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A new study from Purdue University shows that buses that have been running 10 percent biodiesel are reducing pollution without any loss of fuel economy.

This press release from the school says the report, prepared by Gregory Shaver, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, doctoral student Dave Snyder and undergraduate Chris Satkoski, found that upping that mix to 20 percent would have even greater results:

The university’s Technical Assistance Program at the Purdue Research Park arranged for the engineers to prepare the study for IndyGo Public Transportation Corp., which provides mass transit in Indianapolis. The report was presented to Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard earlier this month at Purdue’s Ray W. Herrick Laboratories in a visit organized by the university’s Energy Center.

“In our assessment, we would recommend going to B20,” Shaver said. “We also saw a significant benefit to using the diesel-electric hybrid buses, so we would recommend increasing the number of hybrids in the fleet. The best bang for your buck might be running B20 in hybrid buses, depending on the initial cost of hybrids compared to standard buses.”

The researchers say switching to B20 could save Indianapolis 360,000 gallons a year, while significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

The National Biodiesel Board has teamed up with two companies to launch a pilot program to show how much lower emissions are using biodiesel. NBB, along with Chicago-based Indigenous Energy, LLC, developers of emissions tracking systems, and Los Angeles-based States Logistics, a fleet and logistics company using clean technology, to put together the six-month over-the-road test.

This press release from the NBB says when they are finished, they’ll put together a report that quantifies States Logistics’ emissions and carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction from using biodiesel:

So far, results for May and June showed a 16.5 ton reduction in CO2 emissions.

States Logistics uses B5 and B99 in seven 2007 trucks, running on average approximately 27,000 miles a month. The pilot program takes into account several areas to measure carbon footprint including vehicle type, distance traveled, number of gallons used, percentage of biodiesel used and biodiesel feedstock type, such as soybean oil. The end result is a report on total CO2 emitted from both the petroleum diesel and biodiesel, CO2 reduction from using biodiesel and the quantifiable cost to offset petroleum CO2. The results will be presented at the Mid-America Trucking Show in March.

Eventually, the information can be used by companies to sell carbon offsets. But for now, States Logistics is using it to demonstrate to its customers why it uses biodiesel and how it is good for the Earth… a goal the NBB has in mind:

“When we announced the BioTrucker Fuel Card last year at GATS, we thought about next steps for providing value to cardholders,” said Tom Verry, Director of Outreach and Development for NBB. “This CO2 reduction reporting could become a value-add report for fleets to use as a publicity tool for their customers.”

Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group has announced it has the technology to produce biodiesel from algae on a commercial scale.

This article from Biodiesel Magazine says while the biodiesel maker isn’t producing algae itself, it is providing the crucial elusive step for some companies that are producing the slimy feedstock:

REG has adapted it multi-feedstock technology to refine oil from a variety of algae strains and produce biodiesel exceeding ASTM standards. The results indicate the process can be commercialized when sufficient quantities of algae oil become available. At this time, REG is working with algae companies to develop their process. “We have worked with a variety of algae companies that we think will become producers,” said Daniel Oh, chief operating officer of REG. “We can work with algae companies who are trying to define what they are trying to do from a strain selection perspective to the smartest way to scale up to a commercial scale.”

REG officials believe companies will be able to provide them with algae oil on a commercial scale in the next three to five years.

Lake Erie Biofuels, the Pennsylvania biodiesel maker with a 45-million gallon a year biodiesel refinery on the shores of Lake Erie (so it’s not just a clever title) is reportedly considering building a pipeline from its plant to the ports of Erie, PA… but company officials aren’t saying much about the project.

However, the Erie Times-News did find somebody who would talk:

Raymond Schreckengost, executive director of the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority, said the authority has had “very preliminary” discussions with a company about the project.

The pipeline would probably be about 6 inches in diameter and would follow the path of an existing sewer line that extends from the former International Paper Co. property, where the biofuels plant is located, to the city’s wastewater treatment plant and then to the port’s facilities.

The article goes on to say that Lake Erie Biofuels plans to pay for the pipeline itself, if it decides to build it, IF it is economically feasible. Port authority officials say they would help the company find a grant to help fund the project, if needed.

A non-profit group dedicated to making sure that the production of biodiesel is a sustainable proposition is looking for your input how to keep biodiesel refining, well, sustainable.

The Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance (SBA) has released a first draft of its “Principles and Baseline Practices for Sustainability” for a 45-day public comment and review period. This post on the gas2.0 web site has more details:

The opening paragraph of the report succinctly sums up what their vision of sustainable biodiesel production is:

* Use waste oils and rendered oils as a biodiesel feedstock before using crops
* Make sure that the energy put in to making biodiesel is less than the energy produced
* Use local feedstocks whenever possible

Once again, you can read the draft document for yourself by clicking here. Don’t forget to give the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance your two cents worth as well.