Vermont Biofuel News

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:14:23 -0400

NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer Weaver / ASG Renaissance
734-904-3822
Jenna Higgins/NBB
800-841-5849
June 20, 2008

Big Win for Biodiesel: ASTM Approves New Biodiesel Blend Specifications
Automakers, Fleets Encouraged by New Biodiesel Standards

Vancouver, B.C.– The biodiesel industry is celebrating today following last night’s final vote by the ASTM International D02 Main Committee to approve a trio of long-awaited ASTM specifications for biodiesel blends. After more than five years of extensive research and subsequent balloting by the ASTM fuel experts in the blended fuel balloting process, ASTM has finally voted to approve three key sets of biodiesel specifications that should significantly bolster automaker support and consumer demand for biodiesel:

* Changes to the existing B100 biodiesel blend stock specification (ASTM D6751)
* Finished specifications to include up to 5% biodiesel (B5) in the conventional petrodiesel specification (ASTM D975)
* A new specification for blends of between 6 percent biodiesel (B6) to 20 percent biodiesel (B20) for on and off road diesel.

Automakers and engine manufacturers have been requesting a finished blend specification for B20 biodiesel blends for several years, with some citing the need for that spec as the single greatest hurdle preventing their full-scale acceptance of B20 use in their diesel vehicles.

Steve Howell, Chairman of the ASTM Biodiesel Task Force, said, “The new ASTM specifications for B6-B20 blends will aid engine manufacturers in their engine design and testing processes to optimize the performance of vehicles running on biodiesel. The new specifications will also help ensure that only the highest quality biodiesel blends are made available to consumers at the retail pump.”

Automaker Chrysler LLC was instrumental in working with the ASTM task force toward B20 specification development and approval, having supported fleet use of B20 in its Dodge Ram diesel pickups since January 2006. Chrysler Safety and Regulatory spokesman Max Gates stated, “This action by the ASTM committee is a milestone in our nation’s effort to expand the role of renewable fuels, including biodiesel, in addressing our energy, environmental and economic challenges. Chrysler LLC is committed to working with our partners in the transportation industry to build on this action and make biodiesel an alternative available to all of our customers.”

John Gaydash, Director of Marketing for General Motors Fleet and Commercial Operations, said, “The new ASTM spec for B6 – B20 is a major building block in GM’s efforts to elevate biodiesel as part of our overall energy diversity strategy. We are eager to work with the National Biodiesel Board on efforts to continue to ensure biodiesel fuel quality, as well as to increase our support for biodiesel use in our diesel vehicle lineup.” Currently, GM accepts the use of B5 in all of its diesel vehicles, and offers B20 use as a Special Equipment Option (SEO). The SEO is available to government fleets on specific configurations of the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Heavy Duty Pickups, as well as the GMC Savanna and Chevy Express Commercial Cutaway Vans.

The final passage of the new ASTM specifications for biodiesel is welcome news for fleets as well. “We have been running our entire fleet on B20 biodiesel blends for the past seven years in order to meet state requirements for alternative fuel use, and because it is the right thing to do to help clean up our environment,” said James Morwood, Fleet Services Manager for the Las Vegas Valley Water District. “In some cases that has meant exceeding the biodiesel blend level recommended by some of the automakers represented in our fleet. It is reassuring to know that those automakers now have the ASTM specifications they have said they need in order for them to fully support B20 use.”

The approval of ASTM specifications for inclusion of up to 5% biodiesel (B5) in the regular diesel fuel pool also means that biodiesel could soon become more readily available at retail fueling stations nationwide.

The ASTM International Main Committee also approved a fourth set of specifications for inclusion of B5 biodiesel in heating oil. Marketed as Bioheat®, biodiesel is gaining popularity as a home heating oil, particularly in the Northeast United States.

Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable alternative to diesel fuel and can be made from plant oils, animal fats, recycled cooking oils or new sources such as algae. Biodiesel must be properly processed to meet the approved ASTM specifications regardless of the feedstock used to produce it. Biodiesel blends up to B20 meeting ASTM specifications can be used in any diesel engine without modifications, and nearly all major automakers and engine manufacturers in the U.S. currently accept the use of at least B5, with some such as Caterpillar, Cummins, John Deere and New Holland already accepting blends of B20 or higher. Several more companies are expected to raise their approvals to B20 now that the final ASTM specifications for B6-B20 blends have been approved.

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For more information about biodiesel, including manufacturers' warranty positions for its use, visit biodiesel.org. This material sponsored by the USDA Biodiesel Education Program.

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:11:45 -0400

Biodiesel heating oil cooperative can cut costs and pollution
Kittery teams with business to offer heating alternative
Today's most viewed articles

Shir Haberman
By Shir Haberman
shaberman@seacoastonline.com
June 20, 2008 6:00 AM

KITTERY, Maine — It was decided at a meeting of the Kittery Energy Advisory Committee on Monday that the new cooperative being formed to purchase Bioheat will be handled by Cool Kittery. That would relieve the town of any potential liability and allow the expansion of the program to residents of other communities.

