It might not be just the jingle of sleigh bells that puts a smile on biodiesel producers faces this Christmas season. With Congress passing the tax extenders legislation and the president signing it into law, many producers will enjoy a little extra figurative jingle in their pockets, as the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel blenders tax credit is made retroactive for 2015 …
Waste Fat Biodiesel to Power London Buses
About one-third of London’s buses will soon be running on biodiesel made from animal fat waste. This article from the Guardian says two bus operators, Stagecoach and Metroline, will get the green fuel from Argent Energy at a 20 percent biodiesel (B20) blend. By March next year, almost 3,000 of the capital’s 8,900 buses will be powered by the B20 …
Researchers Develop Glycerol-free Biodiesel Process
Researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago have figured out how to produce biodiesel without making the by-product glycerol. This article from Chemistry World says the scientists, led by Tobin Marks, developed the method. The process uses a tandem catalytic system, consisting of metal triflate and supported palladium catalysts, to selectively break down triglyceride esters into carboxylic acids, which can be …
Biodiesel Catalyst Plant Soon to Open in Iowa
It’s taken about a year and a half, but an Iowa plant that will make a key biodiesel production catalyst is about to open. This article from the Mason City Globe Gazette says the New Heaven Chemicals plant will start producing sodium methylate by Feb. 1, and be able to produce 24,000 metric tons of the liquid chemical per year. …
Tax Extenders Package Includes Renewables
The broad spending and tax legislation compromise unveiled by House Republicans Tuesday night includes federal tax incentive extensions for renewable energy, including biodiesel, wind and solar. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) commended congressional leaders for reinstating the expired biodiesel tax incentive in the tax and spending proposal released late Tuesday but continued pressing to reform the incentive as a domestic …
New Officers Elected for Iowa RFA
The 2016 Board of Directors, Officer and Executive Committee have been elected for the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA). The votes took place during their annual meeting on December 10, 2015. Each producer member has a seat on the Board and votes on officers. New officers will serve a one-year term during the 2016 calendar year. Iowa is the leading …
Mass. to Get First Community-Owned Biodiesel Plant
Massachusetts is on the verge of getting its first community-owned biodiesel plant. This article from Public News Service says the Northeast Biodiesel plant in Greenfield will open in early 2016. Co-op Power CEO Lynn Benander says the plant will take cooking oil waste from restaurants, schools and institutions in the area and convert it into millions of gallons of a …
USDA Gives $70 Mil Loan Guarantee for Biofuel Plant
A cellulosic biofuel plant in Georgia will get built, thanks in part to a $70 million U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan guarantee. This news release from USDA says the money is being made available through the agency’s Biorefinery Assistance Program. “There is a clear consumer demand for clean, American-made, renewable fuels, which our rural communities stand ready to meet,” …
Biodiesel Board Applauds Ore. Clean Fuel Program
Oregon has joined a pair of its West Coast neighbors to finalize its Clean Fuels Program (CFP), gaining praise from the National Biodiesel Board, who points out how biodiesel can help the state reduce greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent by 2025. “Biodiesel is the most sustainable fuel on the planet,” said Don Scott, National Biodiesel Board director of sustainability. “We …
School Teaches Farmers to Brew Own Biodiesel
Farmers are known to be a pretty independent breed, and a school is teaching them to be energy independent by brewing their own biodiesel. This story from RFD-TV says Tennessee State University’s Agricultural Research and Education Center has a unique outreach program that teaches farmers about making their own on-farm biodiesel. “This is something where they can grow it, and …