New Alabama Biodiesel Plant Starts Production

John Davis

A 40-million-gallon-a-year plant in Claiborne, AL has produced its first gallon of biodiesel. The project has been a quick turnaround as Independence Renewable Energy Corporation announced it wanted to build the plant just six months ago. This story from The Birmingham (AL) News: Plant manager Greg Martin said the biodiesel plant is expected to generate annual revenue of $120 million …

Biodiesel

Racing Into History on Alternatives… for a Cause

John Davis

Meet the latest racer in the alternative fuel racing game… the man behind the wheel of the spiced red, number 24 Volkswagen Jetta TDI… Jim Osborn, the President of Chili Pepper Racing. “We race in what’s considered the most relevant racing series in North America. It’s called the Speed World Challenge Touring Car Series.” Osborn explains that they take street …

Audio, Biodiesel, Racing

Biodiesel Providing Energy

John Davis

The first all-biodiesel-powered power plant in the country has started producing electricity in Texas. According to this story posted on Manufacturing.net, Biofuels Power Corp. is producing and selling electricity from its plant in Oak Ridge North, Texas. The plant will produce up to five megawatts of electricity and will run on biodiesel from a Safe Renewables Corp. refinery just two …

Biodiesel

Seattle Biodiesel Producer Achieves Rare Quality Standard

John Davis

Imperium Renewables has announced it has achieved a BQ-9000 certification for its Seattle-based refineries. According to a company press release, the certification is a measure of fuel quality requiring companies to have approved quality management systems, including storage, sampling, testing, blending, shipping, distribution, and fuel management practices: “From day one our pledge was to produce biodiesel from vegetable oil that …

Biodiesel

Let the Market Sort it Out

Cindy Zimmerman

To anyone concerned about high grain prices, the impact of biofuels on the livestock industry, or whether we will have enough corn to meet all needs, Dean Kleckner has just one message: “Let the market sort it out.” Kleckner is the chairman of Truth About Trade & Technology, an industry group that is pro-trade and pro-biotechnology. He is also a …

Audio, Biodiesel, Commodity Classic, Ethanol, Government, News

Forum Focuses on Energy

Cindy Zimmerman

The theme was Agriculture at the Crossroads — Energy, Farm & Rural Policy and it was obvious that energy was the headliner at USDA’s 2007 Outlook Forum last week. The plenary session of the Forum featured some of the top names in agribusiness – ADM CEO Patricia Woertz, Cargill president Greg Page and CHS president John Johnson, together with Red …

Audio, Biodiesel, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Government, News

Alternative Fuel School Bus Webcasts Set for Next Week

John Davis

School administrators might want to mark Tuesday, March 13th on their calendars as the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute holds the AFV School Bus Connection webcast from 10:30 a.m.-noon PST. According to an institute press release, the webcast is designed to bring alternative fuel industry experts together to provide the latest information on funding, products, and legislation related to specific markets: …

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News

Another Biodiesel Plant on the Way for New Mexico

John Davis

Just as I posted the article on New Mexico’s State House passing a biodiesel standard, I found this AP story in the High Plains Journal that says a 75-million-gallon-a-year plant will be built near Clovis to convert animal fat from feedlots into biodiesel: Dallas-based American Renewable Fuels, a subsidiary of Australian Renewable Fuels Ltd., plans to begin construction on its …

Biodiesel

NM Legislature Moves on Biodiesel

John Davis

The New Mexico House has passed a measure that would require all diesel vehicles to use at least 5% biodiesel. Under Rep. John Heaton’s bill, all state agencies and public schools would be required to buy the 5% blend starting after in about three years. All diesel vehicles, public and private, would have the requirement after July 1st, 2012. The …

Biodiesel, Legislation

Vision 2020

Cindy Zimmerman

Biofuels will play a major role in the soybean industry for the next 10 to 15 years under the United Soybean Board’s Soy 2020 released Friday morning at the Commodity Classic in Tampa, Florida. The objective of Soy 2020 was to “create a vision for the future of U.S. soybeans that would be a complete collaboration and that would ultimately …

Biodiesel, Commodity Classic, John Deere