It seems only fitting that the nation’s greatest agricultural showcase will be featuring the world’s greenest fuel. Renewable Energy Group says this year’s Farm Progress Show, slated for August 31 – September 2 in Boone, Iowa, will be demonstrating a B20 blend of biodiesel in all demonstration vehicles and agriculture equipment: The B20 blend is provided through STAR Energy, the …
SynDiesel Biodiesel Looks to Set Mileage Record
A Volkswagen Beetle burning a 5 percent blend of biodiesel and SynDiesel, often referred to as synthetic or GTL diesel, looks to set a mileage record at Hot Rod Magazine’s Drag Week in September. The company says the SynDiesel Project X Volkswagen Beetle is the favorite to capture the mileage record for the five day event that has competitors race …
Soybean Board-sponsored Tractor Pull Set for this Weekend
The United Soybean Board (USB) and the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) have teamed up for a tractor pull this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 27 & 28, at the Jaycee’s Cole County Fairgrounds. Some of the tractors involved in the pull will be using biodiesel, as will much of the support equipment. The video below is from last year’s event …
Biodiesel Company Lands California Energy Grant
A California-based biodiesel company has won a nearly $900 thousand grant from that state’s Energy Commission. Biodiesel Industries “ARIES© Bioenergy Project” is a multi-year project using algae to produce biodiesel in an integrated energy system monitored by the ARIES platform. ARIES, which stands for Automated Real-time, Remote, Integrated Energy System, was developed with Aerojet to incorporate advanced automation control capabilities: …
Lack of Biodiesel Incentive Closes Another Plant
Just in case you forgot (fat chance of that!), the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive has not been renewed after expiring at the end of 2009. And an estimated 23,000 biodiesel workers (and counting) have been laid off nationwide. The latest victims are workers at a biodiesel plant once touted as the largest in New England. This Times Argus article …
Commission In Calif. Considers Funds for Biodiesel Plant
Commissioners in Santa Rosa County, California are considering whether to use the county’s name to help back bonds for a proposed biodiesel plant. Biofuels Digest reports the chairman of the commission wants more information before signing off on the Integrated Energy Partners’ proposed biodiesel facility: The facility intends to run year-round using camelina and other crops including cotton seed to …
Biodiesel-Fueled Beetles Give Green Rides in Paradise
Hawaii is already known as a lush, green, tropical paradise, but one rental car company on the islands is turning that green up a notch. This article from BNET.com says the Bio-Beetle company in Maui focuses on biodiesel vehicles and looks to expand into electric vehicles one day: President Shaun Stenshol presides over a 20-car fleet that includes diesel-powered Beetles, …
Utah Field Holds Promise for US Army’s Biodiesel Efforts
A small patch of safflower near the Salt Lake City International Airport has caught the attention of the U.S. Army as part of the military’s efforts to implement more biodiesel into its operations. The Salt Lake Tribune says about 20 acres of the prickly leafed crop, planted as part of Salt Lake County’s urban-farming initiative, could be a feedstock for …
New Incentives Proposed for ND Biodiesel Plants
Some biodiesel plants in North Dakota could be enjoying new operations incentives, if a proposed bill passes that state’s legislature and gains the governor’s signature. The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead reports the measure, currently before the state legislature’s Energy Development and Transmission Committee, would give up to $1.5 million in incentives annually: The amount would be determined by multiplying the number …
BlueFire Ethanol Rebrands as BlueFire Renewables
BlueFire Ethanol Fuels is rebranding itself as BlueFire Renewables “to more clearly illustrate the company’s vast capabilities in renewable energy,” according to the company. “BlueFire is more than just an ethanol company. We’re happy to at last announce the expansion of our capabilities, and feel that this name captures our spirit for innovation and development of cleaner alternatives to fossil …