In June, legendary singer-songwriter Willie Nelson started using B100 in his 2005 Mercedes Benz 320 CDI. According to the National Biodiesel Board, Nelson purchased the vehicle in Maui, Hawaii, and immediately filled up with pure biodiesel at Pacific Biodiesel, a Maui-based manufacturer. "I am absolutely a fan of biodiesel," Nelson said. "We should all be doing our part to reduce our reliance on foreign oil."

Nelson 'On the Road Again' with B100

Conserving natural and historic sites in the United States is the principal aim of the National Park Service. From the coastline of Cape Cod National Seashore to the lava formations of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the beauty and cultural significance of these revered places reflects the strength and diversity of America itself. Our 52 national parks provide a link to the past and an escape into the natural world, where a rich diversity of plant and animal life is protected for generations to come. 
 
 In Biodiesel Magazine's cover story, staff writers Jessica Williams, Dave Nilles and Julie Bratvold report on three U.S. national parks that have made environmentally responsible decisions to use clean, renewable biodiesel. "A Power to Preserve," on page 12, profiles the exemplary efforts of Channel Islands National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Each is making a noble effort to protect its air and water resources, in part, by using biodiesel. 
 
 Also in this issue, we catch up with Purdue University professor Bernie Tao, who together with his team of graduate and undergraduate students is developing new product applications for biodiesel and glycerin. We encourage you to discover the tireless product development efforts of "Tao's Team," on page 20. 
 
 In "Of Sunlight and Science," on page 26, contributing writer Michael Briggs of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) takes us into a fascinating world of new biodiesel production possibilities. Briggs and his UNH Biodiesel Group colleagues are exploring alternative plant feedstocks-crop residue, algae and mustard hybrids-that could open new doors for producers around the world.

 
 This is the fourth issue of Biodiesel Magazine, and certainly one of our finest. I truly cannot thank our readers, advertisers and supporters enough for making our work as meaningful as it is. It's an honor to serve such a dynamic, growing industry. 
 As always, enjoy the reading.

Editor's Note

Delaware Senate Bill 321, which calls for a mandate requiring all the diesel fuel sold in the state to be blended with 2 percent biodiesel, is making its way through the state legislature. The bill was cleared by the state Senate June 15. It was introduced into the House June 16, where it was assigned to the transportation committee. As of press time, no date had been set for a House vote. If signed into law, the mandate will go into effect in January 2006.

Biodiesel bill progresses in Delaware legislature

Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) announced July 7 that it will expand oilseed processing capacity at four of its existing U.S. facilities. The plants redeploying untapped oilseed processing capacity are located in Mankato, Minn.; Des Moines, Iowa; Lincoln, Neb.; and Enderlin, N.D. The expansion is part of ADM's ongoing "rationalization strategy" that includes boosting oilseed processing in North America. The expansion should be complete at all locations by September.

ADM redeploys oilseed processing capacity

For the second consecutive year, the world's largest ethanol industry event incorporated a seminar on the other renewable fuel-biodiesel. Once again, the event proved that industry crossover is not uncommon in the renewable fuels business. 
 
 The second annual Biodiesel 101 pre-workshop seminar, hosted by Biodiesel Magazine, was held June 22 at the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Trade Show in Madison, Wis. Seven panelists discussed biodiesel industry basics (production, legislation, fuel quality, project development, etc.) in front of nearly 90 participants.
 
 Charles Hatcher, regulatory director of the National Biodiesel Board provided an overview of the U.S. biodiesel industry, including details on various legislative bills aimed at growing U.S. biodiesel production and use. 
 
 BBI International's Brian Duff, a biochemical process engineer, discussed the basics of biodiesel production, including the chemical make up of the renewable fuel.
 
 Myron Danzer, sales and production manager of Renewable Energy Group, gave an overview of large-scale production, providing details on continuous turnkey process design. 
 
 Topia Energy President Govindh Jayaraman discussed modular unit biodiesel production. He said scalability is the strength of modular designs, since additional modules can be brought on line quickly. 	
 
 "The blueprint you start with isn't necessarily the blueprint you have to stay with for any period of time," Jayaraman said.
 Three seminar panelists discussed project development. Brian Guerrero, an attorney with Minneapolis law firm Lindquist and Vennum, spoke about developing a business plan, including information needed for a risk analysis. In the same session, Duff returned to talk about the importance of a feasibility analysis and site selection. 
 

 Denny DeVos, senior vice president of AgCountry Farm Credit Services, spoke about securing financing for a project. 
 "In a fledgling industry like the biodiesel industry, the biggest focus of a lending group is risk management programs," DeVos said, adding that it is important for project developers to build within their means. "If you have limited working capital, you are at the mercy of others for what you can do day to day."
 
 Ralph Groschen, senior agriculture marketing specialist with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, talked about the success of the Minnesota Biodiesel Task Force. He noted that the biodiesel industry is similar to the ethanol industry in that it faces many of the same critics ethanol faced during its infancy.
 
 Hatcher and Jayaraman then discussed two fuel quality programs impacting the industry. BQ9000 and Certified: BioDiesel Driven are being implemented to ensure biodiesel meets ASTM 6751 standards. The objective is to assure that biodiesel fuel is produced and maintained according to industry standards. In turn, both said, consumer confidence in biodiesel will grow.
 
 Jayaraman likened biodiesel use to dispelling the "flat tire" syndrome in which a new user will blame an unrelated problem on biodiesel. The panel agreed that overcoming such challenges could be achieved, in part, by learning from the success and failures of the U.S. ethanol industry. 
 
 "You can always do something twice as fast the second time around," DeVos said. "This industry will be able to benefit from the ethanol industry."

81-1294329259.jpg

Biodiesel seminar held at world's premier ethanol event

The government of the Philippines has looked to the United States for assistance in researching biodiesel production from coconut oil. 
 The U.S. Department of Energy and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with the U.S. Agency for International Development, have teamed up with the Philippine Department of Energy to conduct experiments intended to validate and expand upon existing coconut-to-biodiesel research. 
 
 The partnership between the two countries began in 1996 and gained momentum after U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Philippine Secretary of Energy Vince Perez signed a memorandum of understanding in January 2004. The memorandum is designed to promote the use of cleaner burning fuels in the Asian nation.
 
 Coconut-derived biodiesel is produced domestically in the Philippines, one of the main reasons the nation is trying to promote its use. 
 "The main interest in the Philippines for biodiesel is energy security at this point," said Teresa Alleman, an NREL engineer and one of the coordinators of the project. "The industry is starting with coconut biodiesel and hoping to expand." 
 The Philippines is the first nation to produce and use coconut-derived biodiesel. Today, it is used mainly in government vehicles, but officials hope the renewable fuel will become popular with the public soon. 

 
 Alleman said the goal of the research is, in part, to educate the Philippine public and boost consumer acceptance. "They're hoping to jumpstart biodiesel use on a widespread scale in the Philippines," she added. 
 
 At present, the research is still in the beginning stages. "We are hoping to start some of our fuel quality studies in the following months," said Alleman. She said that NREL hopes to have initial study results published by early 2005.

82-1294329259.jpg

U.S. helping Philippines develop coconut biodiesel

Biodiesel author and filmmaker Josh Tickell says he has raised the initial capital for his biodiesel feature film and will start shooting later this year. Tickell plans to start filming in the United States this fall before visiting up to 10 countries mainly in Europe and South America. Tickell is also preparing a follow-up to his book From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank. From the Field to the Fuel Tank, which Tickell hopes to be the definitive book on biodiesel, could be finished late this year.

83-1294329260.jpg

Tickell to begin filming biodiesel movie

A 30-day public notice period on an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for the proposed construction of the SoyMor Cooperative biodiesel plant in Glenville, Minn., ended Aug. 12. The EAW is a multi-page document produced by SoyMor and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Barbara Jean Conti of the MPCA told Biodiesel Magazine the document and the comments it generated will be used to evaluate the potential for significant environmental effects resulting from the project. The report is available online at <a target="_blank" href="http://">www.pca.state.mn.us. </a>

SoyMor EAW omment period ends

In May, Maine Gov. John Baldacci signed into law a bill offering a tax credit of five cents per gallon biodiesel produced in the state. According to the bill's sponsor, Rep. Ed Suslovic, the tax credit will encourage biodiesel production in Maine, which he hopes will create a new market for the biomass produced by the state's declining farming and forestry industries.

Biodiesel tax credit signed into law in Maine

Biodiesel use is increasing across the country and the latest pump openings are giving consumers better access to the renewable fuel. 
 In Topeka, Kan., Capital City Oil began selling B20 at a newly built fueling station in May. West Central FS Inc. is Capital City Oil's supplier.
 In Tennessee, McNutt Oil has opened three biodiesel pumps in Alcoa, Newport and Loudon. The Loudon station offered B100 in the past but recently reduced its blend to B20 to match the Alcoa and Newport stations. Griffin Industries supplied the first load of 6,800 gallons in April, which was almost used up in mid-July. 
 
