A brief report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) points out that biodiesel is a substance that needs to handled carefully. The article points out an incident in Colorado where a biodiesel homebrewer accidently left the heating element on while he left for the weekend. The resulting fire released biodiesel, recycled restaurant cooking oil, smaller amounts of …
Eleven States Considering Biodiesel Requirement
We’ve been trying to document all the different pieces of state legislation out there that have impacts on the biodiesel industry. This blog entry posted by John Gartner on Autopia – Wired News, I think, kind of sums up what the effects might be if the 11 states… Florida, Connecticut, Missouri, California, Oregon, Mississippi, Arkansas, Nebraska, Montana, Tennessee and New …
Fuel From Fiber
A reader alerted us to the impending opening of VALCO Bio Energy in Harlingen, Texas – the first plant to use cottonseed oil as a base stock for manufacturing biodiesel. Valley Coop Oil Mill announced the project last fall and is expected to open the plant this spring. Southeast Farm Press did a story earlier this year with Valco CEO …
Keokuk Biodiesel Plant
Downtown Keokuk is the home of a new, five-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant. And this article in the Burlington (IA) Hawk Eye promises it’s just the beginning for the town: The Tri–City Energy facility that cost $5 million to begin operations is small compared to its peers that make from 30 million to 60 million gallons a year. But as part of …
Canadian Study to Boost Biodiesel
A newly-completed study in Ontario shows that biodiesel could be an effective alternative fuel for farm operations in Canada. According to a Canadian government press release, the project was conducted on six farms in the province: “This project was designed to accelerate the adoption of biodiesel use on Ontario farms through a series of on-farm evaluations,” said Deanna Deaville, Special …
AFVI Kicks Off in Anaheim
The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute 13th Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference + Expo is underway in Anaheim, California. More than 1250 fleet and industry professionals are there for four days of information and product previews. Fleets were in the spotlight Sunday with workshops on how alternative fuels are being used in private fleets, airport shuttles, school buses, mass transit, …
Two Presidents Talk Ethanol Again
Ethanol and trade were the two main topics discussed by the presidents of Brazil and the United States meeting over the weekend at Camp David. “We talked about biofuels,” said President Bush in a joint press conference with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday. “And I told the President that not only are we committed domestically to …
Soyoil Futures Rise on Crude Oil Spike
May soyoil futures on the Chicago Board of Trade rose to a high of 33 cents per pound Thursday.. the highest for a nearby contract in nearly three years. Those nearby soyoil futures have appreciated more than 10% over the last three weeks. According to this AP story in the Houston Chronicle, the rise has been fueled by the jump …
O2 Diesel Powers SD School Buses
The historic communities of Lead and Deadwood, South Dakota will be the latest to experience a promising new age in environmentally friendly school transportation. All buses in the Lead-Deadwood School District will be powered by O2Diesel(TM), a fuel blend of ethanol-diesel. According to an O2 Diesel press release, “The essence of why we are using O2Diesel is we believe it …
Minnesota Biodiesel Shows Improvement
A year ago, clogged fuel filters and angry truckers were a big part of the biodiesel scene in Minnesota, where the state had just implemented a biodiesel requirement. But according to this story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, this past winter was much better: Truckers in Minnesota still experienced lots of clogged fuel filters over the winter, but an …