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July is the time to celebrate Independence Day, but, unfortunately, the United States is still a long way from declaring energy independence.

Home-grown, renewable fuels are one part of the answer when it comes to meeting America’s fuel needs, and soybean farmers and their soybean checkoff have been working to develop, test and prove the value of soy biodiesel for nearly two decades now. The results of that work have proven the value and effectiveness of soy biodiesel and its benefits as a cleaner burning “green” choice.

Recently, a complete “green” fuel station opened in Lawrence, Kansas. Harold Kraus, a National Biodiesel Board Director and Kansas soybean farmer Harold Kraus was there.

“This brings all the fuels together at one pump: B2, B10, B20, B30 and B100,” says Kraus, talking about the Zarco 66 Earth Friendly Fuels Station. It’s the state’s first blender pump where the mixing of the biodiesel and the pricing is done right at the pump. “You’ve got an easy way to select the blend you want for biodiesel.”

Making soy biodiesel more accessible to truckers, farmers and other users has been a primary goal of soybean checkoff investments. A biodiesel user on his own farm, Kraus says he believes strongly that soybeans can be efficiently and effectively used as both a food crop and a fuel crop to the benefit of all.

“We’re only taking the oil out of the soybeans. We’re not taking anything out of the food system,” says Kraus. He points out that the soybean meal still goes into the animal feed industry, and nothing is being taken from consumers… only value being added at the farm gate.

The production of the cleaner, greener soy biodiesel fuel has been growing at a rapid pace. Last year in the U.S., about 450 million gallons of biodiesel were produced.

The president of a New York City biodiesel company is encouraging his industry to “push back” against the myths put out about the green fuel.

Biodiesel Magazine reports Brent Baker, president of Tri-State Biodiesel got tired of dispelling misinformation about biodiesel: Isn’t it the reason people are starving? Doesn’t it take more energy to make than it creates? What about greenhouse gas emissions and the rainforests?:

Baker became so frustrated about having to constantly defend biodiesel to people who were being misled by incorrect information that he decided to do something about it on a larger level. A few months ago, he began writing statements to potential clients and other interested parties setting the facts straight about biodiesel. Now, he’s heading a national “grassroots” movement for others to do the same. “I like to call it a ‘push back’,” Baker said.

One of the things he’s frustrated about is that all biofuels are constantly lumped into one group by the mainstream media and biodiesel is often referred to as being the same as corn ethanol. “We’re going to try to do what we can here in New York and with our circle of colleagues in the biodiesel industry to push back on that,” Baker said. “I think our society is sophisticated enough now that we can say “biodiesel” when we’re talking about biodiesel and “ethanol” when we’re talking about ethanol.”Read More

Researchers at Rice University are finding more uses for the glut of glycerin brought about by the rise in popularity of biodiesel.

A story from the school says the researchers have found a way to use E. coli and other bacteria to turn glycerin into chemicals formate, succinate and other valuable organic acids. The article says the work is being featured in the journal Metabolic Engineering:

“Biodiesel producers used to sell their leftover glycerin, but the rapid increase in biodiesel production has left them paying to get rid of it,” said lead researcher Ramon Gonzalez, Rice’s William W. Akers Assistant Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. “The new metabolic pathways we have uncovered paved the way for the development of new technologies for converting this waste product into high-value chemicals.”

About one pound of glycerin, also known as glycerol, is created for every 10 pounds of biodiesel produced. According to the National Biodiesel Board, U.S. companies produced about 450 million gallons of biodiesel in 2007, and about 60 new plants with a production capacity of 1.2 billion gallons are slated to open by 2010.

A year ago, this same team of Rice researchers found a way to convert glycerin into ethanol… at a cost of only about 40 percent of getting the green fuel from corn. This latest discovery is expected to help the bottom line of biodiesel producers.

Regulators have given Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group (REG) the green light for finalizing its buy of a U.S. Biodiesel plant in Houston, Texas.

This article from the Central Valley Business Times says REG will start producing biodiesel on July 7th:

The REG Houston facility could produce 35 million gallons per year it it runs at, or near, full capacity, the company says.

The facility includes an on-site laboratory, raw material and finished product storage as well as truck, rail, deepwater and pipeline access.

All former U.S. Biodiesel Group employees at the Houston facility will remain on the job as REG staff.