Bioheat is a blend of traditional No. 2 home heating oil and biodiesel. It is often referred to by the ratio of biodiesel to regular fuel. B5, for example, is 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent regular No. 2 heating oil, and B20 is 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent regular heating oil.
To take part

To join the cooperative for the 2008-09 home heating season, contact Sarah Brown at actionkittery@gwi.net or Meredith Sudborough at sudborough@gmail.com.

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from agricultural products such as soy, rapeseed or tallow. In the United States, biodiesel is primarily made from soy and used restaurant cooking oils.

"The Bioheat we will be offering comes from a local Portsmouth company, Simply Green," said Cool Kittery member Sarah Brown, who is heading up the effort to create the co-op. "All of their biofuel comes from American-grown soy."

Biodiesel was also discussed at Monday's full KAEC meeting as an alternative to the use of regular diesel in Public Works Department vehicles. While the costs are comparable to regular diesel, there is a large decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions when biodiesel is used. CO2 has been noted as one of the largest contributors to global warming.

"A U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy study has already shown soy-based biodiesel has a 78 percent carbon dioxide reduction," Brown noted. "This study takes into account everything from planting the soybeans to delivering biodiesel to the pump."

Town Manager Jon Carter said he was concerned that increasing use of biodiesel would contribute to the food crisis being created by using food crops, such as corn, to produce fuels.

Dr. Cameron Wake, a Kittery committee member and professor at the University of New Hampshire, drew an important distinction.

"Corn is not used for biodiesel," Wake said. "Soy is being used currently."

Wake said even soy is beginning to be replaced by things like algae and cellulosic products.

"What we're doing now is building a market (for biodiesel)," Wake said. "The technology will catch up, and we'll get sustainable sources later."

Part of that market could be the cooperative being set up by Cool Kittery, which Brown believes has the promise of lowering both fuel costs and pollutants.

"We are unable at this time to give a price, but we guarantee that Simply Green's Bioheat will be at least 5 cents less than your standard Number 2 home heating oil and possibly as much as 15 cents less," Brown wrote in a notice about the formation of the co-op. "Simply Green will offer all co-op members various payment plans, just like your current oil company does."

Right now, Cool Kittery just needs to know how many people are interested in the Bioheat option. Once the numbers are complied, the price will be set.

"Finally we have an alternative to standard home heating oil," said Brown. "Let's use it."

Ethanol and BioDiesel

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:08:53 -0400

There are several big differences in the production of Biodiesel and ethanol. The same Food vs Fuel debate that is happening now with corn based ethanol does not apply to soy or tallow based biodiesel. To learn more be sure to attend the VFDA Conference at Basin Harbor on May 28.
Learn more at www.vermontfuel.com

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:06:33 -0400

National Ethanol Mandate Freeze Sought

April 29, 2008
PMAA advised Congress last fall that an expanded national ethanol mandate would likely contribute to higher prices of both food and fuel. Congress decided to adopt the expanded mandate in December 2007 and now the consequences are being felt worldwide.
Because of the negative consequences, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) plans to introduce a bill this week to freeze the 2008 standard for ethanol to the 2007 mandate level of 4.5 billion gallons. Sen. Hutchinson will also call for a compete freezing of the mandate to the 2008 requirement of nine billion gallons.  Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) addressed the issue on the Senate Floor today and called on Congress to revisit the recently enacted bio-fuels mandate because of global food difficulties that have been brought on “by decades of misguided environment and energy policies.” Inhofe called on the EPA to exercise its “congressionally-given authority to waive all or portions of these food-to-fuel mandates as part of its rule-making process. The EPA must thoroughly review all options to alleviate the food and fuel disruption of the 2007 Energy Bill biofuel mandates.”  Last week, Texas governor Rick Perry sought a 50 percent waiver of the RFS mandate for the production of ethanol derived from grain. Obtaining such a waiver will be tough as Congress placed a high burden on qualification requirements. Following public notice and comment, the Administrator of EPA can waive the mandate if the Administrator determines that implementation would severely harm the economy or environment or that there is inadequate domestic supply.

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:38:43 -0400

Currently, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has a $9 million program to fund the installation of biofuel (E85 ethanol or B20 biodiesel) storage and dispensing equipment at retail fueling facilities.
NYSERDA also has programs to assist terminals with infrastructure development to store biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. To date NYSERDA has allocated over $2 million to fifteen terminals for the storage of 2.6 million gallons of biodiesel and .87 million gallons of ethanol.
NYSERDA intends to release additional rounds of this terminal program to fund increased storage capacity of these fuels.