Our friends at the Farm Foundation are at it again, bringing a variety of folks together to offer differing viewpoints to come up with workable solutions. Last month, I had a chance to sit in on their Transition to a Bioeconomy: Environmental and Rural Impacts Conference in St. Louis where I heard many sides of the issues facing the biodiesel …
BBI Moving Headquarters
BBI International is moving to bigger headquarters nearer to an international airport. BBI has maintained its corporate headquarters in Salida and neighboring Cotopaxi, Colorado for nearly 15 years. Maintaining its operational hub in the geographically remote community became increasingly difficult for the 90-person international company, according to company president Mike Bryan, especially being three hours from Denver airport. The company …
REG Opens Large-Scale Biodiesel Pump in Utah
Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group (REG) has announced the availability of their brand of biodiesel at a large-volume biodiesel terminal in Ogden, Utah. This company press release says this terminal is part of the company’s national infrastructure plan. REG has a strategic agreement with Kellerstrass Oil Co., a petroleum company and owner of the Ogden terminal, to offer blending of petroleum …
Biodiesel, Wind & Solar Powered Hotel Offers True “Green” Acres
Looking to get away from it all… including the dependence on foreign oil? Well, a cozy little hotel on Virginia’s Eastern Shore might just be the ticket for you. This story from The Chief Engineer says Thomas “Spess” Neblett, the owner and creator of The Neptune Vacation Suite Apartments in the quiet little town of Onley, Va. (population 450), says …
PA. Biodiesel Mandate Awaits Sustained Triggers
Pennsylvania’s 2 percent biodiesel mandate, passed earlier this year, is on hold, despite the fact that the state is meeting a 40-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel production threshold. This story from Biodiesel Magazine explains that there are some certification and sustainability measures that must also be met for the requirement to kick in: Conditions that need to be met above and beyond the …
Mini-Refiner Produces Ethanol and Biodiesel
Texas-based Allard Research and Development is now selling the “world’s first mini-refinery” for consumer use that produces both ethanol and biodiesel. This post from the gas2.0 blog says it can crank out up to 120 gallons per day of ethanol and 450 gallons per day of biodiesel: Consisting of two pieces of equipment — an ethanol boiler and the mini-refinery …
B100 EcoJet On Display at SEMA Show
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is holding their annual show in Las Vegas and Jay Leno’s Ecojet is on display. Besides the team from Jay Leno’s Garage, Joe Jobe, NBB CEO is also there to speak with the media and attendees. This is not a consumer show btw. I just spoke with Joe via Skype from my computer to …
Trading Used Cooking Oil for Biodiesel
The folks in El Paso, Texas now have a way to get rid of their old, used cooking grease and fill up their gas tanks. This story from KVIA-TV in El Paso says it’s a new pilot program offered by the city to turn the grease into biodiesel: The service is free and available to residents who pay a solid …
Symposium to Look at Biodiesel Feedstocks
A symposium for biodiesel feedstocks is slated for November 21st in St. Louis, Mo. The Center for Evergreen Energy at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center will host the event, designed to address some of the current challenges in biofuel feedstock research and production: Biodiesel producers, marketers and feedstock producers will hear from presenters including Monsanto, NASA, Enterprise-Rent-a-Car Institute and …
Improved Filter for Biodiesel Hits Market
An eco-friendly filter could help purify biodiesel, no matter what is used as a feedstock. This story from Biodiesel Magazine says Schroeder Biofuels out of Pennsylvania has introduced the Eco2Pure, a filter made of cellulose and is considered natural and sustainable: “It has the powerful dry washing capability of a magnesol, but has the applicability of a column-based treatment,” said …