Castor-Seed-to-Biodiesel Trials Successful

John Davis

An Israel-based company has completed three years of field trials turning the oil from castor seeds into a biodiesel feedstock and other uses. Evogene Ltd. announced its wholly owned subsidiary, Evofuel Ltd., finished the testing in Brazil: The field trials, which were conducted in cooperation with SLC Agrícola S.A., one of Brazil’s largest landowners and leading agriculture businesses, demonstrated strong …

Biodiesel, International

Biodiesel Maker & User Receive Breathe Easy Award

John Davis

A company that makes biodiesel and its customer that uses its green fuel are honored with a “Breathe Easy” award. Biodiesel Magazine reports Maine Standard Biofuels, which makes biodiesel from used restaurant oil, and Oakhurst, northern New England’s largest independent, family-owned dairy, received a Breathe Easy Leadership Honorable Mention Award from the Northeast Diesel Collaborative, recognizing their seven-year partnership. [T]his …

Biodiesel

Reducing Wildfires and Making Biodiesel

John Davis

A project designed to cut back on wildfires in northern Arizona’s forests will also result in the green fuel biodiesel being produced. This story from the Mojave Valley Daily News says the project looks to thin 300,000 acres in four forests over 10 years with the harvested trees to go into biodiesel production, among other products. Pioneer Forest Products was …

Biodiesel

Survey Says Iowa Bullish on Biodiesel

Joanna Schroeder

According to new public opinion research commissioned by the Iowa Biodiesel Board (IBB), consumers have a strong awareness of – and favorability towards – biodiesel. The research, conducted in early September, shows 87 percent of Iowans surveyed are familiar with biodiesel. Of those familiar, 74 percent have a positive impression of biodiesel, with just 2 percent saying they have a negative …

Biodiesel, biofuels, Education

Incbio to Equip North African Biodiesel Plant

John Davis

Portugal’s biggest supplier of biodiesel equipment will soon be outfitting a new biodiesel refinery in North Africa. Incbio signed a deal with Biokast Energy S.A, to supply a soon-to-be-built 8,000MT per year biodiesel plant in Tunis, Tunisia. [The new facility will use] Incbio’s ultrasonic reactors to produce EN14214 Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil (UCO), collected from restaurants in Tunis. This …

Biodiesel, International

Biodiesel Might Be Fleets’ Best Clean Diesel Option

John Davis

A recent article on TruckingInfo.com looked at several options truckers have when considering alternative fuels. While there are advantages and disadvantages for natural gas, hybrid, electric and even hydrogen fuel cells-powered medium and heavy duty trucks, the article indicates clean diesel (and what’s a cleaner diesel than biodiesel) might be the best choice for fleets: Alternative fuels are not for …

Biodiesel

Biodiesel Board Celebrates Milestones

John Davis

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and the fifth anniversary of its eco-friendly, green headquarters building in Jefferson City, Mo. NBB CEO Joe Jobe says when they started in 1993, some of the first research was done in central Missouri at the University of Missouri, funded by the Missouri Soybean Council. They expected to …

advanced biofuels, Audio, Biodiesel, Government, NBB, RFS

USDA Announces Support for Advanced Biofuel Producers

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA announced Thursday that the agency is making nearly $15.5 million in payments to support the production of advanced biofuel. At the National Advanced Biofuels Conference in Omaha, USDA Rural Development Acting Under Secretary Doug O’Brien said 188 producers will received payments through the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program. “Producing advanced biofuels is a major component of the drive to take …

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, Cellulosic, Government, USDA

Biodiesel Maker Bently Biofuels Gets Got Grease

John Davis

A Nevada-based biodiesel maker has acquired its biggest supplier of feedstock the the San Francisco area. Bently Biofuels announced it bought Got Grease, a Bay Area waste oil and grease trap pumping company. Got Grease collected used cooking oil throughout the San Francisco, peninsula, East Bay, and Marin areas up to Sacramento. This used cooking oil was then sold to …

Biodiesel

Europe Votes to Limit Crop-based Biofuels

John Davis

Biofuel makers in Europe could be facing a real uphill battle, as the European Parliament votes to limit the amount of green fuels made from crops in transportation. Bloomberg reports the 6 percent limit on the use of crop-based biofuels comes from concerns about indirect land use change. The vote … in Strasbourg, France, sets the stage for talks among …

Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Indirect Land Use, International