Renewable diesel maker Neste Oil says it will move away from turning microbes into the green fuel and concentrate on other feedstocks, such as forestry and agricultural waste. This company news release says the Finland-based Neste Oil wants to increase the number of renewable inputs used for the renewable diesel. “Our microbial oil pilot plant at Porvoo has demonstrated that …
More Biodiesel Use Means More Attention to Seals
More use of biodiesel in heavy machinery, such as construction and agricultural equipment, means operators need to pay more attention to what kind of seals they use in the machines. This news release from Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies says that those engine and transmission seals need to be made of validated elastomeric materials that withstand unique operating conditions or they will …
Minnesota Biodiesel Exceeds Quality Standards
Biodiesel in Minnesota is more than meeting quality standards – it’s exceeding them! The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) reports that some recent field testing from more than 30 random retail stations scattered throughout the state of Minnesota showed biodiesel blends greatly exceeding important fuel quality parameters set by the industry. “Biodiesel fuel quality is at an all-time high across the …
Homemade Biodiesel Works As Well As Conventional
Researchers at Colorado State University (CSU) have found that a homemade mix of unleaded gasoline and crushed oilseeds works about as well as diesel or biodiesel produced by more conventional means. This article on the Lab Manager website says the mix was tested by farmers who operate an oilseed processing facility and CSU’s Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory in Fort …
Biomass-to-Biofuel Plant Gets USDA Loan Guarantee
A Louisiana biomass-to-biofuel operation received a $91 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This news release from USDA says the agency will back the loan under the Biorefinery Assistance Program to finish building the Cool Planet plant at the Port of Alexandria in Louisiana. The Cool Planet facilities will produce approximately 8 million to 10 million …
B10 Biodiesel Blend in Minnesota a Success
The first summer of Minnesota running a 10 percent biodiesel (B10) mandate is being called a success. The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) says as the state moves back to a B5 mandate over the winter months, the group is celebrating how well the higher blend made mostly from its soybeans went. “The implementation of B10 went very well,” said …
Corn Harvest Could Affect Propane Supplies, Prices
A big corn harvest this year could affect the supply and price of propane, a big fuel for drying the crop. This story from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says if the weather allows farmers to dry their crops in the field before harvest, there will be plenty of supply, and prices will be stable … unlike last year’s …
Arizona Pellet Fuel Maker Gains Quality Standard
An Arizona company that makes wood pellets and biomass into residential and commercial-grade pellet fuel gained an important quality acccreditation. Show Low, Arizona’s Forest Energy Corporation is the sixth company to qualify for the Pellet Fuels Institute’s (PFI) Standards Program, a third-party accreditation program providing specifications for those types of fuels. “We are thrilled to welcome Forest Energy Corporation into …
U of Wyoming Gets $4.25 Mil for Wind Research
The University of Wyoming receives $4.25 million for the federal government for wind energy research. This school news release says the three-year, Department of Energy-EPSCoR grant will fund wind farm modeling, transmission grid monitoring and the economics derived from wind-generated power. The grant will support 12 researchers from those five UW departments as well as researchers from Montana Tech. Researchers …
RFA Updates Ethanol Quality Control Program
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has updated its guidelines for quality control for ethanol plants. The group says the guidelines are an educational tool and information resource to help refiners make sure they turn out denatured fuel ethanol, distillers dried grains, carbon dioxide and corn distiller’s oil that meet customers’ expectations. “This document underscores the commitment of the Renewable Fuels …