Biodiesel Magazine goes quarterly to serve growing market

BBI International is pleased to announce that due to a rebounding, growing U.S. biodiesel market, the Grand Forks, North Dakota-based publishing company is increasing print frequency of its second-longest-running publication, Biodiesel Magazine. After a prolonged downturn in the market in 2014, printing of Biodiesel Magazine was reduced from bimonthly to annually, but with 2016 representing the strongest year on the U.S. biodiesel industry’s books in recent history, BBI International is positioning to better serve the biodiesel sector by boosting publication of Biodiesel Magazine’s print edition to four times a year.

“We’ve always been big believers in biodiesel,” said Joe Bryan, CEO of BBI International. “That’s why we launched Biodiesel Magazine in the first place back in 2004. Now, with the turnaround in the market and our longstanding expert staff, we are ready to produce four issues a year to better serve our readers, advertising clients and the industry as a whole.”

Ron Kotrba, editor of Biodiesel Magazine since 2009 and staff writer for the publication since 2005, said, “With biodiesel plant expansions, retrofits and M&As topping an estimated $1 billion over the past two years, it is only fitting that the longest-running publication dedicated to biodiesel increase its presence in this growing market. While many questions exist regarding how the new administration will affect biodiesel policy, one thing is clear—the biodiesel industry perfectly exemplifies President Trump’s platform of domestic job creation, manufacturing and energy production. And given his position against U.S. tax dollars being used to support foreign manufacturing, there is a good chance for reinstatement and reformation of the now-expired $1-per-gallon biodiesel blenders tax credit to a domestic production credit.”

In 2016, the U.S. consumed nearly 3 billion gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel, but almost 1 billion gallons of this was imported, according to government data. Reforming the blenders credit to a domestic producers credit is expected to scale back imports and further revitalize the domestic biodiesel industry, which continues to house idled productive capacity. Some imports receive subsidies or tax breaks from the originating countries’ governments, and when additional U.S. incentives such as RIN, LCFS and blenders tax credits are factored in, it can be difficult for some U.S. biodiesel producers to compete.

In addition to biodiesel squarely fitting into the president’s platform, Kotrba noted Trump’s campaign commitment to the Renewable Fuel Standard and how biodiesel has been a shining example of the program’s success.

“The biomass-based diesel mandate in RFS has been growing year-over-year, now set at 2.1 billion gallons for 2018,” Kotrba said. “And the 2017 advanced biofuel category—the larger bucket in which the biomass-based diesel category is nested—is up 19 percent compared to the previous year. A majority of the undifferentiated advanced biofuels volumes is filled by biodiesel. In November, I wrote about how this 19 percent increase is an 83 percent growth opportunity for U.S. biodiesel.”

Along with its quarterly print publication, Biodiesel Magazine operates a successful website (www.BiodieselMagazine.com), a biweekly newsletter titled Biodiesel World News, a printed annual industry directory attached to the Winter Q1 edition of Biodiesel Magazine, an annual printed U.S. and Canadian biodiesel plant map, and a webinar series.

To view advertising opportunities in Biodiesel Magazine’s newly updated media kit, click here, or call your account manager at 701-746-8385 and ask for Howard Brockhouse or Chip Shereck.