Seattle-based Imperium Renewables has agreed to purchase a large amount of canola oil from Earth-firendly Natural Selection Farms to make biodiesel. The deal will produce one million gallons of biodiesel a year and is, in fact, the largest sale of Washington state-produced canola oil ever. From this Businesswire.com story: “This partnership demonstrates the incredible opportunity for our state’s agricultural industry …
Senate Energy Committee Holds Biofuels Conference
An all-day conference on biofuels was held Thursday by the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The conference featured six panels and 33 witnesses from industry, agriculture, infrastructure, research and development. Much of the testimony focused on the need for increased funding to develop cellulosic technology. National Commission on Energy Policy Counsel David Conover told the committee they …
ARES, Blue Sun Biodiesel Announce Joint Venture
ARES Corporation, a California-based engineering and research firm, has joined with Colorado-based Blue Sun Biodiesel to build a 15-million gallon/year B100 biodiesel plant under the name ARES Blue Sun near Clovis, New Mexico. They’ll break ground early this year. According to a joint company press release: “This new joint venture represents the initial implementation of ARES’ strategic goals in creating …
Brazil Opens Country’s Largest Biodiesel Mill
Brazil has opened a 108-million-liter (approximately 25 million gallons) a year biodiesel plant… the largest in the South American country. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attended the event. This story in Brazzil Magazine says this one operated by Brasil Ecodiesel is not the only biodiesel mill in the country. According to the (Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy), …
Biodiesel To Drive Race Car
A couple of days ago, I told you about a biodiesel motorcycle that will try to set a speed record that will be featured at the upcoming National Biodiesel Conference & Expo (Feb. 4th-7th in San Antonio, TX). Now, a British racing team says it will put a prototype 100% biodiesel engine into its car competing in the British Touring …
Biodiesel Space for a Buck
Last fall, the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan announced it would use biodiesel provided by Western Michigan University… Bronco Biodiesel… to fuel its city buses. Now, the city is renting out a building for the plant… at just $1 a year! According to a WMU press release, the biodiesel plant is expected to produce 100,000 gallons a year. The biodiesel will …
Report: Biodiesel Set for “Explosive” Growth
This story in Biofuel Review says that a report by the energy intelligence agency Emerging Markets Online says biodiesel growth is set to explode over the next 10 years… fueled by a new U.S. commitment to biofuels (remember President Bush’s 20 in 10 proposal – 20% alternative fuels in the next 10 years) and ramped up production in other parts …
“BioFuels or Bust” Seminar at Wash. U. in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is playing host to a seminar on the role biofuels will play in a sustainable economics world. Jim McLaren, President and founder of StrathKirn, Inc, a science and biotech business consulting firm in nearby Chesterfield, MO, will conduct the seminar on the “state of biofuels development in the Midwest,” at Simon Hall on the Wash …
NBB Chief Likes Bush’s Speech
The head of the National Biodiesel Board liked what he heard from last week’s State of the Union speech. CEO Joe Jobe says he was pleased that alternative fuels… in particular, biodiesel… took such a prominent position in President Bush’s annual address to Congress. “Obviously, we were very excited to hear him lay out his 20 in 10 plan [reducing …
Fayetteville, AR Switching to Biodiesel
Fayetteville is switching its 300-vehicle fleet… from garbage trucks to city maintenance pickups… to biodiesel. This article from the Northwest Arkansas Times explains the city will get a two-fold benefit… more freedom from foreign oil and a cleaner burning diesel: “We’ve always been a very environmentally conscious and responsible community,” said David Bragg, fleet manager for the city. The plan …