 In Arkansas, Blue Seal Petroleum of Dewitt has been offering B2 blends at its Stuttgart One-Stop station since January 2004. Knox Nelson Oil Company supplies the biodiesel to the Stuttgart One-Stop through Citgo Petroleum Corporation.
 
 In Apple Valley, Minn., the Farmers Union Co-op's Apple Valley Marathon station became the first facility in the Twin Cities area to offer B2.
 In Mount Shasta, Calif., Cross Petroleum opened a B20 pump at its Pacific Pride Fueling Station on July 14.
 
 In Pennsylvania, Worley and Obetz Inc., a Manheim, Pa., energy company, opened the state's first retail biodiesel station. The Wo-Go station started selling B5 in late June. 
 
 In Oregon, Sequential Biofuels opened three biodiesel pumps in March 2004. Two B100 pumps and one B20 pump dispense the renewable fuel in Portland. Sequential Biofuels purchases its biodiesel from World Energy. 

 In Munising, Mich., Nelson Oil Co. started selling B100 and splash blending it as needed. The soy-based product became available July 1. 
 For a map of biodiesel distributors, suppliers and retailers, visit www.biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel/guide.

More U.S. biodiesel pumps emerge

Rome, Ga.-based Peach State Labs (PSL) introduced itself to the U.S. biodiesel industry June 2, unveiling a bold plan to produce as much as 36 mmgy by early 2005. In addition to oilseed feedstocks, PSL will utilize chicken grease, recycled vegetable oil and high-fat content oils in the production of biodiesel.
 

 Relatively unknown in the biodiesel industry before the announcement, PSL joins several companies delving into production ventures this year. However, despite being a new name in biodiesel production, the company is not inexperienced. PSL has been in business since 1987 and has a track record of innovation and leadership in the development of chemical products for a variety of industries. The company's history of success will undoubtedly help it cross over into renewable fuels. 
 
 The combination of industrial processing and environmental stewardship is part of PSL's tradition. In addition to biofuels production, the company services customers worldwide, focusing on key industries that include flooring, textiles, coatings and paints, consumer products, leather and institutional water treatment. In fact, the company holds over 20 federal patents and has a solid record of compliance with all federal, state and local statutes. 
 
 Environmental responsibility is a top priority with all PSL products. PSL's chemicals are developed with solution-based results, ensuring that the products are durable, safe and environmentally sound. With a focus on "green" products, as well as its core capabilities, PSL enters the biodiesel industry at a time of notably high consumer demand for clean, affordable fuels. 
 "Peach State Labs is producing biodiesel in response to rising [petroleum] prices … and strong customer demand," said Rick Sargent, president and CEO of PSL. "We also have a desire to produce environmentally-friendly products."
 
 As much as 36 mmgy
 The company is on track to produce 60,000 gallons of its trademarked "SoyMet" biodiesel this summer. Production is expected to increase to 3 million gallons per month by the end of the first quarter of 2005, according to Sargent. He added that the SoyMet product line offers zero petroleum toxins, lower emissions, low sulfur (it has 0.0003 percent sulfur), and 17,000 Btus per pound (equivalent to No. 6 fuel oil). 
 
 High petroleum prices driving market
 One factor that makes biodiesel production attractive to PSL is the current and projected prices of petroleum products. Sargent suggests that the price of fuel in Europe, where petroleum diesel is around $5 per gallon, is a sign of what's to come in the United States. 
 "The price of oil just won't be getting cheaper," he said. "The days of gasoline under $2 per gallon will soon be behind us." 
 
 The primary reason for this projection is the fact that demand is sharply increasing; yet oil production has peaked, or will peak soon. This disproportionate demand is largely due to a global population increase and the industrialization of Third World countries. According to Sargent, China, India and Russia are expecting growth of 15 percent to 18 percent in the very near future, creating further burden on the global petroleum supply. 

 
 "The increased demand for oil is problematic for those who want low prices because the discovery of oil, and its production, will peak in the near future," said Sargent, adding that North American oil production peaked in the 1970s, South American production peaked in the 1980s and Middle Eastern oil production will peak around 2020. "Then, take into account the fact that natural gas prices continue to rise. This provides a great opportunity for PSL and other biofuels producers to step in and create a supply chain to manufacturing plants now."
 
 Incentive needed
 For the biofuels industry to truly prosper, it needs more than rising energy prices. It needs legislative support. 
 "The high energy prices present a great opportunity for the U.S. government to help agriculture and really address the nation's energy challenges," Sargent said. 
 
 Passing an energy bill with a Renewable Fuels Standard, along with incentives for agriculture and other similar measures, are ways in which the government, according to Sargent, should get involved in helping the biofuels industry flourish.
 
 Entering at right time
 The actions of corporations such as Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Cargill Corp. may indicate what the future holds. "These companies are buying soybean and plant oil futures further out, so it's fairly apparent where they see the future headed," Sargent said. PSL too has been working to secure long-term commitments of soybeans from Brazil.
 
 PSL is very optimistic that, especially with the escalating pricing trends in the petroleum market, they are entering the biodiesel market at the right time. 
 
 "We should be able to make a profit and help reduce sulfur emissions at the same time," Sargent said, explaining that the company's goal is to market its fuel for use in B25 blends. "In a B25 mix, with No. 6 or No. 2 diesel fuel, the same power is produced, but the biofuel has virtually no sulfur. The fact is, with our blend, we are able to reduce sulfur emissions and compete in [the market]."

 
 Fuel for process energy
 PSL's primary customers will be manufacturing plants, where the fuel can be used as a plant boiler feedstock. "Right now natural gas is the only clean fuel manufacturers can burn, but the price is rapidly increasing," Sargent said.
 Diesel fuel, on the other hand, isn't clean and its price is increasing as well. "Biodiesel, however, is competitive in price to natural gas and can meet or exceed 2015 air standards implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency," Sargent said. "By 2015, biofuels should be cheaper too."
 
 PSL is currently focusing its marketing efforts in Georgia but expects to expand that focus as production increases. "Being located in Georgia makes the rollout in Georgia easier. Georgia is also a ripe market with air quality restrictions and a solid demand for alternative fuels," Sargent said. 
 
 PSL will kick off its production efforts at its Rome, Ga., facility. The company also recently acquired a plant in Dalton, Ga., which will help it meet its production goal of 3 million gallons per month by 2005. 
 
 Increased demand for energy products, rising prices for petroleum-based products and natural gas and a greater emphasis on the environment makes PSL optimistic about the future of biofuels. 
 
 "Our production target is to go as far as we can. It is possible we will produce even more [than 36 mmgy] in the future," Sargent said. "The fact is, the needs for alternative fuels will continue to increase, and there is currently tremendous room for renewable plant source fuel."
 "Economically, it just makes sense for us, and others, to produce biofuels," Sargent said. "The whole country, not to mention the environment, benefits." 
 
 The National Biodiesel Board reported in its newsletter that increased use of American-made fuels like biodiesel and ethanol would generate an additional $71 billion of income for the United States over the next 15 years through increased gross production and job creation. That promising outlook is encouraging to Sargent. 
 

 "The biofuels industry is on the cusp of achieving great success," he said. "As soon as the government realizes this, I think that will be a major step forward."

92-1294329266.jpg

Peach State Labs headquarters in Rome, Ga.

93-1294329267.jpg

Georgia-based Peach State Labs plans to produce 60,000 gallons of biodiesel this summer. Production is expected to reach 36 mmgy by early 2005.

Peach State Producer Crops Up

Over the past few years, the biodiesel industry has grown dramatically in the United States, with production increasing from about 500,000 gallons in 1999, to over 30 million gallons in 2003. The growth of the industry has been spurred largely by the encouragement and dedication of the soybean industry, but as the industry grows, it needs to continue looking at additional feedstocks for further expansion. Unfortunately, the oil yield per acre from soybeans is not sufficient to support unfettered expansion of biodiesel production capacity. 
 
 Additionally, the volatility of soybean oil prices creates a challenge for the biodiesel sector. The total amount of soybean oil presently produced in the United States is slightly over 2 billion gallons per year, with most of that used in the food industry. The current diesel fuel market (including off-road, on-road and heating oil) is roughly 60 billion gallons per year, with potential for considerable expansion into the light-duty vehicle market after the ultra-low sulfur diesel mandate goes into effect in 2006, permitting the use of better emissions equipment that will allow passenger cars to meet the more stringent emissions standards. 
 
