A bipartisan group of senators is urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to quickly approve strong biodiesel volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2014, 2015 and 2016. The group of 32 senators, led by Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) sent a letter Monday to EPA administrator Gina McCarthy noting …
Atlantic Biodiesel to Re-Open Ontario Plant
A Canadian biodiesel plant has officially been taken over by a New Hampshire maker of the green fuel. This story from the Pelham News says Atlantic Biodiesel, a new subsidiary of Luxembourg-based Heridge SARL, which won Great Lakes Biodesel’s assets in a recent bankruptcy auction, has begun managerial operations of the $50-million facility. Michael Paszti has assumed the role of …
Illinois Soybean Growers Launch 20% Biodiesel Club
Soybean growers in Illinois are recognizing fleets in the state that run on a 20 percent blend of biodiesel, B20. This news release from the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) says the group has partnered with the American Lung Association in Illinois to launch the B20 Club. “B20 offers economic and environmental benefits to the fleets that use it, so we …
SRS, Biodiesel Experts Develop Enzyme Catalyst
A pair of biodiesel experts have teamed up to develop an enzyme catalyst for biodiesel. SRS International‘s and Biodiesel Experts‘ transesterification system for biodiesel production uses enzymes to produce efficiently quality biodiesel on any scale, allowing SRS to supply turnkey enzymatic biodiesel production facilities. While using high-FFA feedstock, the primary job of the enzyme becomes the conversion of FFA to …
Neutral Fuels to Supply Biodiesel for Dubai
Waste oil-to-biodiesel maker Neutral Fuels will supply Dubai with locally produced biodiesel. This Neutral Fuels news release says the agreement makes Dubai the first city in the world to adopt biodiesel made 100 percent locally from 100 percent waste cooking oil for use in municipality vehicles. Karl W Feilder, CEO & Chairman of Neutral Fuels, said: “This is a fantastic …
Greenergy Buys Harvest Biodiesel Assets
Greenergy has bought the assets of a major biodiesel maker in the United Kingdom. The company acquired Harvest Biofuels’ biodiesel manufacturing facility at Seal Sands on Teesside, England, giving Greenergy additional biodiesel production capacity to meet its own biofuel blending obligations in the UK. As part of the agreement reached with Harvest: Greenergy has taken on Harvest Biofuels’ biodiesel storage …
ASTM Ups FAME Tolerance, Helps Biodiesel for Jets
A change in the amount of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) allowed in jet fuel will open the door for more biodiesel to be used in aviation. This news release from ASTM, a group that sets quality standards for a number of items including fuels, says that revising the safety standard of the allowable cross-contamination of FAME in jet fuel …
Springboard Biodiesel Partners with 75th School
Biodiesel equipment manufacturer Springboard Biodiesel has hit a bit of a milestone. The company says the Putnam County School system of Georgia will be the 75th school to own and operate a BioPro™ biodiesel processor. “Putnam is doing what any school with dining facilities on campus can do,” reports Springboard Biodiesel CEO Mark Roberts. “Converting used cooking oil into locally …
Researchers Make Biodiesel, Jet Fuel from Algae
Researchers have figured out how to make biodiesel and jet fuel from a single algae. This news release from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution says Greg O’Neil of Western Washington University and Chris Reddy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, exploited an unusual and untapped class of chemical compounds in a common algae to make the two different fuel products at the …
Biodiesel Plants Closing Due to RFS Uncertainty
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately establish biodiesel volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard to avoid further damage to the industry. In a telephone press conference Friday morning, NBB officials highlighted fallout from the ongoing failure of EPA to establish functioning renewable fuels policy for the second consecutive year and said the recent …