A large rendering company based in Texas has acquired another renderer that also produces biodiesel. Darling International Inc. has moved to pick up Kentucky-based Griffin Industries Inc. This article from Biodiesel Magazine says the $840 million deal includes Griffin’s 12 rendering plants and one biodiesel production facility in Butler, Kentucky: “Our combined companies will make us the leading independent renderer, …
Ethanol, Biodiesel Trading Through Cloud Computing
Traders of ethanol and biodiesel have a new website to exchange the green fuels. This article from Ethanol Producer Magazine says the online trading platform from U.S. Biofuels Exchange, www.us-bx.com, uses “cloud computing” and requires no software for purchase, downloading or installation to post, buy, sell and make offers on biofuels for sale or biofuels wanted: “We offer biofuels producers, …
Chicken Fat Biodiesel Plant in Danger of Closing
A new Louisiana refinery that turns chicken fat and other greases into biodiesel is in danger of closing if Congress doesn’t hurry up and renew the $1-a-gallon federal biodiesel tax incentive. This article from the Wall Street Journal says the Tyson Foods Inc. and Syntroleum Corp. venture is just getting ready to announce the successful opening of the Geismar, La. …
Algae Biofuel Maker Makes Hydrogen at High Level
Algae Biofuel Maker OriginOil, Inc. has found a way to produce hydrogen from the power of the sun at a level comparable to solar photovoltaics. This company press release says the breakthrough could prove to be a highly scalable and renewable source of hydrogen that can come from algae production: To achieve this breakthrough, OriginOil researchers built a pared-down version …
Grant to Help Turn Dirty Plastic and Rubber into Fuel
An Ohio company has won a state grant that will help it turn dirty plastic and rubber into transportation fuel. Akron-based Polyflow LLC, has announced it has received a $50,000 grant in development funding from the Edison Technology Assistance Grants (E-TAG) program funded by the Ohio Department of Development. Polyflow will get some help from EWI, a leading engineering and …
Company: 3D Technology Will Revolutionize Solar Power
The man in charge of a California solar company believes his company’s unique three-dimensional technology could revolutionize the way solar arrays capture power. Jim Nelson, the CEO of Solar3D, says his company’s conceptual three-dimensional solar cell is a departure from the traditional technology for solar cells, which normally use a two-dimensional design that reflect a lot of the light back …
USDA Looks Into Pennycress for Biodiesel
The USDA is looking into turning a common weed into biodiesel. Researchers with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have found that field pennycress, better known in some circles as stinkweed, puts out a large amount of oilseeds good for making the green fuel: Field pennycress belongs to the Brassicaceae family, along with canola, camelina and mustard-other prolific producers of oil-rich …
Software Helps Biodiesel Producer Run Better, Cheaper
A Washington state biodiesel maker has used some sophisticated computer software to help it streamline its process and complete a plant upgrade for a lot less money than what it previously would have cost. General Biodiesel, which turns used cooking oil into biodiesel, has used Autodesk, Inc.’s Digital Prototyping and piping and instrumentation diagramming (P&ID) to upgrade its main production …
Army Highlights Biodiesel Use at Ft. Bragg
Ft. Bragg might be the home of the U.S. Army’s Airborne soldiers (by the way, as a former Air Force guy, we land those planes … you don’t have to jump out!), but the North Carolina post soon could be known as the home to clean air, born of biodiesel! The Fayetteville (NC) Observer reports that the Army recently highlighted …
DF Cast: EPA Seeks Input on E15 Ethanol Pump Labels
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has given the green light to E15 ethanol … or maybe a “pale” green light, in the case where it is a partial waiver to allow up to 15 percent ethanol in gasoline for 2007 model year vehicles or newer. In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we hear from EPA Assistant Administrator for …