobs in fast growing sectors in the biosciences and advanced manufacturing," Vilsack said.
The Storm Lake project is expected to generate total capital investment at an estimated at $59.7 million.
An equity drive is also in the works to help finance the refinery. The proposed date for completion of the plant has not yet been released.