 Solar energy into liquid fuels
 It is becoming increasingly obvious that the world is in fact nearing peak oil production, and sooner or later, worldwide demand for petroleum will surpass worldwide oil production capability. If that happens, bidding wars for the available petroleum would be the least disastrous scenario. The only thing that can prevent that from happening will be the development of transportation fuels capable of replacing a significant percentage of petroleum fuels, if not all of it.
 
 Is it possible for biodiesel to provide a significant chunk of this market? Consider that biodiesel, like any biofuel, is essentially chemical energy made from water, atmospheric carbon dioxide, and solar energy through the process of photosynthesis. Plants use sunlight to combine water and carbon dioxide together to make carbohydrates, oils and other molecules, some of which can be readily converted into a transportation fuel. As a result, our potential to produce biofuels depends on the energy reaching the earth from the sun, and how efficiently it is converted to fuels by plants and our processing of those plants. Average photosynthetically active solar energy hitting the landmass on earth is over 25,000 terawatts, about 2,250 times current global energy consumption. So, with a fairly efficient crop for converting this solar energy into liquid fuels, it should be possible to meet our entire energy needs with biofuels-not just for the United States but the entire planet. It's just a matter of finding the most efficient (in terms of land and energy efficiency) and economical crops, and processes for doing it.
 
 Since even the current diesel market is roughly 2,000 times greater than current biodiesel production, the potential for expansion of the biodiesel industry is enormous-far surpassing what could be supported by soybeans alone. The greatest potential for expansion of this industry will have to rely on alternative feedstocks with high yields and stable prices. For many years, researchers at several universities, a few government agencies (primarily the DOE and USDA), and a handful of small companies have been focusing on developing alternative feedstocks and alternative processes for using otherwise undesirable feedstocks. Unfortunately, this research hasn't really been put to good use yet by the industry. 
 
 While the biodiesel market is progressing nicely with the focus remaining on soybean oil and traditional transesterification, this growth rate pales in comparison to what could be achieved if the industry, farmers and researchers all worked together, bringing the research out of the lab and into the marketplace. 
 
 An issue of critical importance for new biofuels technologies and feedstocks is that they should be capable of producing significantly large quantities of fuel, or yielding high- value coproducts to lower the cost of the biofuel. Since the cost of the oil feedstock currently makes up generally 80 percent to 90 percent of the cost to make biodiesel, reducing feedstock cost can have tremendous benefits. Described below are three advancements that could make a significant impact on the biodiesel industry. The potential of each will only be realized with the involvement of the industry as a whole-farmers, producers and distributors working with researchers and bringing advancements from the lab to the market. In addition to these advancements, there are many other processes and feedstocks being investigated which could also have a very big impact. The notion of hydrogen-fueled vehicles receives considerable attention by the media, but from a scientific and engineering standpoint, it is far less feasible than these biodiesel options.
 
 High glucosinolate mustard hybrids

 Jack Brown, a plant breeder/geneticist at the University of Idaho, leads a team of researchers developing varieties of mustards (in the Brassicaceae family, like rapeseed and canola) with higher than normal levels of glucosinolates-the chemicals that give mustard its spicy flavor. These glucosinolates degrade in the presence of water and the enzyme myrosinase to form compounds such as isothiocyanates and ionic thiocyanates, which have shown pesticidal properties. 
 
 Different glucosinolate byproducts produce different effects (some make better herbicides, insecticides, etc.). When mustard seeds are crushed for oil separation, the glucosinolates remain in the seed meal, which has potential for use as a biopesticide. Planned worldwide bans on highly toxic synthetic pesticides such as methyl bromide (which depletes the ozone layer), could create an enormous market for safer biopesticide alternatives. To the biodiesel industry, the advantage is that the mustard seed meal would be far more valuable as a biopesticide than the meal from other oil bearing crops, which is used mainly as animal feed. The overall result is that mustard oil could be available in relatively large quantities at lower cost-potentially 10 cents per pound or less, resulting in biodiesel production costs around $1.10 per gallon. 
 
 Additionally, these mustards require lower energy and water inputs than many alternative crops and have excellent rotational benefits on subsequent crops. In addition, mustard biodiesel has excellent cold weather characteristics and low NOx emissions. 
 
 While two varieties of high glucosinolate mustards are already commercially available ("Ida Gold," whose meal has shown herbicidal potential, and "Pacific Gold," whose meal is more effective against insect pests), Brown and his colleagues are hoping to develop a range of "designer biofumigant" mustards whose seed meal will target specific pests. These mustards present an opportunity for farmers and the industry to work together in producing both lower cost biodiesel as well as bio-pesticides for use in intensive agricultural and horticultural situations. Approval of mustard biopesticides is currently being investigated by the EPA. If approval is granted, there could be an opportunity for farmers to grow these high glucosinolate mustard cultivars to sell to crushing plants for separation into a lower cost oil for biodiesel production and high value seed meal for sale as biopesticide. 
 
 High oil micro-algaes
 The "Aquatic Species Program" (ASP) at the U.S. DOE was the first major program to investigate the growth of high-oil micro-algaes for biodiesel production. Its research began as a means of using fast-growing algaes to sequester carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants, but a shift to using high-oil algaes sparked interest in growing algae for biodiesel production. With the demise of the ASP program in the late 1990s, there were considerable technological challenges remaining, but the program had already demonstrated the potential high-oil algaes have to offer. Since then, a few other research institutions and small private companies have picked up where the DOE left off, including the biodiesel research group at the University of New Hampshire. Since micro-algaes can grow considerably more quickly than conventional crops, and some can have very high oil content, algae has the potential to yield far more oil per acre than conventional crops. 
 
 The energy efficiency for this approach can be quite high, with the cost being the main challenge to date. The group, like some of the others working in this field, have filed a provisional patent application on its approach for reducing the costs, and increasing the energy efficiency and yield, hoping to make algal biodiesel a commercially viable option in the near future. Growing algaes on waste streams presents an exciting option for more localized production of biodiesel, as well as significantly reducing cost. Growing high-oil algaes from farm animal waste can also provide a profitable means for treating the significant environmental problems posed by waste lagoons. 
 
 Micro-algaes present a more efficient option for converting solar energy into chemical energy for fuel, because of their simple cell structure and high photosynthetic efficiency compared to most other plants. They grow immersed in water, making the supply of hydrogen plentiful. 
 
 Continuing research can also yield significant improvements over the algal oil yields seen in previous studies through such methods as decreasing the number or size of chlorophyll antenna on algae via traditional breeding or genetic manipulation, in order to reduce the light saturation issue that limits growth somewhat. 

 
 The DOE's ASP program estimated that with further technological advancements, the potential yield of fuel from high oil algaes could reach one quadrillion Btu per 200,000 hectares (494,200 acres) each year, the equivalent of over 15,000 gallons of fuel per acre per year-far higher than is achievable with traditional farm crops. The challenge to the research groups that have picked up where ASP left off is to try to achieve that potential yield-or even surpass it-and do so economically. This technology is not as ready for market as some other options, such as the high glucosinolate mustards, but its potential for extremely high oil yields is promising as a means of not merely producing a boutique fuel for a small market, but potentially weaning the nation-and the world-off of dwindling supplies of petroleum. 
 
 Thermochemical processes
 While transesterification is a very efficient process for making biodiesel from oils, with most crops there remains a significant amount of agricultural waste-essentially unused parts of the plants. Some of this is harvested, and some is left as crop residue on the land. Each year in the United States a few billion tons of agricultural waste is produced. It is desirable to leave a certain amount of this unharvested plant material on the farmland to prevent soil erosion or crusting, and to provide additional nutrients to the soil. However, there is still a significant amount that could be used for other purposes. This presents the potential for turning these otherwise low-value agricultural wastes into additional fuel through a few possible thermochemical conversion processes. These are less energy efficient than straight transesterification and generally more costly for the process itself, but the "feedstock" can be considerably lower in value. 
 
 Two thermochemical processes that could be used for this are thermal depolymerization or gasification followed by Fischer Tropsch (FT) synthesis. The former approach is being developed by Changing World Technologies in conjunction with ConAgra, initially focusing on using wastes from the meat processing industry as the cheap feedstock. FT synthesis is the same process Shell uses for making synthetic diesel from natural gas. The combination of gasification of biomass and FT synthesis to make a biodiesel fuel is being investigated by several companies and research groups, including a partnership between Shell and Volkswagen. The fuels produced in these processes are chemically different from the biodiesel we are most familiar with, but since they are also diesel fuels produced from biomass, it seems appropriate to refer to them as types of bio-derived diesels, perhaps as biodiesel.
 
