The crisis on Wall Street is having an impact on biofuel production in this country. Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group is delaying building two biodiesel plants, one in Louisiana and one in Kansas, because of the recent trouble in the bond market. This story in the New Orleans Times-Picayune says the 60 million gallon plant in St. Rose, Louisiana says delays …
New Web Site Offers New Way to Buy Biodiesel
A new web site launched earlier this year offers a new way to buy biodiesel. FillmoreFuels.com, developed by biodiesel enthusiast Wesley Fillmore, offers everyone from hobbyists to commercial producers a forum to offer their biodiesel for sale in an auction-like environment. In addition, buyers can find potential sellers in their area: According to the Annual Energy Outlook released by the …
Ohio Company Gets Grant to Move Feedstocks
An Ohio biofuels maker will receive a $50,000 state grant to help it make biodiesel. This story from the Springfield (OH) News-Sun says Liberty Fuels of Ohio, LLC is getting the money from the Ohio Rail Development Commission: The funding will help Liberty purchase equipment to improve its ability to move and/or load and unload train cars, according to the …
Continental to Test Biofuel in Jets
Continental Airlines will run a test flight on biofuel sometime next year. This story posted on Gizmag.com says the experiment with Boeing will make Continental the first major U.S. carrier to attempt such a flight that hopes to find a sustainable fuel for the aviation industry: Continental’s biofuel flight will use a Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft equipped with CFM International …
Happy National Biodiesel Day!
In honor of Rudolph Diesel’s birthday on March 18, 1858, today is National Biodiesel Day! As you might know, the inventor of the diesel engine advocated for the use of vegetable oil (in particular peanut oil) to power his fuel-efficient invention. Today, biodiesel is the manifestation of Diesel’s vision, as it provides a clean source of renewable energy for the …
Missouri-Kansas Becoming Green Rivals
When you live in this part of the country, you KNOW how big of rivals Kansas and Missouri are. This hatred goes all the way back to before the Civil War! I’ve even known people who would actually spit after they spoke the other state’s name. Officials at MU and KU have tried to tone down the rhetoric by calling …
Market Forces Force REG to Withdraw IPO
The high price of soybean oil is making it awfully tough on some biodiesel makers. In an unfortunate sign of the times for the biodiesel industry, Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group has had to withdraw its attempt at an initial public offering (IPO). CNNMoney reports that “unfavorable market conditions” has forced the company to reconsider what would have been a $150 …
Connecticut Town Considers Biodiesel
The town of Greenwich, Connecticut want to run about 150 of their 300 vehicles in the city’s fleet on biodiesel. Unsure how well that might actually work, officials decided to visit another New England town to see how their efforts had gone. This story in the Greenwich (CT) Times has details: [Elizabeth Linck, the town’s fleet director] and town Purchasing …
U.S. Biodiesel Producers Look to Europe
American biodiesel producers, who are trying to keep their heads above water in a market of rising feedstocks, might have found a way to keep their doors open: send their biodiesel to Europe. This story in the Des Moines (IA) Register says a weak dollar, coupled with American and European incentives, makes biodiesel made in this country cheaper than its …
Minnesota Looks to Increase Biodiesel Mandate
Hoping to mimic the success its ethanol mandate has brought to that industry in Minnesota, the state is looking at bumping up its 2 percent biodiesel mandate. This story from Minnesota Public Radio says a bill before the state legislature would increase that requirement by 10-fold: “What this does is actually give a signal to industry that they should move …