Biofuels digest just published a story entitled “The U.S. Biodiesel Revival”.

It speaks of the re-birth of the American Biodiesel industry. It also revisits Impurium biofuels one of our nations leading biodiesel producers. The section regarding  Optimism Revives with RFS2 depicting how  EPA finally issued rules for the revised Renewable Fuel Standard, which called for a rapid expansion in biodiesel blending, and also qualified biodiesel as an advanced biomass fuel.

As we have seen it is not really a tax credit issue that has killed biodiesel, it is a “CHEAP FEEDSTOCK” solution that has hurt the industry the most. This story also talks about the utilization of less popular feedstocks that actually work and are very cheap to obtain.

What’s the bottom line? Biodiesel is finally on the rebound and it’s what we all have been waiting for. Check out the full story for yourself here: http://tinyurl.com/2e5nsg9

Do not forget!   Please sign our bio-diesel mandate petition here:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/mandated-biodiesel-blend.html

Stay Green!

Although bio diesel production has gained huge popularity only recently, it is not a new idea. The idea was present when the first diesel engine was developed since peanut oil was used to fire the first compression-ignition engine.This should not be forgotten when one wants to learn how to make bio diesel.

Bio diesel therefore refers to the non-petroleum-based fuel made from animal or vegetable fat. This fuel is usually mixed with ordinary diesel or used alone with an ordinary diesel engine. As such it is a viable alternative fuel source especially with the increase in fossil fuel prices.

Since the production process is quite easy, it makes it possible for one to learn from different sources. Considering the production materials, there is a very wide variety used in producing the diesel ranging from rapeseed, soybean oil and other feedstock. In some cases, it is also possible to extract the diesel from used vegetable oils from hotels. Animal fats such as chicken fat, tallow are also other viable sources. Apart from these oils, the diesel can also be extracted from algae although this is not feasible for commercial production.

The first step when you want to learn the art of making bio diesel is identifying the source oil. This is because the process varies slightly with different materials. Some of the materials will also necessitate the acquisition of special equipment like a bio diesel processor. Some of the cases however do not require such equipment like in the case of making the diesel from used cooking oil with methanol and sodium hydroxide. This method however, does not produce large amounts.

After establishing the oil source, the next step is testing it. This is necessary since the quality of your final product is usually determined by the ingredients. The two main factors that determine the quality of bio diesel you get are how acidic the source oil is and how wet it is.

The best oil sources, which will make the process easier, are those with relatively low water and acidic content. This necessitates the need to learn how to test the oil using different methods such as heating or using a water testing kit. Acidity is tested by adding the oil to a pH neutral alcohol, a process called titration.

Another major step when making bio diesel is filtration. This is done when using used vegetable oil and helps remove food particles and any other contaminants. Filtering is done mostly with drum filters which are very effective. You should learn about micron rating as it will help you select the most effective filter. The smaller the rating number, the smaller the holes in the filter will be.

Before you can embark of full production of bio diesel a test batch is very important. You should therefore learn how to make this using items obtained from the local grocery stores. You will also need to obtain the actual production equipment. Some of the equipments needed include oil collection containers, oil transfer and filtering capability, a bio diesel processor and bio diesel washing vessel. You also require storage containers, transfer pumps and a titration kit.

The intended production capacity will be one of the main determinants of the equipment you acquire. With these you should be prepared to learn how to make bio diesel.

Locate those many choices for renewable energy by looking online. One choice you have will be biodiesel. To learn more about it head online today to learn those benefits. Don’t reprint the same version as everyone else. Get your own unique content Renewable Energy article here.

A new biodiesel production system has been delivered to a US Navy base in Southern California, so it can produce its own renewable fuel.

Modular Biodiesel Plant

Locally-based Biodiesel Industries, Inc., has been working with the Navy and aerospace technology firm Aerojet to set up a highly-automated production facility at the Naval Base Ventura County.

The project at the base located north-west of Los Angeles centers around an ARIES biodiesel plant – an Automated Real-time, Remote, Integrated Energy System.