 Since these processes can use otherwise very low value waste biomass, they can essentially result in additional biodiesel production without additional acreage of dedicated crops. One particularly appealing characteristic of these types of biodiesel is that the resulting fuels have much better cold weather properties than biodiesel made through transesterification of oils. As a result, these biodiesels from thermochemical conversions of waste biomass could be used as a blendstock with more common biodiesel for cold weather use, eliminating the need for blending with petroleum fuels. 
 
 As these technologies continue to improve, it is worthwhile for farmers and those in the biofuels industries to keep an eye on them to see how they can be incorporated into the current state of the industry.

94-1294329267.jpg

Soybean, rapeseed and recycled vegetable oils have taken global biodiesel production to its current height. Now, research suggests that less common plant feedstocks-crop residue, algae and mustard hybrids-might hold unparalleled potential.

Of Sunlight and Science

World Energy Alternatives LLC is re-opening and upgrading its biodiesel plant in Lakeland, Fla. The 18-mmgy plant is the largest multi-feedstock biodiesel production facility in the United States. The company's customers include the U.S. military, the U.S. Postal Service, large commercial operations and numerous government agencies.
 
 Gene Gebolys, founder and CEO of World Energy, said the Lakeland upgrade affects all aspects of the plant. "The significant new production capacity is a big boost to World Energy," he said. "This allows us to continue giving customers high-quality and consistent products. We pride ourselves on delivering consistent quality and service."
 
 Purada Processing LLC, a World Energy wholly-owned subsidiary, manages the facility. In addition to biodiesel production, Purada will produce refined glycerin. 
 
 Gebolys said the plant's ability to use multi-feedstocks helps reduce its reliance on soy oil prices. He expects Purada to help even out the peaks and valleys associated with the price fluctuations. Gebolys pointed out that although World Energy produces a very large amount of non-soy feedstock biodiesel, the company continues to promote the soy industry.
 "We are committed to the overall growth of the industry," he said.

World Energy re-opens plant in central Florida

A bill sitting in the North Carolina legislature may provide a boost to possible biodiesel and ethanol production in that state. House Bill 1636, which would create a state income tax credit for the purchasing, distribution and processing of renewable fuels, passed its second and third readings in the House and moved to the Senate's Committee on Finance on July 1. The bill was supported by all but one vote in the House.
 The bill, which would take effect no earlier than Jan. 1, 2005, covers biodiesel "derived from pure virgin soybean oil in a 2 percent minimum blend" and "ethanol or methanol either unmixed or mixed, or in mixtures with gasoline that are 70 percent or more ethanol or methanol by volume."
 
 Renewable fuel distributors would receive a 15 percent credit toward the cost of installation of a pump and storage tank for the fuel. A processor meeting certain requirements would receive a 25 percent credit toward the cost of building a plant. Taxpayers making retail purchases of the fuel would receive a 10 percent credit, capped at $350, toward the yearly cost of the fuel. A similar credit capped at $1,200 affects businesses purchasing the fuel.
 
 The bill's main sponsor, Rep. Joe Tolson, said he "wants to get something on the books to encourage both ethanol and biodiesel plants" in North Carolina.

North Carolina bill could boost biodiesel

BIOX Corp. recently announced the company's intention to scale up its 1-million liter (264,000-gallon) per year pilot plant to a 60-million liter (15.9-million gallon) per year facility in Hamilton, Ontario.
 
 The pilot plant has been operating since April 2001, BIOX's Scott Lewis told Biodiesel Magazine. As of July 19, fabrication had begun and site-planning approval was in progress. 
 "All systems are go," Lewis said. 

 
 According to a company press release, the BIOX Process is a method for turning any viable feedstock, including vegetable oils, agricultural seed oils, waste animal fats, greases and recycled cooking oils, into biodiesel at a cost comparable to petroleum diesel. 
 
 Dr. David Boocock, past chairman of the Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry Department, University of Toronto, has transformed the production process through the selection of inert co-solvents that generate an oil-rich one-phase system. This reaction is over 99 percent complete in seconds at ambient temperatures. 
 
 Sustainable Development Technology Canada has approved a $5 million contribution in principle toward the development of the BIOX Process.

BIOX Corp. to expand plant

The number of U.S. fleets using biodiesel-blended fuel continues to rise. Since the May/June issue of Biodiesel Magazine was published, a number of government- and university-operated fleets have transitioned to biodiesel blends. Here's a few that made headlines. 
 
 McDonough County fleets in Illinois began using a B2 blend in early June. Macomb city and school district vehicles, as well as Western Illinois University Go West Buses and the county's highway department, refuel with a soy-based blend. Carla Mudd of the McDonough County Farm Bureau said the fleets' biodiesel supply comes from West Central FS Inc.
 
 The city of East Lansing, Mich., has been awarded a biodiesel infrastructure grant from the State Energy Office, allowing the city to enhance its private fueling facility with a biodiesel tank and pump. The $24,000 grant will go toward one of two 25,000-gallon underground storage tanks. According to Dave Smith, an environmental specialist with the East Lansing Public Works Department, terms of the grant specify that the new pump must distribute biodiesel for three years, beginning in April 2005. Smith told Biodiesel Magazine that an estimated 125,000 gallons of biodiesel could be consumed in that time frame.
 
 Kansas University (KU) has joined the growing number of academic institutions using biodiesel in shuttle buses. KU will use a soy-based B20 blend. The Student Senate Transportation Board, which runs "KU on Wheels," is negotiating with Capital City Oil in Topeka, Kan., for a reduced price.
 
 Durango, Colo., received its first load of soy-based biodiesel in June. Approximately 60 city vehicles are using a B20 blend. Blue Sun Biodiesel of Fort Collins, Colo., supplied the fuel. The city uses an average of 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel per month, according to Fleet Manager Roy Peterson.

Macomb Mayor Mick Wisslead pumps biodiesel in McDonough County, Illinois.

84-1294329261.jpg

U.S. fleets continue to adopt biodiesel blends

Biodiesel Magazine: Greenergy-it's an interesting company name. Tell us what the company does, and who it serves. 
 
 Clarke: Greenergy is the United Kingdom's leading importer, blender, trader and marketer of petrol and diesel. Greenergy is also a major player in the UK biodiesel industry. As an established oil company with links to the agricultural community and a leading environmental brand, Greenergy is ideally positioned to exploit the biodiesel market through the construction of a biodiesel plant. It has the experience and infrastructure allowing it to handle the diesel as well as the biodiesel component of biodiesel blends and benefits from established relationships with the petroleum oil majors. Greenergy's trademarked biodiesel blend, GlobalDiesel, is marketed through supermarket forecourts (retail gas stations) and sold to a range of corporate and public sector fleet users.

 
 Biodiesel Magazine : How does Greenergy market and sell its products?
 
 Clarke: Greenergy does not undertake direct marketing. Our main customers are supermarkets, other oil companies, independent fuel distributors and large-end users, such as bus companies. Because of the high profile of Greenergy's branded product, GlobalDiesel, on supermarket forecourts, Greenergy is now well- known as a leading supplier of low-emission fuels and differentiated fuel products.
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: Tell us a little more about GlobalDiesel. What is it, and how does it differ from other biofuels?
 
 Clarke: GlobalDiesel is a liquid fuel. Its components are currently 95 percent ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) and 5 percent rapeseed methyl ester (RME) biodiesel. Greenergy guarantees that the greenhouse gas emissions from GlobalDiesel are 5 percent lower when compared to ordinary ULSD sold in the United Kingdom on an Adjusted Whole-of-Life (AWOL) basis. The Whole-of-Life basis incorporates greenhouse gas emissions from feedstock production through to combustion-from "well-to-wheel." 
 
 The 5 percent greenhouse gas emissions reduction of GlobalDiesel is achieved by the RME biodiesel portion of the fuel and by applying emission reduction certificates known as Carbon Assets. Greenergy estimates that, for the period from Jan. 1, 2002, to March 31, 2003, the RME biodiesel portion contributed a 2.7 percent greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Therefore, in order to guarantee the 5 percent reduction, Greenergy has allocated and retired carbon credits for each delivery of GlobalDiesel to make up the remaining 2.3 percent.

 No other biodiesel blend offers both Carbon-Certification (a trademarked product qualification), a guarantee on carbon reduction and supply chain environmental and quality assurance.
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: Are you able to verify your claims about GlobalDiesel? 
 
 Clarke: The GlobalDiesel Carbon System is independently verified by KPMG, a financial advisory company. Our GlobalDiesel Carbon System auditors are from KPMG. Their verification statement can be found on our Web site at www.greenergy.com.
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: Greenergy moved into the biodiesel industry only recently. Would you say this was a natural progression for the company? What spawned the decision to move into renewable fuels?
 
