Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance certifies Big Island Biodiesel

The Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance announced April 22 that it has certified Pacific Biodiesel, Hawaii’s award-winning and internationally recognized producer of renewable fuels and the only commercial biofuel producer in the state, and its Big Island Biodiesel plant for showcasing sustainable biodiesel production and distribution practices.

With a nameplate production capacity of 5.5 MMgy and utilizing state-of-the art distillation technology to produce the highest quality biodiesel in the country, the plant is the first biodiesel facility of its kind in the U.S. to earn this certification.

The certification, awarded by the nonprofit Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance, is twofold:

-Big Island Biodiesel earned “Gold Certified” status as a biodiesel producer with a score of 78 of 100.

-Pacific Biodiesel/Big Island Biodiesel earned “Platinum Certified” status as a biodiesel distributor with a score of 92 of 100.

“The SBA is very pleased with the results of the certification audit, and applauds Pacific Biodiesel for being a leader in sustainably produced biodiesel,” said Jeff Plowman, vice-chair of the SBA.

The certification process included an audit performed by independent third-party auditor Chris Garth of Carolina Management System Services Inc.

“It was a pleasure auditing the management systems of Pacific Biodiesel,” Garth said. “The biodiesel produced at Big Island Biodiesel is made efficiently, yielding high-quality fuel that meets ASTM D6751, and in an organizational culture that scores very high—and drives continual improvement—in quality, environmental, health, safety, and sustainability metrics.”

The certification process evaluated a variety of production and distribution practices including:

-Control of air emissions

-Reduced water consumption

-Continuous improvement toward zero-waste production

-Lower energy consumption

-Development of sustainable purchasing policies

-Creation of diverse community benefits

“We are thrilled to hear today’s announcement from SBA’s Certification Committee,” said Jenna Long, director of operations for Pacific Biodiesel. “This gives our entire team a great sense of pride and reinforces our company’s mission to make clean, renewable fuels in the most sustainable and community-focused manner possible. We also received valuable input during the certification process so that we can continue to improve the sustainability practices of our facility.”