Illinois-based Navistar International Corporation, the maker of diesel hybrid school buses and trucks, has won the prestigious 2007 Blue Sky Award from WestStart-CALSTART, the nation’s leading advanced transportation technologies consortium. Navistar was recognized for its contributions to commercial hybrid-diesel technology. This press release from the company says Navistar officials will be on hand for the award presentation and will provide …
Minneapolis-St. Paul Buses Up Biodiesel Percentage
Metro Transit… the public transportation service for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area… is raising the amount of biodiesel it is using in its vehicles to a 10% blend. For the last 14 months, Metro Transit has been using a 5% blend. This story on The Farmer.com says the move is welcomed as making an efficient form of transportation, mass transit, …
Biodiesel Seminars Offered Across Iowa
The Iowa Biodiesel Board and Iowa Soybean Association, along with the commercial biodiesel maker and biodiesel plant maker, Renewable Energy Group are offering a series of biodiesel management seminars in different parts of the state. This article in Wallace’s Farmer the seminars will offer information on the best management practices of blending, storing and using biodiesel year-round, including cold weather …
Kansas Speaker Praises Future of Biodiesel
Speaker of the Kansas House, Representative Melvin Neufeld (R-Ingalls) says the nation’s future of energy independence starts with places such as Kansas’ first operating biodiesel plant at Sedgwick, Kansas. This story from the WIBW-TV web site says Healy Biodiesel, Inc is using soybean oil and recycled cooking oils collected from Kansas restaurants: “This is the type of alternative energy production …
Biodiesel Considered for New Hampshire
A state commission in New Hampshire is considering the viability of the green fuel in the state. This story from New Hampshire Public Radio says the group made up of representatives from state agencies, oil industry producers, distributors and dealers, along with scientists and environmentalists is looking into the issue: New Castle State Representative David Borden chairs The New Hampshire …
Jatropha Tree Could Be Key to Florida Biodiesel
Researchers at the University of Florida are looking into the feasibility of using the jatropha tree as a source for biodiesel. This story from the University’s web site, says the plant is a native of Mexico and produces an oil that is ideal for biodiesel: “For maybe a year and a half now, I have been working on an idea …
REG Earns Rare, Double BQ-9000 Certification
Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group is one of just three companies in the country to earn both BQ-9000 certified statuses from National Biodiesel Accreditation Committee (NBAC). It’s a quality assurance program for the production nd marketing of biodiesel. REG has now earned the Certified Marketer status. This press release from the National Biodiesel Board says its certification is a standard the …
Ag Secretary Visits Farm Progress Show
As Cindy mentioned earlier this week, I’m attending the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, IL and biofuels is still a major topic of discussion in agriculture. Many of the booths here are featuring new products that will make the production of ethanol and biodiesel more efficient as we continue to grow our own fuel here in America. We had a …
Production Starts at 50 MGY Biodiesel Plant in Kentucky
Owensboro Grain is the latest company to join the ranks of biodiesel producers with the opening of its 50-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant. This article on Grainnet.com says the biodiesel operation is a natural progression for the 101-year-old company that started out as a small grain merchant: The company started out shipping corn on barges, according to John Wright, vice president of …
California Funds Biodiesel Plant
A biodiesel start-up in Southern California is getting $8 million in low-cost funding from the State of California. American Biodiesel, Inc. started building a plant at the Port of Stockton in April and will be doing business as a company called Community Fuels. This article in the Los Angeles Times says the biodiesel will be sold to wholesalers, including some …