 Clarke: The Kyoto Protocol provides the framework for global greenhouse gas emissions reduction, which has created opportunities for lower carbon products, particularly in the energy and transport sectors. In the transport sector, considerable emphasis has been placed on improving vehicle fuel efficiency and alternative technologies, such as fuel cells. However, it is biofuels that offer an immediate short- to medium-term opportunity to lower the carbon intensity (carbon dioxide emissions per unit of fuel combusted) of fuel. Biofuels are therefore a natural progression for Greenergy as we understand and have considerable expertise in both introducing new fuels to markets and carbon markets. Our mission is therefore to:
 
 -Create and sell innovative Carbon-Certified fuel products that combine the scale and convenience of conventional fossil fuels with the environmental credentials of renewable fuels such as biodiesel or biopetrol. 
 -Make our Carbon-Certification systems available to suppliers and clients in order to identify and mutually exploit new markets and new business opportunities. 

 
 Biodiesel Magazine: For our readers in North America and other parts of the world, briefly describe the climate for biodiesel in the United Kingdom. How would you rate consumer acceptance? 
 
 Clarke: There is currently limited production of biodiesel in the United Kingdom. Current capacity is approximately 20,000 [metric tons per year] of biodiesel production from waste cooking oils. A biodiesel plant is currently under construction in Scotland and is expected to come on line in the first quarter of 2005. This will produce 50,000 [metric tons per year] of biodiesel and the feedstock will be mainly animal fats (tallow). Another plant in Teeside is expected to come on line in late 2005; the feedstocks will be imported palm oil. The Greenergy biodiesel plant proposal is for a 100,000 [metric tons per year] plant on Humberside. Our feedstocks will be mainly rapeseed oil and some waste cooking oils. We hope to be operational in the first quarter of 2006.
 
 Sales of biodiesel are currently 2.5 million liters per year, much of which is imported. GlobalDiesel sales indicate that the motoring public in the United Kingdom welcomes the opportunity to have a fuel available with lower environmental impact. The 5 percent blend level, at which there is no requirement for any engine modifications, is an important factor in promoting the uptake of blended fuels. Improved engine efficiency (e.g., mpg) has been reported by a number of users of the fuel.
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: Please tell us more about Greenergy's proposed biodiesel plant.
 
 Clarke: In April Greenergy announced plans for the UK's first multi-feed biodiesel plant on Humberside. The GB£10 million (US$18.35 million) plant will have the capacity to produce 100,000 [metric tons per year] of biodiesel, making it one of the largest such plants in Europe. 
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: What challenges has Greenergy faced as it moves into the biodiesel industry?

 
 Clarke: The main challenges we have faced is educating consumers that biodiesel is a quality product and, when used in a B5 blend, will not harm their vehicles. There has also been a degree of education with the government, in particular on how the oil industry and the biofuels industry can work together to lower the carbon intensity of the United Kingdom's fuel supply chain.
 
 The United Kingdom has "incentivized" biofuels through the introduction of a duty incentive so that the duty on biofuels is lower than that for standard fuels. However, these duty incentives are not as favorable as elsewhere in Europe, such as Germany where biodiesel and ethanol are "zero-rated." Greenergy is of the view that the duty incentives should be improved for biofuels as this would result in rapid market penetration of biofuels and would also provide the platform for rapid expansion of a biofuels production industry in the United Kingdom.
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: Tell us more about Greenergy's involvement with carbon credits.
 
 Clarke: The Kyoto Protocol sets a framework for global carbon trading. Carbon credits are the currency of carbon trading markets; they are generated by projects that reduce carbon compared to a baseline. For example, if you replaced a coal-fired power station with a wind turbine, the project would generate carbon credits.
 
 The 5 percent biodiesel in Greenergy GlobalDiesel is of lower carbon intensity than normal diesel. However, on an AWOL basis, the carbon reduction is between 2.7 percent to 3 percent. Greenergy adds carbon credits purchased on carbon markets to make the AWOL carbon reduction 5 percent. In this way, we can guarantee that GlobalDiesel achieves a 5 percent carbon reduction when compared to standard diesel.
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: What is Greenergy's involvement with farmers?

 
 Clarke: Greenergy is seeking to develop a secure supply chain of UK-grown rapeseed to supply virgin oil for its biodiesel plant. To achieve this, Greenergy is working with both farmers and the agricultural supply chain, primarily through grain and seed merchants, to secure oilseed for the plant.
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: What is the "Field to Forecourt" contract? How does it relate to biodiesel?
 
 Clarke: Our trademarked Field to Forecourt contract is the contract between merchants and farmers. In addition, the contract includes Greenergy's requirements for crop Carbon-Certification, our biodiversity guidelines and a rapeseed floor price derived from the relative prices of rapeseed and diesel. 
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: How is the Field to Forecourt contract beneficial to both Greenergy and farmers?
 
 Clarke: Greenergy is seeking to put in place a secure supply chain of UK grown rapeseed as feedstock for our biodiesel plant. The Field to Forecourt contract will help achieve this objective. For farmers, biofuels offer an alternative market for crops: oilseed crops for biodiesel, and grains and sugars for ethanol.

 
 Biodiesel Magazine: Greenergy's Web site refers to an "audit trail," which allows the company to track biodiesel all the way back to individual farms. How does the audit trail work? Why is it important?
 
 Clarke: As part of the Field to Forecourt contract, Greenergy asks farmers to submit data that relates to growing and harvesting their crop. We then use this data to calculate the carbon emissions associated with the crop. This data can be verified by an independent auditor. The audit trail is important as it feeds into the GlobalDiesel Carbon-Certification System which enables Greenergy to guarantee the GlobalDiesel 5 percent carbon reduction. 
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: Under the Field to Forecourt contract, farmers must meet biodiversity guidelines. What do those guidelines entail? How do they help give Greenergy credibility as a "green fuels" corporation?
 
 Clarke: Customers choose biodiesel over ordinary diesel because of its environmental benefits. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that cuts carbon emissions. The "green" credentials-and therefore the attractiveness of the fuel to customers-would be undermined if the fuel was perceived to have a negative impact on biodiversity. That is why we ask farmers to work towards a set of "common sense" biodiversity guidelines that many farmers may already respect. 
 To download a copy of Greenergy's biodiversity guidelines, go to http://www.greenergy.com/field_to_forecourt/biodiversity_guidelines.html.

 
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: Has the Field to Forecourt contract been successful thus far?
 
 Clarke: The Field to Forecourt contract has been extremely successful. The Field to Forecourt contract for the 2004 harvest was closed early due to the level of demand. Current indications for 2005 are that this will also be the case. We are looking to approximately double the number of farmers from about 500 for the 2004 harvest to 1,000 for the 2005 harvest.
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: In what ways does Greenergy offer its expertise to other companies in the biofuels industry?
 
 Clarke: Greenergy offers its expertise to other biofuels companies in a number of areas including biofuels trading and supply contracts, and consultancy on biofuels markets and Carbon-Certification.

 
 Biodiesel Magazine: Does Greenergy have interests outside of Europe, say in the United States?
 
 Clarke: Greenergy has no immediate plans to expand in the United States, but we are keen to discuss with U.S. companies business opportunities including licensing of our trademarked GlobalFuels brands, GlobalDiesel and GlobalPetrol. We are active elsewhere in Europe, in particular in Germany and Switzerland.
 
 Biodiesel Magazine: What's in store for Greenergy, both short-term and long-term?
 
 Clarke: The biodiesel plant is our main immediate priority, as well as increasing the availability of GlobalDiesel on petrol forecourts from 25 sites to over 200. In 2005, we are also planning to launch GlobalPetrol, a trademarked ethanol-gasoline blend.

Greenergy is one of the leading suppliers of biofuels in the United Kingdom.

95-1294329268.jpg

A Biodiesel Magazine Q&A with Greenergy's Donna Clarke

Global Diesel

August 28-September 3, 2004
 Denver Marriott City Center
 Denver, Colorado
 The World Renewable Energy Congress (WREC) is the premier forum for networking between suppliers, consumers, governments, industry, academia and financial institutions. The Congress will address the source and nature of energy, the security of supply and the equity of distribution, and the environmental impact of energy production and utilization. The Congress is co-located with the Energy Technology Expo and Conference at the Colorado Convention Center on Aug. 31-Sept. 1.
 <a target="_blank" href="http://">www.nrel.gov/wrec/</a>

World Renewable Energy Congress VIII

Case IH approved the use of blends of up to B5 (meeting ASTM 6751 standards) in its line of tractors. The company said B5 won't affect any pre-existing or new Case IH product warranties. Case IH is a brand of CNH, a global leader in agricultural and construction equipment.
 Gary Stanek, director of engine product development for CNH in North America, said the push for biodiesel use in Case IH equipment began in part because of customer demand in the European market. CNH has tested rapeseed-based biodiesel, which has been common in Europe since the late 1980s. Soy-based biodiesel has been tested for about four years. The approved B5 blend was tested in laboratory conditions and field-tested by engineers and customers.
 
