Biodiesel-producing giant Renewable Energy Group (REG) restarted an idled biodiesel plant in Texas. According to Biodiesel Magazine, the Iowa-based green energy producer re-opened the former North Texas Bio Energy, a commercial scale biodiesel production facility near New Boston, Texas, acquired by REG in October 2012: [N]ow named REG New Boston, [the plant] employs 25 people and can produce 15 MMgy …
Propel Moves Biodiesel, Ethanol Forward
Propel Fuels is not just selling biodiesel and ethanol, alternatives to non-renewable petroleum, but it is doing it in an alternative fashion. This article from Convenience Store News says the California-based purveyor of the green fuels is doing something a bit different at most of its locations in California and Washington State. At 36 of the locations, Propel partners with …
EPA: Biodiesel, Ethanol Numbers Up
The latest numbers from the EPA say biodiesel and ethanol production is up. For May, biodiesel production hit 135 million gallons, putting it on target to hit more than a billion gallons this year and to exceed annual volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Weekly ethanol production averaged 885,000 barrels per day or 37.17 million gallons daily, up …
Closer Look at EPA Biodiesel Winner
Recently we told you about how students at Loyola University had won the EPA’s P3 Award (People, Prosperity and the Planet) for their greener way, through a wetland and a distillation process, to treat and reuse byproducts of biodiesel. Our friend Ron Kotrba at Biodiesel Magazine looked a little deeper into what their innovation actually was: I reached out to …
Genera: Feedstocks, Start Early & Think Big
When it comes to biomass feedstocks for biofuels, you need to think ahead. “Start early and think big,” was the advice Bob Randle, VP Sales and Marketing for Genera Energy gave attendees of the recent Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) in St. Louis, Mo. “Because there’s a lot of moving parts in providing 250,000 to 700,000 tons of material annually, on …
POET-DSM Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Ready in ’14
The POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels’ first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant is on track to start in 2014. The announcement for the plant was made at the recent Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) in St. Louis, Mo., where Wade Roby from POET took part in a panel discussion. Steve Hartig, General Manager for POET-DSM, talked with Joanna and said Project LIBERTY, currently under …
RIN Amounts Indicate Positive Trend for Biodiesel
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) figures for Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) shows in 2.5 billion 2012 RINs across the biodiesel (D4), advanced (D5), and renewable (D6) categories. Of this total, just over 2 billion D6 RINs were available. This analysis from Nick Paulson with the University of Illinois says it could indicate a trend that is good news for the biodiesel …
Edeniq Squeezing Every Penny Out of Ethanol Plants
After the ethanol industry went through such a tight year last year, it’s no wonder refineries are looking to squeeze every penny out of profitability out of every gallon that comes out of the plant. During the recent Fuel Ethanol Workshop in St. Louis, Mo., Joanna had a chance to talk with Brian Thome, the President and CEO of Edeniq, …
Overcoming the Summer Gas Price Rise Blues
As we have now officially landed in the summer season (of course, the real summer travel season really started Memorial Day weekend), the question that seems to come up every year remains “Why do gas prices go up during the summer?” Andrew Holland, Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate with the American Security Project, a non-profit, non-partisan public policy and …
Industry Congratulates NY on 2% Bioheat Mandate
The biodiesel industry and environmental groups expressed their pleasure with the New York state legislature’s passage of a 2 percent biodiesel in all heating oil (Bioheat) mandate. Leading those congratulations was the National Biodiesel Board: “America’s advanced biofuel and Bioheat are a great fit for New York’s heating oil market” said Shelby Neal, NBB Director of State Governmental Affairs. “Creating …