The system can produce around 3-10 million gallons of biofuels per year to act as a replacement for the Naval Base’s petroleum-sourced diesel fuel. It could also produce heat for use on the base.

Russell Teall, President and Founder of Biodiesel Industries said: “The Integrated Energy System incorporated into ARIES will eventually allow us to generate our own heat and power, and to feed the surplus into a local micro-grid.”

It can be operated remotely, while its automated technology can control key chemistry and processing parameters to ensure optimized production capacity, according to Biodiesel Industries.

The company hopes the Naval project could act as a springboard to spread the use of the ARIES automated biodiesel system around the world.

Michael Cassady, Biodiesel Industries’ Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer said: “ARIES is ready now to be deployed on a global basis. The ARIES platform fundamentally transforms biodiesel production and makes this possible.”

Naval Goals

The US Navy is currently working to cut petroleum use in its non-tactical vehicle fleet in half by 2015 while also developing biofuels for use in its ships (see this BrighterEnergy.org story).

Our methods of feedstock development make ARIES an ideal solution for a globally distributed network of biodiesel production facilities” - JJ Rothgery, Biodiesel Industries

The move is being taken to improve its energy security, reducing its reliance on foreign oil, as well as environmental and economic considerations.

Global Independence

It has been reported the US government currently spends 5 dollars in transportation cost for every 1 dollars it spends on fuel in remote areas of the world such as Afganistan. A modular biodiesel processor that can produce fuel from variable feedstocks is a move towards fuel independence for the U.S. Military in its worldwide operations. Modular biofuel processing units co-location is not a new idea, but this is the first time the Navy has made a large move of this kind towards securing it’s global fuel supply using alternatives. GO NAVY!

The next few months could be “make or break time” for the soy biodiesel industry in the U.S.

Biodiesel faces several challenges right now, including the high cost of the feedstock and the loss of the one dollar biodiesel blenders’ tax credit, which Congress allowed to expire on December 31^st.  Indications are that most biodiesel plants have ceased production as they await Congressional action on the tax credit, which may not happen until March.

In Iowa, the state’s Renewable Fuels Association has launched a campaign to highlight the importance of biodiesel—and renewable fuels, in general—to Iowa’s economy.  Monte Shaw is the executive director ofIRFA. “We’ve got a lot of exciting thing coming down the road for this industry—things that are going to really redefine renewable fuels for the future,” says Shaw. “Whether it’s exciting feedstock projects like the algae project at Shenandoah, or maybe it’s the biorefinery  project that’s scheduled to go into Newton.”

Good reasons, Shaw says, to keep Iowa’s biodiesel industry viable.

“If we let the current biodiesel industry wither away and lose the jobs we have today, it also means we’re not going to be the place—we’re not going to be the state—where those next generation investments and next generation jobs come either,” he says.  “So we’re really at a turning point, not just for the investors and jobs of today, but for making Iowa the place to be for the future of this industry as well.”

In addition to the federal tax credit extension, Shaw says IRFA will also be lobbying for a five percent biodiesel mandate in the Iowa legislature.

“We really do need a B5 fuel quality standard to create a low level of demand,” says Shaw. “It’s constant, it’s year-around, it’s predictable—and that’s what can help these plants cash flow during the good times and the bad times.”

A bill creating a B5 fuel quality standard passed the Iowa Senate in 2009, but time ran out before the Iowa House could consider the legislation.

The $1-a-gallon tax credit that keeps the industry afloat is due to expire Dec. 31, and lobbyists for biodiesel producers and soybean growers are scrambling to get Congress to enact an extension before lawmakers leave town for the holidays.

The House included an extension of the subsidy in a package of extensions for other business tax credits. However, the Senate has so far failed to act on the issue.

A House Democratic aide said Wednesday that there have been a “number of conversations” with Senate leaders about the issue, but that the Senate only has time to deal with health care and a defense bill. Press representatives for Senate leaders had no immediate comment on the issue.
Were the tax credit to lapse, “it would be a devastating blow to the industry,” said Michael Frohlich, a spokesman for the National Biodiesel Board.

