A new tradition at the 150-year-old Indiana State Fair has started this year as biodiesel powers the fair’s midway. This story from Gary Truitt’s Hoosier Ag Today web site says they’re even making sure it’s biodiesel produced from Indiana soybeans: “The Indiana State Fair is a showcase of the state’s agriculture industry, so it’s fitting that Hoosier-grown soybeans are helping …
Biodiesel from Cellulose
While refiners have been making ethanol from cellulosic material for a while, a Japanese-government affiliated research institute is working on turning grass clippings and wood chips into biodiesel. This story on CattleNetwork.com has more details: The Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth is aiming for commercial production in three years. RITE was established in 1990 by the government …
Earthrace Re-tools for Another Biodiesel Circumnavigation Run
At the end of May, the Earthrace… a biodiesel-powered speed boat… had to abandon its record-breaking attempt to circumnavigate the globe. At the time, they were down… but not out! Captain Peter Bethune says he should be ready for another attempt next March. This story posted on Grainnet.com says, this time, they’ll be better prepared: The 78-foot boat is currently …
Imperium Opens Biodiesel Plant on Wednesday
A biodiesel plant that will add 30 percent to the U.S. biodiesel production capacity when it opens will start doing just that when the Imperium Renewables plant at Gray’s Harbor in Washington state starts production on Wednesday. This article in the Kitsap Sun says the 100-million-gallon-a-year refinery will make biodiesel from canola and soy oils, as well as other crops: …
Go RVing… Go Green
They’re not exactly the most environmentally-friendly mechanisms out there, but recreational vehicles… RVs… are moving to greener fuels. This article in the Bend (Oregon) Bulletin says while hybrid motors may not be coming up, biodiesel is certainly gaining popularity: Ty Adams, a 28-year-old freelance journalist and green RV activist from Bozeman, Mont., has spent the past nine months on the …
Growing Peanuts in Washington State for Biodiesel
You probably think of the Deep South, such as Georgia and Alabama, when you think of peanuts, but a farmer and a researcher from Washington State Univesity are looking to grow goobers in the Pacific Northwest to make into biodiesel. This article in the Seattle (WA) Post Intelligencer says Steve Price’s venture is picking up steam: Price has been growing …
Calls Goes Out to Get Biodiesel to NYC
New York City-based Tri-State Biodiesel has put out a call for people to join its Bio-NYC campaign… an effort to encourage New Yorkers to buy more biodiesel, especially that sold by the company, made from used restaurant cooking oil. This is from an e-mail that came into Domestic Fuel: HERE¹S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP: – Buy a diesel …
Green Design for Green Gas Stations
As more Americans seek relief from nearly $4-a-gallon gasoline in some areas by using alternative fuels, gas stations are changing their look to show the greener attitude. This story in BusinessWeek says they’re designs that reflect the growing trend of hybrid and flex-fuel cars running on the more-and-more available ethanol and biodiesel: In Eugene, Oregon, SeQuential Biofuels opened the state’s …
Lucky 13th Biodiesel Plant for Iowa
Production has started at Iowa’s 13th biodiesel plant… this one, a Western Dubuque Biodiesel, LLC, plant near Farley. It will produce 30 million gallons of biodiesel a year, bringing Iowa’s annual biodiesel production up to 258 million gallons… according to this article posted on Grainnet.com: Western Dubuque Biodiesel, LLC, will produce fuel from soybeans or other vegetable oils at the …
Back to School… Back to Biodiesel
As schools gear back up for another year, many of them will run their buses on biodiesel. This story in the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Press cites the Kenowa Hills School District and the success it had with biodiesel: In January, three of the district’s 40 buses were equipped with special filters to burn the biodegradable fuel average of 8 miles …