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A green fuel will be used to haul the nation’s foremost evergreen cross-country.

This story from The Explorer newspaper out of Tuscon, Arizona says this year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas tree will be hauled from Arizona’s White Mountains to Washington, D.C., all on a truck running on biodiesel:

“We are thrilled to be a part of history, and bringing biodiesel as the fuel of choice into that history,” said Mike Monfred, compliance officer of Southwest Industrial Rigging [the company hauling the tree] in Phoenix.

“This is a great undertaking, and one that Arizona should be proud of,” said Tom Verry, executive director of the National Biodiesel Foundation.

If you want to be part of this historic biodiesel moment and help pay for the green fuel to haul the tree across the country, contact Clean Cities Manager Colleen Crowninshield at ccrowninshield@pagnet.org.

Chicago-based Zenergy International has bought the Greenlight Biofuels biodiesel plant near Lubbock, Texas.

This Zenergy press release says the deal should be finalized in the next few weeks:

Greenlight Biofuels Ltd. has developed a robust, proprietary, and proven technology capable of processing a variety of feedstock. In alignment with the corporate strategy, having technology that can use flexible feedstock is particularly advantageous, as upon market pricing fluctuation the feedstock sources can be changed in accordance with where the best value lies.

Zenergy International has recently embarked on a biodiesel facility acquisition strategy. With Greenlight Biofuels, Ltd. the company has invested in an operation capable of producing five million gallons per year, with 40 acres of land, providing considerable room for expansion.

The release goes on to say the Greenlight Biofuels plant is on a transport corridor, close to a number of transport fueling depots, that should help it provide significant local revenues.

A new solid catalyst could save some green fuel makers some green in their wallets.

Biodiesel Magazine reports that a study of Catilin Inc.’s new T300 solid catalyst process saves biodiesel producers 13 cents a gallon over a traditional catalytic process… and up to 19 cents a gallon if you figure in capital expense savings:

“This thorough analysis validated our T300 catalyst as a real breakthrough in current and future biodiesel production for use with first-, second- and third-generation feedstocks,” said Larry Lenhart, president and CEO.

Catilin is commercializing the research done in developing the new catalyst at Iowa State University in Ames and the U.S. DOE’s Ames Laboratory. The T300 heterogeneous catalyst is nontoxic and can be a direct replacement for conventional catalysts used in biodiesel production. The drop-in solid catalyst operates at industry standard pressures and temperatures and is removed with filtration. As a result, current producers can retrofit their plants in a matter of days at very low cost. Another key advantage is that the glycerin coproduct has purity greater than 98 percent and qualifies as technical grade, which significantly enhances its overall value.

Someone interested in the potential this new solid catalyst holds is biodiesel giant Renewable Energy Group. Officials at the Iowa-based company say they have been closely following the development of the catalyst since work began by a team led by Victor Lin at ISU and the Ames Laboratory.