Washington attorney Sandra Franco is the new general counsel at the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). This news release from the group says Franco comes to NBB from the the environmental group at the international law firm Morgan Lewis, where she specialized in the Clean Air Act and natural resources law, and has long worked with the renewable fuels industry, including …
Biodiesel Giant REG Says ‘No’ to Crude Oil at Port
Biodiesel giant Renewable Energy Group (REG) doesn’t want to ship crude oil through its new port and plant in Washington state. This article from the Seattle Times says the Iowa-based company is leaving crude oil out of its plans for the mammoth Grays Harbor biodiesel plant REG bought last summer from Imperium Renewables. The document was filed in late November, …
Tale of ’93 Bronco Shows How to Go Biodiesel
Most of the time, we talk about the big stories of biodiesel: government policies toward the green fuel, infrastructure improvements, a plant opening. But this piece from Car and Driver points out how important some of the little stories of biodiesel also are. Ezra Dyer recalls his quest to convert his 1993 Ford Bronco to run on biodiesel. Perhaps sustainability …
IA Gov. Branstad to Speak Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit
Once again, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad along with Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will be discussing Iowa’s leading role in biofuel production and development during the 10th annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit hosted by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA). The free event takes place January 19, 2016 in Altoona, Iowa. “Under Gov. Branstad’s proactive leadership, Iowa has become the nation’s …
Kolmar Buys GreenFuels’ Biodiesel Plant
Kolmar Group AG has purchased a Connecticut biodiesel plant – Greenleaf Biofuels LLC – located in New Haven, Connecticut. The plant has been renamed American Greenfuels, LLC. With capacity of about 15 million gallons, it is relatively small for the 2-billion gallon U.S. biodiesel market but is the largest biodiesel plant in New England. According to Mr. Raf Aviner, President …
Biodiesel Lone Trans Fuel Success Story of 2015
While crude oil, heating oil and even the renewable ethanol had price declines in 2015, biodiesel stands alone as the only transportation fuel ending the year on a positive trend. This article from Bloomberg Business says biodiesel prices moved up at least 10 percent in the last month of the year, aided by the announcement that more biodiesel would be …
Just in Time for Christmas, Biodiesel Producers Get Extra Jingle
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. …