 CNH is currently evaluating the possibility of using B20 blends in its equipment. 

 
 An industry standard for B20 blends and a biodiesel quality control system may hinge on that decision. CNH is working with the National Biodiesel Board to implement the fuel and quality standards.
 
 Case IH does have several biodiesel service recommendations for B5. The first is to ensure the biodiesel is ASTM 6751 standard. Case IH recommends sourcing B5 only from accredited producers and certified marketers. The company does not recommend altering oil change intervals or leaving the fuel in engines for more than four months. Case IH urges users to discontinue biodiesel use in the winter months because of the increased cloud point. They also recommend draining the fuel filter trap more frequently and wiping up any spills immediately.

Case IH backs biodiesel use in equipment

Former university of Iowa professor Jon Van Gerpen has been appointed professor and head of the University of Idaho's (UI) Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE). According to a UI announcement, Van Gerpen joined the university July 15. UI's BAE department is a hybrid of the colleges of agriculture/life sciences and engineering and has faculty located in Moscow, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, Kimberly, Aberdeen and Boise. The department is recognized worldwide as a pioneer in the biodiesel research industry. 
 
 Van Gerpen's research expertise is in internal combustion engines, alternative fuels and the formation of pollutants. He has partnered with UI in a near million-dollar, five-year project to educate the country about the use of biofuels. The kickoff event-a biodiesel workshop in Boise for state departments of transportation from across the nation-will be held in September. At the University of Iowa, Van Gerpen was associate chair of research and budget, and interim chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He was instrumental in facilitating the university's annual Biodiesel Workshop. 
 
 Van Gerpen can be reached at his new office at (208) 885-7891.

85-1294329261.jpg

Van Gerpen takes post at University of Idaho

The Indiana Soybean Board (ISB) recently recognized Columbus, Ind.-based Premier Ag LLC for its unique commitment to blending biodiesel into all of its diesel fuel. ISB's Belinda Puetz told Biodiesel Magazine that the company was convinced biodiesel blending was the right thing to do after one of its board members attended the National Biodiesel Conference in Palm Springs, Calif., in early February. 
 
 "The [Premier Ag] board discussed it in March and decided that it was the right thing to do," Puetz said. "They were completely sold on it." 
 In just four months, Premier Ag has been recognized as one of the only fuel marketers in the nation blending nearly all of it diesel fuel with soy-based biodiesel. In fact, Puetz said, the company markets more soy-based blended fuel than any other retailer on record. 
 
 "We market millions and millions of gallons of premium distillates to accounts across southeastern Indiana, and since March, almost every gallon is a B2 soy blend," said Premier Ag Energy Manager Mike Carson. "We're committed to it for our customers." 
 
 According to Carson, Premier Ag's decision to incorporate biodiesel into its full line of diesel fuels would not have been possible without support from regional consumers, local board members and the co-op's fuel refiner, Countrymark Co-op

Carson (right) talks with driver Duane Nichalson

86-1294329262.jpg

ISB recognizes Premier Ag LLC for biodiesel blending

Ag industry leaders, fuel suppliers and other stakeholders of the biodiesel industry joined forces July 11-12 in Washington D.C. at the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) meeting. 
 
 In one of the most significant developments at the meeting, NBB members voted to create a new membership class for small biodiesel producers. The decision was based on recommendations from a small producers working group formed by the NBB to address challenges specific to them. Kent Bullard, biodiesel advocate and fleet manager at Channel Islands National Park, chaired the group. Fuel producer board members and small producers served as members. 

 
 The new Small Producer Nonvoting Associate Member category offers producers manufacturing less than 250,000 gallons per year reduced NBB membership dues. In order to encourage good quality control by small producers, they will be given the additional benefit of crediting two years worth of dues toward BQ-9000 certification fees. BQ-9000 is a quality control program established by the National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission. 
 
 Also at the meeting, NBB presented Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo., with the National Energy Leadership Award. Other dignitaries visiting the board in Washington included Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., several key Congressional staffers and other experts on the status of the biodiesel tax incentive. 
 
 The board was also pleased to welcome new members Marty Ross of the Mid-Atlantic Soybean Board, Greg Hopkins of U.S. Biofuels Inc., Rob Ryan of Transmontaigne Product Services and new NBB staff member Amber Thurlo Pearson who will serve as a communications specialist.
 
 The next board meeting will be Nov. 16-17 in St. Louis.

U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof (left) visits with Bob Metz, NBB chairman

87-1294329263.jpg

NBB creates membership class for small producers

Scattered throughout the United States, 52 national parks offer scenic serenity to tourists looking to escape the noise and pollution of the city. These beloved forests, seashores, battlefields, monuments and other sites make up 388 units in the National Park Service (NPS). Each is preserved for the enjoyment and inspiration of this and future generations. Managing these national treasures involves economic, social and environmental considerations-something the NPS calls "wise decision-making"-and biodiesel has become a natural fit. 
 
 Biodiesel use in the parks didn't start with government programs. Park managers took the initiative to start using environmentally friendly biodiesel on their own. Yellowstone National Park started the trend in 1995, followed by Channel Islands National Park and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in 2000. In all, 23 national parks are currently using biodiesel in fleet vehicles and/or equipment. At least four other parks were using biodiesel but had to hold off purchasing more until additional funding was received.
 
 To facilitate the move toward renewable fuels, the U.S. DOE gave the NPS $200,000 toward biodiesel use in 2000. Called the Green Energy Parks Initiative, the program supplied parks with biodiesel for a year. After the year expired, the parks were in charge of funding their own biodiesel use. Parks volunteered or were selected to take part in the project, according to Terry Brennan of the NPS.
 "My purpose was to help parks that weren't doing anything, wanted to, but just didn't have the funding to do so," Brennan said. 
 
 Brennan told Biodiesel Magazine that funding has run out because the federal government's current budget situation doesn't allow for it. Brennan is working hard to make sure biodiesel use in the parks doesn't go by the wayside. He is currently discussing biodiesel supplies with the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), which has contracts available in the Washington, D.C., area. Combined with fuel retail stations, national parks can splash blend B20 at a lower price.
 

 "I don't want [biodiesel use] to stop just because the funding is done," Brennan told Biodiesel Magazine. "I'm not pushing one tool over the other, but I can see so many benefits coming from biodiesel."
 
 Among the many benefits, Brennan pointed out that biodiesel requires no new infrastructure. Aside from new fuel filters, vehicles don't need to be retrofitted. In regards to B100, a fuel spill is easier to clean up than regular diesel fuel or even B20 for that matter. 
 "The normal American visitor almost expects us to be doing these types of things-and we want to do these types of things," Brennan said. "I can't think of anybody that shuts their eyes to the whole thing."
 
 Biodiesel Magazine chose three national parks, and pioneers of biodiesel use, to highlight in depth. For additional information about biodiesel use in national parks, <a target="_blank" href="http://">visit www.nps.gov/renew.</a>
 
 Channel Islands National Park
 Channel Islands National Park could be considered the "testing of the waters" for biodiesel. It was the first park to use biodiesel in a predominantly water-based environment. The park, consisting of nearly 250,000 acres off the coast of southern California, is made of five islands in an eight-island chain including one nautical mile of surrounding water filled with kelp forests. 
 
 Designated a national park in 1980, Channel Islands is home to many rare forms of wildlife. The islands receive only about 30,000 visitors annually with another 60,000 more visiting the mainland visitor's center.
 

 Biodiesel was introduced to the park in the fall of 2000 as part of a two-year pilot program demonstrating the application of 100 percent biodiesel in a marine environment. The move fit with the park's push to eliminate diesel fuel as much as possible and introduce solar and wind energy systems.
 
 "We'll go another mile," Park Superintendent Russell Galipeau said. "It's not always an easy mile sometimes. But we'll continue trying to do something better. There is no end to our desire."
 
 Galipeau started working at the park in 2003. He has worked for 23 years in the NPS in places ranging from Florida to Alaska. He was attracted to the park in part because it is considered a leader in alternative fuels.
 The Green Energy Parks Initiative provided at no charge the initial biodiesel made from used cooking oils for the pilot project. The park used 8,000 gallons of biodiesel the first year.
 
 The 56-foot Pacific Ranger whale-watching vessel was the first boat to use the fuel. No modifications were required for the original switch other than cleaning fuel tanks and replacing fuel lines. The park now runs biodiesel in varying blends in all equipment including two large whale-watching vessels. It has experienced few problems other than needing to replace a gasket or two.
 Kent Bullard, the park's maintenance supervisor, has been a renewable fuels leader in the NPS and southern California. Galipeau describes Bullard, who has been at Channel Islands for 23 years, as someone who "walks the talk" when it comes to biodiesel and other renewable energy sources.
 