Biodiesel plants could shut down or reduce production if the tax credit lapses, said Daniel Oh, president and chief operating officer of the Ames-based Renewable Energy Group Inc., which operates biodiesel plants in Iowa and other states.

If biodiesel production is limited, it could have a detrimental effect on the price of soybeans and other feedstocks utilized to produce biodiesel,” he said.
Biodiesel producers have been struggling to stay in business for some time because of the relatively high prices of their main feedstock, soybean oil, and the global recession, which has dampened fuel demand. They were dealt another blow early this year when the European Union imposed tariffs on imports of the U.S. product to offset the value of the tax subsidy.

U.S. biodiesel production is down 30 percent this year from 2008, and the industry is operating at about 15 percent of its production capacity.
A recent study by industry consultant John Urbanchuk warned that the “biodiesel industry could be expected to collapse” if the tax credit is removed.

With the tax credit, producers earned about 26 cents a gallon over their production costs in November.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Ia., said the uncertainty about the tax credit raised questions about the commitment of Democratic leaders to alternative fuels.

“This lack of action so far is especially inexcusable, considering the House and Senate have been in session nearly continuously for months,” he said.
John Hoffman of Waterloo, a former president of the American Soybean Association, said the tax credit is “essential to the continuation of the biodiesel industry.”

The new ASTM D6751 Cold Soak Filtration test left many biodiesel producers and consumers out in the cold. In response, Schroeder Biofuels brought Cold Clear to the market, a new proprietary multi-stage separation technology designed specifically to ensure that biodiesel products conform to the new ASTM standard for cold flow properties.

Well here is the latest update on product use. WVO Feedstock is now being cleaned with the Cold Clear system. That’s right! it is also used to filter waste vegetable oil before biodiesel processing begins.

-          Degumming

-          Free Fatty Acid Treatment

Instead of Acid Esterification the Cold Clear units are a suitable alternative to acid Esterification & FFA Treatment. This filtration system is saving time and money for biodiesel biofuel producers.

The Cold Clear TM system consists of a three-stage bank of housings using a combination of filtration and adsorption principles to capture compounds that could cause plugging or crystallization in biodiesel fluids and also yellow grease. Notably, Cold Clear TM is the premiere multi-stage treatment system for cold soak filtration & now waste vegetable oil feedstock for biodiesel production.

Maybe there are some benefits of eating fast food. The first Grease Trap Waste recycling plant in Florida is now in production. Affordable Bio Feedstock, Inc. has developed a brown grease waste recycling plant which turns grease into biofuels. The plant is located in Kissimmee, Florida, also the company’s headquarters, and the company plans on building at least 11 additional plants in Central Florida during the next 14 months. In addition to creating biofuels, the company also converts food solids into fertilizer or animal feedstock.

Remainder Waste after Processing

The company has developed a proprietary and environmentally responsible process for brown grease recycling called Thermal Depolymerization technology, which allows them to separate its contents (oil, organic solids and water) into three commercially marketable products: brown grease, nutrient rich organic solids and nutrient rich water. The plant will process 50,000 gallons of grease trap waste per day.

Grease trap waste is generated in food service establishments (not just fast foods) from fats, oils, and grease in food products and is collected in grease traps and interceptors. For the most part, the waste is being disposed of in landfills at an expense to the restaurant. In addition, the waste can cause sewage overflows costing cities time and money. That is why, says the company, that they have focused on this waste product to produce valuable products such as biofuels.

