The nation’s largest meat processor and a renewable fuel company have started construction on a biodiesel plant in Louisiana that will be the nation’s first renewable synthetic fuels plant. This press release from Tyson Foods and Syntroleum Corp. says the Dynamic Fuels plant in Geismar, Louisiana will produce 75 million gallons of biodiesel a year when it goes to full …
Biodiesel: It IS Rocket Science
Carlsbad, California-based Flometrics, Inc., an engineering service for the aerospace, medical device and consumer products industries, has tested B100 biodiesel on a RocketDyne LR-101 rocket engine. This story from Space-Travel.com says it performed very well: The B-100 fuel was found to have performance within 4% of the RP-1 fuel which the engine was originally designed for. BioDiesel is a renewable, …
NREL: Biodiesel Keeps Getting Better
The overall quality of biodiesel keeps getting better. The National Renewable Energy Lab says that quality is key to the growing industry: NREL Principal Engineer on Fuel Performance Robert McCormick says biodiesel quality is improving rapidly in the United States, with large producers consistently meeting specifications. However, some small producers still have trouble meeting national standards. McCormick and Senior Engineer …
Donors Build Alt Energy Institute at Stanford
One hundred million dollars has been donated to Stanford University for a new energy institute to find environmentally friendly energy sources. This article from Reuters says half of the money is coming from an oil executive… interesting, since the intent of the institute is to make renewable energy cheaper than petroleum: The new Precourt Institute for Energy is named after …
Obama, Congress Considering Alt Energy in Stimulus Bill
As leaders in Congress and President-elect Barack Obama look at another possible economic stimulus package, renewable energy sources, such as biodiesel, ethanol, solar and wind, look to get $25 billion in tax credits from the plan. This story from the Washington Post says the credits could come in either a single bill or a series of legislative moves: The main …
Biodiesel, Ethanol to Ship Out of Milwaukee Port
A New York City-based biodiesel maker Innovation Fuels has bought a 310,000-barrel terminal at the Port of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This story from the Business Journal of Milwaukee says the facility will help move biodiesel and ethanol out of the region: The terminal includes a 20,000-square-foot warehouse, executive offices and a garage. The site features existing truck and rail loading infrastructure …
Biofuels Focus at Farm Bureau Meeting
Biofuels have been a major topic of discussion at the American Farm Bureau Federation 90th annual meeting in San Antonio this week. A conference titled “The Growing Role of Biofuels for Today, Tomorrow and Beyond,” featured Brooke Coleman, executive director of the New Fuels Alliance and spokesperson for FoodPriceTruth. “Agriculture is the key to the new energy economy,” Coleman said. …
Economist Says Biofuels Demand Will Drive Crop Prices
An agricultural economist speaking to members of the nation’s largest general farm organization meeting in San Antonio this weekend said crop prices this year will be driven by demand for biofuels. Jim Sullivan of Informa Economics in Washington, D.C. told a crop outlook seminar at the American Farm Bureau Federation 90th annual meeting that the global recession will mean weakening …
Obama Economic Speech Highlights Alt Energy Plans
This week’s major economic speech from President-elect Barack Obama pointed out how ethanol and biodiesel, as well as other alternatives to conventional energy sources, will be key to the nation’s economic recovery. This article from the New York Times says the plan also pushes energy efficiency: “To finally spark the creation of a clean energy economy, we will double the …
Biodiesel Board Sure Industry Will Meet RFS
In an effort to quell skepticism over the renewable energy industry’s chances to meet the 10.5-billion Renewable Fuels Standard in 2009, the National Biodiesel Board has reaffirmed its industry’s ability to hold up its end of the deal… and then some. The NBB released a statement saying not only will biodiesel meet its goal, but it will make up any …