 Bullard once remarked that national parks are not islands. If they minimize environmental impact, the beneficial effects spill over into the community. This eventually came to fruition at Channel Islands.
 
 When the park began using biodiesel, no one in the county carried the fuel. It was delivered to Los Angeles from partially filled rail cars where trucks shipped it to the park in 300-gallon totes. The local marina now has two biodiesel fuel distributors. One carries B100 and the other carries B20. 
 
 The fuel totes continue to work well for the more remote islands since they can be placed on boats and carried to the islands too small to handle bulk fuel shipments. One of the smaller islands used only 263 gallons of biodiesel last year for a crane used to move cargo. The park only keeps 4,000 to 5,000 gallons of fuel on hand in case of weather-related emergencies.
 
 Channel Islands uses a wide range of biodiesel blends ranging from B5 to B100. Diesel fuel is typically splash blended for the weaker blends. Bullard said in some cases B5 is used for its lubrication properties. "You could actually hear the engines scream on some of the newer fuel injection motors until B5 was used," Bullard said. "The B5 was used to make them happy."

 
 Lately, the park has been using soy-based biodiesel. In the past, it has used both soy and cooking oil and, at times, a mixture of both. 
 T.W. Brown Oil Co. delivers the biodiesel from West Central Soy. Bullard said ideally he would like the biodiesel to be locally manufactured.
 Galipeau gave three reasons why Channel Islands is a leader in biodiesel and other renewable energy sources. The first is its location makes it more accessible to the California technology scene. The second is the right mix of personnel willing to use biodiesel and search out other possibilities for renewable fuels. Finally, the remoteness of the operations on the islands makes it necessary to use solar and wind power.
 
 He said renewable fuels are something that other parks are shifting to and will continue to look at. "People will do the right thing," Galipeau said. "They just need to know the right thing is there."
 
 Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
 In 1966, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore became the first lakeshore to be authorized as part of the NPS. Today, nearly 40 years later, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is again recognized as a NPS pioneer-only now it is due to its wide-scale use of bioproducts, including biodiesel.
 
 Located in Munising, Mich., this 73,000-acre national lakeshore offers plenty year-round recreational opportunities to the nearly half million guests who visit each year. Stretching 40 miles along Lake Superior's south shore, Pictured Rocks boasts an assortment of scenic treasures including waterfalls, colorful sandstone cliffs, sand dunes and inland lakes. In addition, its lush forests and sandy beaches are home to a variety of plants and wildlife, making Pictured Rocks a nature photographer's dream. With such diverse environmental factors to take into consideration, it should come as no surprise that Pictured Rocks takes pride in being one of the leading national parks to utilize bioproducts.
 The switch to bioproducts at Pictured Rocks did not happen overnight. In the early-to-mid-1990s, employees at the lakeshore started the Environmental Leadership Program, which was designed to look at ways to mitigate any negative effects on the lakeshore's environment, according to Chris Case, facility manager at Pictured Rocks. 
 
 As part of the program, staff members began searching to find out what bioproducts were available. In 1999, they started to use soy-hydraulic fluid in some of the larger pieces of equipment, including snowplows and backhoes. While researching the soy-hydraulic fluid, they also discovered information on biodiesel. After further research and conversations with representatives from the Michigan Soybean Office and National Biodiesel Board, Pictured Rocks decided to make the switch from diesel to a B20 blend biodiesel in 2000. Currently, Pictured Rocks uses biodiesel in all 16 pieces of diesel equipment.
 
 Case said the move to biodiesel has been extremely beneficial to the lakeshore. "Since we've been working on it so long, we've gotten most of the bigger issues addressed," he said, referring to the emissions problems that the lakeshore faced prior to switching to biodiesel. "We know we are reducing emissions whether it's visible or not, and the appearance of our equipment is certainly better." 

 
 Case is so impressed with the positive environmental impact that bioproducts have had on Pictured Rocks that he now devotes much of his time and energy to encouraging others to use the products as well. He attends conferences and visits other national parks as part of a "road show" where he shows off bioproducts, hands out informational resources, and fields questions from other government and private agencies seeking to start biofuels and bioproducts programs. Last April, Case trekked 2,400 miles in just one week with his road show.
 
 Pictured Rocks' efforts have not gone unnoticed. As a result of their use and promotion of biodiesel and other bioproducts, the staff at the lakeshore have been the recipients of several high-profile awards, including the Department of Interior's Environmental Achievement Award, the White House "Closing the Circle" Award (a presidential award which recognizes excellence in environmental leadership), and the National Park Service Director's Award, which is the highest award bestowed by the NPS. 
 
 Awards such as these give credibility to the use of bioproducts, said Case. "We have several audiences we are trying to reach with our plan-the public, the community and the National Park Service," he said. "By getting the recognition, it helps us get out to the other parks."
 Despite the inroads that Pictured Rocks has made with the use of biodiesel, there are still challenges. Availability is an ongoing obstacle, according to Case. Currently, the biodiesel is shipped in from out of state in 265-gallon totes, but Case would like to see it become available locally. This summer, Nelson Oil Co., a gas station in Munising, became the first station in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to sell biodiesel. The station will be selling B100 on a trial basis through the season, which Case regards as a step closer to making biodiesel readily available in the region. If Nelson Oil Co. starts carrying biodiesel on a permanent basis, Case said Pictured Rocks would buy it from them.
 
 Pictured Rocks is also striving to get more community support for biodiesel. Last summer, the staff held a bioproducts workshop to encourage other local agencies to use renewable resources. Case said that some tour boat operators in the region plan to begin using biodiesel, and he is trying to convince local school buses and public transportation to do the same. "We want the community to get involved," he said. "[Pictured Rocks] can be a nice example here in the bay."
 
 Yellowstone National Park
 Yellowstone National Park was the first national park to use biodiesel beginning in 1995, but the celebration of the park's 125th anniversary really propelled the alternative fuel forward.
 
 "We, as managers, pondered the question of what we were going to do for the next 125 years to help preserve and protect the treasure that is Yellowstone," Jim Evanoff of Yellowstone National Park said. "We developed a cadre of initiatives that advanced the level of environmental stewardship within the park and surrounding region."
 
 When the first B100 vehicle was tested, the fuel was produced by the University of Idaho. As the program expanded, transporting biodiesel in large quantities to Yellowstone proved to be a challenge, however. The closest biodiesel production plant was located in California, so the fuel had to be shipped in by rail. Cold climates didn't make biodiesel use ideal either. "We felt [Yellowstone] would be the perfect test bed because of severe climate and high elevation," Evanoff said. "We felt if we could be successful here, biodiesel could work anywhere."

 
 Now, 132 years after former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant declared Yellowstone a public park, or "pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people," the park uses a B20 biodiesel blend in over 300 vehicles and pieces of equipment. The park purchases 50,000 gallons per year of B100 and blends it on site. Evanoff said the park has come a long way since its first biodiesel vehicle, a 1995 truck that ran on B100. The vehicle is still on the road today.
 
 "That was the ultimate test," Evanoff said. "It was only going to be for summer use. We fought that vigorously, because we wanted to prove it could run in cold temperatures. Of course, [the biodiesel truck] wouldn't start when it was 40 below, but nothing else started either."
 
 Another issue arose. With 600 grizzly bears living in the greater Yellowstone area, park employees wanted to make sure biodiesel wouldn't attract the animals living in the park. Workers take great care to remove garbage from the park every day to reduce odors that attract grizzlies, and some employees wondered if the B100 truck would heighten the problem because of biodiesel's tendency to smell like french fries as it is exhausted. To squelch those fears, in 1995, Evanoff drove the truck to Washington State University, where captive grizzlies were being used for research. He pumped the truck's exhaust into the cages to see if the bears would be attracted to it, but they didn't show any particular response to the odor.
 
 Yellowstone's biodiesel feedstock and supplier varies. The B100 truck runs on rapeseed or mustard seed from the University of Idaho, a partner in the park's renewable fuels project. The B20 blend is mostly soy-based. The park buys a rail car load at a time from the lowest bidder. One car came from Western Imperial in California. The most recent batch came from Nebraska.
 The switch to biodiesel took little to no retrofitting of equipment. In some older vehicles, the fuel filters needed replacing more frequently, because biodiesel has strong solvent characteristics, it would remove the built-up deposits in the fuel tank. However, Evanoff said there was no difference in the vehicles' performance or miles per gallon.
 
 he U.S. DOE gave Yellowstone a boost in terms of funding at the start of the project. Thanks to the Green Energy Parks Initiative, other parks either volunteered or were selected to begin using biodiesel. "That actually was hatched because of the success of the B100 truck in Yellowstone," Evanoff said.
 