Ultimately the company will expand its production outside of Florida and into the Southwest. It looks like biodiesel enthusiasts may have some competition on their hands.
This is a great plant and run by great people with entrepreneurial spirit. I had a chance to tour the plant, and let me tell you what they went through to make it happen is nothing short of lots of hard work! I congratulate them on their continued success! Give them a call and today to find out about their process (407) 344-1194

 Accurate Biodiesel Blending is Important to building worldwide consumer confidence. The biofuels industry must work to ensure that poorly blended biofuels are caught before they get to the end user. In colder climates, the thicker layers of the fuel can congeal and plug fuel lines, injectors or filters, stopping an engine. What is this material that congeals? It has to do with the feedstock that the biodiesel it was produced from. Feed stocks, especially those produced with used cooking oils (UCO), waste vegetable oils (WVO), yellow grease or animal fats (Tallow) will produce high levels of fall out materials. These layers of material can also be caused by incomplete removal of glycerin, soaps, waxes, or resins during the Transesterification process.

Government incentives are the backbone of the biofuel industry right now. Federal and state tax incentives are based on the amount of biofuel placed in the market. Companies that over report the amount of biofuel present in an advertised blend defeat the purpose of the tax credit and reduce government revenues. Biofuel advocates are concerned that inaccurate blending and poor press reports will lessen consumer confidence in their fledgling industry.

Companies such as 70CentsaGallon.com are offering cost effective solutions through a standalone biodiesel blending unit that will scientifically blend any blend of biodiesel. It has the ability to produce biodiesel at 350 Gallons per minute and if running non-stop it could put out 180 million gallons annually. It uses an injection blending technology that surpasses any blending technology out there. This set up is a 30,000 gallon gross set up which could be configured to the needs of the customers. These larger consumers range from governmental & city fleets to large transportation companies that rely on diesel biofuel to keep cost down and help the environment.

Just like any fuel station pump, a customer can pull up, insert their credit card, and purchase any one of three blends to fuel their diesel vehicle. The fuel is blended by two electronically controlled pumps and metering valves before being sent through the filling hose to the customer’s fuel tank.

These units are self contained just run power to it and your ready to dispense fuel. No holes to dig, plumbing to run or assembly. It’s the hassle free way to introduce alternative fuels at your station, or use them for your fleet.

The blend can also be programmed to suit individual needs as well. The units handle Bio-Diesel and regular Diesel onsite blending them into B20, B50, and B99 products. Fleet operators will benefit by consistently using the correct blend for each piece of equipment.

With new technologies like onsite biodiesel blending units to ensure proper blending of the fuels, the fledgling biofuels industry can grow and ensure global consumer confidence.

Biofuel will play a very important part in meeting the worlds growing energy need, Biofuel has a place in not only our past, but in our future as well.

Size and feedstock are probably the two largest issues with biodiesel producers currently. Large plants aren’t doing well and small plants don’t make very much fuel. No matter what feedstock you choose it seems like the price is always going up. Versatility has become the name of the game and many Large traditional biodiesel facilities just do not make sense anymore. There are plenty of 100 MMgy biodiesel plants in the U.S. Mid-West; the majority are inactive right now because they’re not producing. There are not many places in the world left for a 100 MMgy plant, the majority of Large plants in the United States are just sitting dormant rusting, there’s not enough feedstock to support them currently.

Manufacturers of modular biodiesel production units believe they might have the answer. Their products are smaller and can be scaled up to various sizes when needed, plus they usually can be co-located with the feedstock source. They’re less of an investment than a larger facility, obviously, and many are capable of running multiple feedstocks right out of the box.

The fundamentals of modular production units are universal. Each unit is built at a manufacturing facility before being skid-mounted and delivered to its destination. Most, containerized units range in capacity from 1 MMgy to 5 Mmgy and can be linked together from the start to increase overall capacity although the general idea is to start small and expand as needed. Typically the feedstock supply will determine the facility size, making modular biodiesel plants an ideal choice.

You can purchase a small commercial biodiesel plant that produces 2.3 gallons per year for $50,000 from companies like Biodiesel-Equipment.com and monitor their production. The thought process is if you need to Increase or reduce production you can easily when market condition dictate action because of the small size of the plants. Smaller costs to maintain modular biodiesel production plants while keeping up with production needs & market conditions is the future of the Biodiesel Industry.