Hello from San Antonio, location of this year’s National Biodiesel Conference. I just got in and am using the Internet Cafe here in the convention center. It’s sponsored by BioEnergy of America, Inc., giving everyone a convenient place to check email or as in my case, post onto their blog. Right now a lot of people are getting checked in …
From Briefs to Biodiesel
Who’s not wearing underwear? Well, apparently, besides some Hollywood celebrities, not enough of us. And, strangely enough, that could be good news for the biodiesel industry. This story on Bloomberg.com says a British-based distributor of underwear, Caldwell Investments, is getting out of the skivvies biz and is planting 1,000 jatropha trees in Brazil with plans to make biodiesel. The biodiesel …
BioWillie on the Web
The distributor of Willie Nelson’s BioWillie® brand biodiesel, Earth Biofuels, has launched a new website. According to this Earth Biofuels release, the site, www.BioWillieusa.com, is supposed to help inform customers on company developments and where they can get BioWillie® biodiesel. From the BioWillie website: All Americans understand the importance of reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Long or short haul …
Washington State Canola Grower and Biodiesel Maker Ink Deal
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 …