The City of Rome, Italy could convert all of its 2800 buses to biodiesel by the end of 2008. According to this article on Checkbiotech.org, a test of 200 buses will start the program: Importantly, the accord covers not just the purchasing of the biodesel end-product but other stages of the supply chain including the growing of oilseed crops from …
When Pigs Fly!
OK, I couldn’t resist that headline… or this story. It seems that North Carolina State University engineers have developed technology that can turn almost any oil… from hog lard to vegetable oil… into jet fuel. According to an NC State news release, the technology is called Centia… a derivative of the Latin “crudus potentia,” or “green power”: Dr. William Roberts, …
Mapquest Finds Domestic Fuels
Not only can MapQuest help you find where you are going, it can help you find the right fuel to get there. MapQuest Gas Prices can guide you to the lowest traditional gas prices in any given area, plus it can locate retailers for a variety of alternative fuels, including biodiesel, E85, compressed natural gas, electric and hydrogen.
Florida Needs Ethanol
An aerial promotion campaign for ethanol in the Sunshine State took off this past weekend over the racetrack at Sebring, the theme parks in Orlando and the beaches of Fort Meyers. The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council will be flying this banner over cities from Miami to Jacksonville in the next few weeks to get the message out that Florida …
Summit Calls for Greater Biodiesel Acceptance
DaimlerChrysler was the sponsor of a recent summit that looked to gain widespread acceptance of 20% biodiesel by the makers of engines and vehicles. The auto giant also asked the group to come up with a viable fuel standard for the B20 finished blend. In a press release from the National Biodiesel Board, the summit looked for a defined standard …
Dow Testing Biodiesel By-product
The Dow Chemical Company has announced what it characterizes as a “significant milestone in its pursuit of sustainable chemistries.” In a press release on the company web site, Dow says it is conducting consumer trials using the glycerin from the production of biodiesel. Dow gets Propylene Glycol Renewable… or PGR… from the biodiesel-based glycerin. The PGR is expected to be …
Happy National Biodiesel Day!
Today is National Biodiesel Day. It is also the birthday of Rudolph Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine. Coincedence? No… early versions of Diesel’s engine in the late 1800’s ran on peanut oil, and in 1912, he said “the use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today, but such oils may become, in the course of …
Soybean Board Calls for More Use of Soy Biodiesel
The United Soybean Board released a statement today encouraging farmers to use more soy-based biodiesel in their farm equipment. In a press release, USB points out that biodiesel does a great job of lubricating engines, as well of offering an alternative to petroleum. And the board points out that soybean chyeckoff money has been helping fund biodiesel efforts for years: …
NBB, Advocates Cite Biodiesel as Global Warming Solution
The National Biodiesel Board released a fact sheet today that shows how biodiesel is part of the solution to global warming. The NBB has received the support of some heavy hitters such as U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who says biofuels like biodiesel are part of the answer as Congress takes on climate change policy. U.S. Department of …
Aventine Branches into Biodiesel
Ethanol producer, marketer and distributor Aventine Renewable Energy has entered the biodiesel business. According to a company release, Aventine is setting up a marketing program for biodiesel similar to how it currently markets ethanol. Aventine president Ron Miller, who is also chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association, says “As the country continues to embrace other sources of renewable fuels in …