Technology Management Develops World’s First Soybean-Powered Fuel Cell

John Davis

Ohio has a lot of it, and now, one company has a breakthrough way of using it. Technology Management Inc., based in Cleveland, Ohio, says it’s committed to “creating clean technology solutions for the emerging energy shortfalls of the 21st century.” That commitment has paid off as TMI offers a first in fuel cell systems technology worldwide, using Ohio’s largest …

Agribusiness, Energy, News, Production, Research

Benefuel Unveils New Fats-to-Biodiesel Plant Plans

John Davis

Chicago-based biodiesel refinery builder Benefuel, Inc. will build the world’s first industrial-scale biodiesel refinery that uses a novel solid catalyst to convert low-grade fats and vegetable oils into biodiesel. The 10-million-gallon plant is to be built in Seymour, Indiana in conjunction with Seymour Biofuels. This company press release says the plant will eliminate the need for water in the refining …

Biodiesel

Consulting Firm Added to National Wind

John Davis

Minneapolis-based National Wind has acquired Romuld Wind Consulting… a wind resource assessment and energy analysis firm from Grand Forks, North Dakota. The new division, called National Wind Assessments, will help the company work with customers and and current development projects. This company press release has more: “The addition of Romuld Wind Consulting is a great opportunity to further build our …

Wind

PA Opens 45 MGPY Biodiesel Plant

John Davis

Pennsylvania has opened a 45-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant on the shores of Lake Erie… hence the company name Lake Erie Biofuels. This press release from the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection says the plant will help the state shed its $30-billion-a-year foreign energy dependence while putting more people to work: “The opening of this facility also shows that companies …

Biodiesel

Part of Diesel Pool to be Saved for Biodiesel

John Davis

A bi-partisan piece of legislation has been introduced that will dedicate some of the nation’s diesel supply to biodiesel. The Biodiesel Promotion and Quality Assurance Act of 2007, sponsored by U.S. Representatives Baron Hill (D-IN), John Shimkus (R-IL), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Kenny Hulshof (R-MO), Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (D-SD) and Sam Graves (R-MO), puts aside some of the 60 billion gallons of …

Biodiesel

Bio Trekker Selling Idea of Biodiesel RVs

John Davis

As you might remember from my post a couple of months ago, freelance writer and biodiesel advocate Ty Adams from Bozeman, Montana was making his way across the country in his biodiesel-powered RV. This latest installment of his adventures sees him in Tacoma, Washington where he has joined exhibitors at the Tacoma Fall RV Show. But this story in the …

Biodiesel

Brown Going Green

John Davis

Shipping giant UPS has announced that 366 of its ground support vehicles at its worldwide air hub in Louisville, Kentucky will be running on biodiesel. This story in the Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal says the shipper is getting a federal grant to get this project off the ground: A $515,000 federal grant is offsetting some of the cost of building the …

Biodiesel

Biodiesel Measures Clear Senate Committee

John Davis

The Senate Finance Committee has approved the Heartland, Habitat, Harvest and Horticulture (4-H) Act of 2007… a measure containing energy tax provisions considered very important to continue the integration of the biodiesel industry into the domestic energy supply. Those measures include an extension of the federal biodiesel tax incentive, that is set to expire at the end of 2008, through …

Biodiesel

Biofuels Fueling Industrial Boom

John Davis

Biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, are more than just good for the environment and shedding America’s dependance on foreign oil… they’re also good for our industrial construction base. This story on the Reliable Plant.com web site says construction of biofuel plants has helped increase North American industrial construction by a whopping 34.5 percent increase over a year ago. Looking …

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News

Thinking Small for Biodiesel

John Davis

While much of the talk regarding biodiesel these days has been about mega-refineries that try to keep up with the growing demand for the green fuel, there was some recent “small” talk about the biofuel… in fact, microscopic talk. This story in the Fort Worth (TX) Business Press says at the recent conference on nanotechnology, NanoTx 2007, in Dallas, scientists …

Biodiesel