Numbers from the EPA show that biodiesel production hit record production in the first half of the year and is on pace to have its best year ever. The EPA reports that biodiesel refiners made 636 million gallons through the end of June and is on pace to break the annual record of about 1.1 billion gallons, exceeding this year’s …
Crude Oil Rise Fuels Biodiesel Feedstocks Rise
The recent rise in crude oil prices are fueling a rise in some of the feedstocks for biodiesel. Bloomberg reports that palm oil and soybean oil prices rose this week as petroleum prices also climbed: “One of the reasons that is pushing demand for palm oil is biodiesel,” said Sim Han Qiang, an analyst at Phillip Futures Pte. in Singapore. …
UK Biodiesel Pioneer Sold
One of the pioneers in biodiesel production in the UK has been sold. The BBC reports Argent Energy, a company that turns used cooking oil and animal fats into the green fuel, was bought by London-based John Swire & Sons, a green investment company. The firm will stay in private ownership and will continue to run independently. Its senior management, …
Biodiesel Board CEO Tells Congress RFS is Working
As lawmakers debated the value of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), the CEO of the National Biodiesel Board made the case on CSPAN that his group’s green fuel is delivering on those RFS promises. “First, under the RFS, the advanced biofuel and biomass-based diesel categories programs are working. And second, with the help of the RFS, biodiesel is reducing consumer …
Enerfuel SA’s Portugal Biodiesel Plant Opens
Good things can come to those who wait, and a Portuguese biodiesel maker really put that saying to the test. Enerfuel S.A. has opened it’s 7.5 million gallon a year multifeedstock biodiesel plant in Sines, Portugal. Biodiesel Magazine reports the project has been some years on the making, first starting planning and construction in 2006 by Austria-based BDI-BioEnergy International AG. …
Montana Clean Energy Fair Features Biodiesel, Solar
Montana might be known as Big Sky country, but this past weekend, it could certainly also take on the Clean Sky moniker. The Billings (MT) Gazette reports a couple of small projects featuring biodiesel and solar were part of Saturday’s Montana Clean Energy Fair at the National Center for Appropriate Technology. [Matt] Elsaesser is the executive director of the S.A.V.E. …
Michigan Research: Diesel Saves Money
A new study shows that vehicles that run on diesel save their owners money. While the research didn’t specifically mention biodiesel, the green fuel would also be part of that savings. Biodiesel Magazine reports the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute found that the total cost of ownership (TCO) is lower for diesel vehicles compared to their gasoline-powered counterparts. “Our …
Viesel Fuel Upgrades Enzymatic Biodiesel Plant
Florida-based Viesel Fuel, LLC has upgraded its enzymatic biodiesel plant using technology from Danish company Novozymes. This BioFuels Journal article says Viesel’s green fuel is considered an approved biomass-based diesel under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), meets ASTM International D6751 standards and is on track to be approved for BQ9000 quality assurance. The Novozymes enzymatic process requires less energy than …
Groups Applaud EPA’s McCarthy Confirmation
The U.S. Senate has approved Gina McCarthy as the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a 59-40 vote. Renewable energy and environmental groups, as well as commercial companies, welcomed her confirmation. The National Biodiesel Board said it was thrilled by the vote: “Gina McCarthy is a strong, dynamic leader who knows the intersection of environment and energy …
Biodiesel Board Welcomes RI Bioheat Mandate
Folks in Rhode Island will be staying warm in future winters with some help from Bioheat, a blend of biodiesel and heating oil. The governor of that state signed legislation to mandate a 2 percent blend requirement starting in July of 2014 with plans to expand that to 5 percent in 2017. The news was welcomed by the National Biodiesel …