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Biodiesel in Trucking in Two New Ways
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Truckers can now find biodiesel more easily, and have incentives for its use as well. Businesses that want to ship “green” can now find truckers who use biodiesel through the EPA SmartWay Grow and Go program. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) announced they have teamed up to match shippers with truckers using biodiesel, as well as to educate the truck market about biodiesel. Plus, ProMiles® and NBB announced that truckers can now use their laptops to find truck accessible biodiesel fueling sites along their planned routes.
The SmartWay Transport Partnership is an innovative collaboration between the EPA and the freight industry. Its goal is to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution. EPA SmartWay Grow & Go will also help reduce U.S. dependence on petroleum.
Members of EPA SmartWay Grow & Go include owner-operators, trucking fleets, suppliers, brokers and anyone who is interested in reducing fuel use, emissions reduction and sustainable trucking practices.
Meanwhile, NBB, ProMiles, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) are working together to produce a continuously updated and accurate list of truck-accessible biodiesel locations to be included in mapping software. The first set of locations is now incorporated into ProMiles XF® software, the commercial vehicle/truck routing and mileage software, available for professional truckers.
ProMiles XF software is available on CD and features address-to-address truck routing. Truck accessible fueling locations are clearly marked for pre-route planning or on-the-road searches, without the need for Internet access. Now, truck accessible fueling locations that carry biodiesel can be found, along with information including the blend, such as B20 (20% biodiesel and 80% petro-diesel), hours of operation, and more. The first release of software includes a subset of truck accessible biodiesel locations out of the nearly 600 that are identified on the NBB’s trucking Web site, BioTrucker.com. The NBB will continue to add more locations as OPIS IDs are assigned.
Both announcements were made at the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) in Dallas recently; EPA and NBB co-sponsored the SmartWay “Get Green” Trucking Summit.
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BQ-9000 Certification Crosses the Canadian Border
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The BQ-9000 biodiesel quality assurance program is becoming the international leader in biodiesel quality assurance. Canadian Bioenergy Corporation has recently become the first BQ-9000 Certified Marketer of biodiesel in Canada.
Meanwhile the list of elite companies who have attained the highest level of quality certifications in both producing and marketing biodiesel grew to three. Renewable Energy Group®, Inc. (REG®), earned the status of Certified Marketer from the National Biodiesel Accreditation Committee (NBAC).
“Quality is everything -- it's always been our top priority and the BQ-9000 process was a natural evolution for our operations,” said Alex Russell, Assistant Director of Fuel Operations at Canadian Bioenergy. “Our customers, from coast to coast, have consistently told us how critical it is to their success, as end-users and as resellers.”
“We want to ensure that every gallon of high quality biodiesel that leaves one of our production facilities is handled properly all the way to the fuel tank of a school bus, commercial truck, tractor or diesel vehicle,” said REG chief executive officer Jeff Stroburg. The company already held the distinction of Accredited Producer under BQ-9000. The other two companies with dual certification – holding both Accredited Producer and Certified Marketer status – are Peter Cremer North America and FUMPA Biofuels.
BQ-9000 is a voluntary fuel quality assurance program, adopted by the National Biodiesel Board and the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association. The voluntary program couples universally accepted quality management systems with the biodiesel product specification ASTM D-6751 for production (Accredited Producer) and for marketing (Certified Marketer).
In Other REG News
Renewable Energy Group®, Inc., has been named one of the nation’s fastest growing private companies by Inc. Magazine. It was singled out as the first biodiesel company to make the Inc. 500 list, and is the seventh fastest growing energy company nationwide, according to the September issue. REG offers a variety of plant and marketing services, and markets SoyPOWER® biodiesel.
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AFVi Offers Alt Fuel Vehicle Use Seminar
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The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVi) will host the Biofuels Drive Economic Solutions Forum in Las Vegas, Thurs., Sept. 20. The Forum focus is on biodiesel and E85 and is designed as part of AFVi’s Learning Marketplace to introduce fleets and decision-makers to a wide range of information on the fuels, the vehicles and available incentives.
Participants will hear from Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB); Ramiro Lopez, City of Dallas; Dan Hyde, Fleet Manager for the City of Las Vegas; Patrick Davis, U.S. Department of Energy; Michael Mann, U.S. EPA; Robert White, Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC); Frank Giordano, Clark County School District; and Chris Cassidy, U.S. Department of Agriculture Business and Cooperative Programs.
Kicking off the morning will be Michael Caudill, President of Driven Media Communications and car correspondent for KTLA, Los Angeles’ biggest morning news show. Caudill shares his expertise on what’s driving changes in the automotive market. David Freeman, President of the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners and author of the new book Winning Our Energy Independence, is the luncheon keynote speaker. The iconic energy guru offers a clear and candid look at the U.S. energy puzzle, including the promise of biofuels.
This Forum is sponsored by the Las Vegas Regional Clean Cities Coalition, NBB, and EPIC. The event runs from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. To register, go to the AFVi website and sign up today.
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GROWMARK Honors NBB, CEO for Renewable Fuels Leadership
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A leading agricultural cooperative and petroleum distributor has recognized the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and its CEO Joe Jobe for leadership and vision in the biofuels industry. GROWMARK presented the annual “Friend of GROWMARK” award at the company’s annual meeting in Chicago. The company gives the award to individuals and organizations for their contributions to the well-being of cooperatives and agriculture.
