energy.agwired.com

Here’s today’s post from contributing blogger JW:

Because I like to practice what I preach, I stopped in my local MFA BreakTime about three weeks ago and dropped off a letter asking them to sell biodiesel. In that request, I pledged to purchase all my fuel there if they were to offer it. Curious to see what they thought, I stopped in again today and asked them if they were going to carry biodiesel. The answer was they were waiting for an answer from corporate.
I have no doubt this is true, because I think all BreakTimes are corporate owned. But I’m hopeful that they will grant my wish, since they are one of the biggest suppliers of biodiesel in Missouri. I’ll be sure to let you know how it turns out. As we saw in a recent post, gasoline suppliers are rushing to add ethanol and biodiesel to their mixtures, because MTBE is nasty stuff that they want to phase out. Even if they don’t do it on their own, there is legislation in this state to require it. Biofuels will soon be part of the blend, and it makes sense, even with the hurdles of distribution and supply. If you can’t find biofuel mixtures at your favorite gas stop, maybe all you need to do is ask. Link for suppliers:
http://www.biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel/retailfuelingsites/showstate.asp?st=MO
Links for Missouri bills:
http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/bills/HB1270.htm
http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/bills/HB1369.htm

Editor’s note: MFA Oil has been a leader in providing 10 percent ethanol blends at the pump. The MFA website has a page about what they are doing to reduce dependence on imports of energy products. “Because MFA Oil is a farmer-owned cooperative, marketing “home-grown” fuels is a natural for our company,” says the site. With regard to biodiesel, MFA says:
In 1993 we worked with the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council to make soy biodiesel available to three rural electric cooperatives in central and northeast Missouri that were field-testing the fuel as part of research conducted by the University of Missouri. In early 2002 MFA Oil made Soyplus® biodiesel available at bulk oil plants throughout our market area. We actively promote the product through advertising and other sales efforts. So, it’s available from corporate and if enough people ask for it, I would think local BreakTimes would sell it.

Northwest-based restaurant chain The Holland, Inc. is sending off it’s used cooking oil to be converted into biodiesel. According to a company release, all 39 Burgerville locations throughout the Pacific Northwest will have their used cooking oil picked up by Portland-based MRP Services and taken to a processing plant where the oil is transformed into methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerin (a byproduct) through a process called transesterification. Besides the Burgerville chain, The Holland also owns Beaches and noodlin’ restaurant chains and they are big on “sustainable practices.” MRP Services sees big potential in biodiesel according to commercial accounts manager Will Craig. “Our pump truck division, which picks up the oil, has become the largest division within MRP Services. With the amazing amount of growth within the biodiesel industry and a company like The Holland using their cooking oil for biodiesel, MRP expects that it won’t be long before the cooking oil collection becomes a division on its own.”