“GROWMARK is proud to partner with Jobe and the NBB, champions for the GROWMARK System's role as a marketer and fellow promoter,” said Bill Davisson, GROWMARK CEO. “We appreciate their commitment to the industry and value their friendship.”
Jobe has served with NBB for 10 years, and under his leadership, the young industry has enjoyed major successes. These include the passage of a federal tax incentive and other significant initiatives that have created a favorable climate for the industry to grow. Today there are 151 biodiesel plants coast to coast, up from just 86 plants this time last year.
“Recognition like this is truly an honor, especially coming from a forward-thinking company like GROWMARK,” Jobe said. “In 2002, GROWMARK became the first petroleum distributor to join NBB. Because biodiesel fits into our nation’s petroleum infrastructure, the success of our industry is in many ways a result of companies like GROWMARK opening their arms to biodiesel, recognizing all the good it can do for our energy economy.”
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Jay Leno’s Biodiesel EcoJet Catches Attention of Ag Secretary
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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns (photo, R) and thousands of attendees at the Farm Progress Show last week got to see what millions have heard about on late night television. Tonight Show host and auto enthusiast Jay Leno has worked with GM in developing the EcoJet concept car that is propelled by a jet engine powered by B100 biodiesel. To build on this positive recognition of biodiesel’s benefits, New Holland displayed Leno’s EcoJet in its exhibit at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill. on Aug. 28 and 29.
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) CEO Joe Jobe appeared with Leno in a webisode of Jay Leno’s Garage earlier this year. Leno uses biodiesel in the New Holland tractor that moves his cars in the garage. Leno also did a three-part series on the EcoJet.
“The EcoJet is one more example of how biodiesel enhances future vehicle technology,” said Jobe. “We appreciate the support of Jay Leno and New Holland for bringing the EcoJet to the Farm Progress Show. It helps us raise awareness for the important role that biodiesel plays in our nation’s energy security.”
Click here for sound clips, photos and more. Don Scott, NBB technical and regulatory engineer, has also traveled across the nation with the EcoJet on a promotional tour.
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Safe Fuel for Safeway
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The grocery chain Safeway’s distribution fleet in Arizona has recently switched to using a biodiesel blend. Safeway operates a fleet of 79 trucks in Arizona, and is using B20, a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel.
According to www.safeway.com, the company is also operating its 550-truck fleet in California on B20. By using biodiesel in those two areas, 69 percent of Safeway’s diesel purchase is now B20. Switching to B20 in Arizona and California reduces Safeway's CO2 gas output by 23,021 metric tons per year, and the company says that is equivalent to 4,983 passenger cars not being driven for a year.
Besides being safer for the environment, biodiesel is safer to handle than diesel fuel, with a higher flashpoint.
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Cities Giving Buses a Boost with Biodiesel
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Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro Transit in August began doubling the biodiesel content of its fuel to a 10 percent blend (B10) fleet-wide. Santa Monica is also taking it to the streets - biodiesel, that is. Its Blue Bus system runs on biodiesel blends.
In March 2008, Metro Transit will double its biodiesel again to 20 percent. Thereafter, it will alternate with a 20 percent (B20) summer blend between March and November and a 10 percent (B10) biodiesel content during winter months, city officials say.
“The key advantage to biodiesel is that it lessens our dependence on non-renewable fossil fuel – much of which is expensively imported from foreign sources in troubled parts of the world,” said Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb.
This action will reduce the agency’s consumption of diesel fuel by 1.2 million gallons annually, Lamb said. Metro Transit has been using a five percent soy-based biodiesel mixture for the past 14 months.
Santa Monica’s Big Blue buses, and – a new addition – Mini Blue buses (shorter buses, more routes and reduced fares) feature biodiesel use and other eco-friendly practices such as recycling bus tires for pavement.
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NBB and National Biodiesel Foundation Workshops Forthcoming
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The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) continues its educational efforts on methanol safety. NBB is working with Methanex, the world's largest producer of methanol to host a web-based teleseminar on safety, to be held Oct. 24. This free workshop will be open to NBB members and other methanol handlers. Click here to register for Oct. 24.
The NBB began offering these last year, recognizing methanol safety, legal and environmental issues as a serious issue deserving focus. More methanol safety training sessions will be offered as needed. Methanex, an NBB member, is headquartered in Canada.
Various areas of the country will host biodiesel workshops for petroleum distributors, thanks to grants awarded to select Clean Cities Coalitions. These Department of Energy program coalitions will educate petroleum marketers, fleet managers and other officials about biodiesel fuel quality and ideal management practices.
The Maryland Energy Administration, the Clean Cities program and the National Biodiesel Foundation (NBF) teamed up to award grants to Ohio; New Mexico; Columbia/Willamette, Ore.; South Carolina; Puget Sound; Philadelphia; Colorado; Virginia and the Triangle area, North Carolina, Clean Cities. The goal of these seminars, and of Clean Cities, is to increase the use of alternative fuels in metropolitan areas.
The workshops, which began in July, will run through Oct. 31, with some of the awardees presenting encore workshops. The scheduled workshops are as follows:
Ohio: Sept. 12, 13, 19 & 20
North Carolina: Sept. 18 & Oct. 24
Oregon: Sept. 19
South Carolina: Sept. 19
For a complete list of dates with locations, please check www.biodiesel.org/events. The NBF was created to conduct outreach, education, research and demonstrations for the advancement of biodiesel and its co-products.
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Upcoming Events
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