 Biodiesel use in Yellowstone isn't confined to the park boundaries either. Renewable fuel use is starting to appear in the surrounding area. A public biodiesel service station opened in West Yellowstone, Mont., and Bozeman, Mont., has started using biodiesel in some of its city fleet vehicles.
 
 Along with using biodiesel, Yellowstone Park employees take a strong part in educating the public about the alternative fuel. Evanoff speaks publicly of his facility's biodiesel use whenever he can. "We don't like to operate within the boundaries of Yellowstone Park," Evanoff said. "Since we started the program, it's spreading to both regional and national levels."
 
 While most parks have just recently implemented biodiesel to their fleets and the longevity of that use remains to be seen, Yellowstone National Park has proven that the fuel does work and is friendly to the environment. The park doesn't plan to slow down anytime soon. Expansion plans are in the works.

 
 "We've got this thing down to a routine," Evanoff said. "We're going to expand. Within a year, we hope to have B20 available at five gas stations in the park so the public will have a choice.
 
 "When people come into Yellowstone, they get into another frame of mind. They want to do the right thing."

88-1294329263.jpg

89-1294329264.jpg

Today, 23 national parks in the United States are using biodiesel. From use in fleet vehicles to marine engines and stationary equipment, many of America's most revered natural and historic places have embraced the clean diesel alternative.

A Power to Preserve

the concept of using biodiesel as a marine engine fuel is nearly as old as the diesel engine itself. Rudolph Diesel was attempting to convince the English and French navies to use his vegetable-powered engines in their submarines before his death in 1913.
 
 Today biodiesel use in a marine environment differs little from other uses. The fuel offers few drawbacks and many positives. Despite working near or on water, no engine modifications are required other than cleaning older fuel tanks and replacing some fuel lines. The solvent action of biodiesel may damage the natural rubber and butyl fuel lines in some older engines.
 
 The potential for biodiesel use in the marine environment is relatively untapped. The marine industry accounts for roughly 10 percent of the U.S. petroleum diesel fuel consumption market. According to the National Biodiesel Board, recreational boats consume about 95 million gallons of diesel fuel annually. In many cases of marine engine applications, biodiesel is just being introduced.
 
 It's beginning to catch on in a large part due to its environmental impact, or lack thereof. Reduced exhaust emissions and less potential for marine contamination are catching the eye of many boaters. B20 biodegrades twice as fast as 100 percent petroleum diesel. Pure biodiesel degrades between 85 percent and 88 percent in water within 28 days. This is a positive aspect if spills occur in a marine environment. However, it can cause problems in long-term storage of the fuel.
 
 That is one of the issues concerning the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The USCG is poised to become the first service branch to use biodiesel in a marine environment. The Office of Naval Engineering's Environmental Division, the Engineering Logistics Center, Coast Guard Academy and the Naval Air Systems Command are working to develop a standard for the use of biodiesel in USCG engines. The project focuses on supply and warranty issues with current USCG engines.
 
 "We're always researching for alternative fuels that benefit the Coast Guard and the environment," Lieutenant Junior Grade Andy Goshorn said.
 
 Ongoing tests using B20 are addressing the concerns of storage stability, gasket interactions and bio growth, according to Goshorn. Biodiesel would likely be used only in certain situations taking into consideration the limitations of the fuel.
 For most other marine users of biodiesel, stability isn't the biggest concern. Distributors of the fuel have been more difficult to find.

 
 Finding the fuel
 Captain Steph Dutton of Sanctuary Cruises in Monterey Bay, Calif., has run two whale-watching vessels year-round on biodiesel for two years. 
 
 Sanctuary Cruises was the first group on the central California coast to use biodiesel in its charter boats. 
 Dutton initially paid $3.25 per gallon for biodiesel while conventional diesel was around $1.30 per gallon at the time. With easier access to the fuel he now pays about $2.25 per gallon for the 10,000 gallons of biodiesel used annually. Dutton said he would rather have the fuel cheaper, but he is willing to pay the price since his local distributor provides a reliable supply.
 
 To offset the price difference Sanctuary Cruises adds a $2 fuel surcharge per person. Dutton said it hasn't been met with much resistance since many passengers are already ecologically minded.
 
 "[Biodiesel] didn't start out as a business decision, it was an ecological decision," Dutton said. "It's turned into a reasonable business decision." 
 
 Sanctuary Cruises has faced few problems since making the switch. "There is always algae growth in marine applications and the fuel tends to knock that free," Dutton said. Other than a few plugged fuel filters Dutton said there has been no change in performance or efficiency. In fact a positive side effect has been a significant drop in seasickness rates due to the improved smell. "It either has no smell or it smells like baking bread," Dutton said.
 
 Another ocean-minded group that overcame the lack of local biodiesel is Channel Islands National Park near Ventura, Calif. Originally using B100 derived from used vegetable oils, the park now uses a wide array of biodiesel blends. Two distributors have started selling biodiesel in the local marina since Channel Islands switched to the fuel. 
 
 The first run with the new fuel provided a scare. Maintenance Supervisor Kent Bullard received a radio call that the boat's engine died about 30 miles offshore near Santa Barbara. As it turned out, the problem was related to a sea strainer plugged with kelp. "It wasn't anything different then what has happened occassionally with conventional diesel engines," Bullard said. "The engine just overheated and died."

 Other ocean tour groups have since jumped onboard. The Pacific Whale Foundation's Eco-Adventures Group based in Kihei, Hawaii, first started using biodiesel in 2000. Earlier this year, Western Prince Whale Watching and Wildlife Tours became one of the first whale watching groups on San Juan Island to use B20 biodiesel. Maui Scuba Tours uses biodiesel in its boats and Splash Tours in San Francisco run its amphibious tour fleet on the fuel.
 
 Ferries begin making the switch
 Washington State Ferries (WSF) is testing biodiesel in Puget Sound as part of its Clean Fuel Initiatives package expected to reduce total use of diesel and reduce emissions. WSF is the largest ferry fleet in the United States running 25 ferries and carrying over 26 million passengers annually. A May announcement said WSF is converting its entire ferry fleet to low-sulfur diesel in preparation for the 2010 EPA ruling limiting pollution from non-road engines. The Clean Air Nonroad Diesel Rule and the Clean Water Act are considered regulatory drivers motivating the use of biodiesel.
 
 WSF is conducting a yearlong pilot project testing B20 in three vessels. The ferries are expected to burn 1.5 million gallons of fuel during the test. The test, which began in late July, is expected to decrease emissions of carbon dioxide by 2,793 tons, sulfur dioxide by 1 ton and particulate matter by 1 ton. WSF is also working to conserve diesel usage. The ferries consumed more than 18 million gallons of fuel last year.
 
 Other ferries have already tested biodiesel. A commuter ferry in San Francisco Bay was the first operating ferry to begin using biodiesel in 2001. Kentucky's Mammoth Caves National Park began using biodiesel in two passenger ferries in 2002.
 Niche markets
 
 Biodiesel is finding its way into even smaller niche marine markets. Waterway Constructions started using biodiesel about two years ago. The Australian company is one of the largest specialist maritime contractors in New South Wales. The company builds and maintains wharves, bridges and other marine structures. Much of its work is on Sydney Harbor in Australia. With the risk of spillage so high, Waterway Construction wanted to minimize environmental risk exposure. It started using biodiesel in a couple of small welders and compressors, and now use it in about 30 diesel engines including large floating cranes and piling rigs.
 
 The Naval Dockyard of Thailand took part in a nine-month biodiesel feasibility study last year studying the commercial use of the fuel. Tests were done on B10 and B100.
 
 Another niche market for biodiesel use is in recreational sailboats. Sailboats consume about 4 million gallons of diesel fuel per year in the United States. They are considered good potential users because they use a low volume of fuel and a lack of smoke increases the boating pleasure. Early surveys associated with biodiesel promotions showed that boaters' main reasons for using biodiesel were the improved smell and environmental benefits.
 

 The future of marine biodiesel use
 Marine biodiesel use is increasing. With more and more fuel distributors carrying the fuel along the coasts and the Great Lakes, consumers are beginning to make the switch. With a move toward the water, even the feedstock for biodiesel is evolving. 
 
 This year Maui-based Pacific Biodiesel created biodiesel out of refined fish oil. The project, funded in part by the U.S. DOE, used some of the 3.5 million gallons of fish-oil byproduct created annually by the Alaskan fish processing industry and created biodiesel. Fish oil has also been tested in stationary diesel generators in Alaska. Fish oil requires minimal processing to produce biodiesel at a cost of only about 25 cents per gallon. With such a fuel source, it's possible marine biodiesel engines may one day be fueled from products in the water they ride upon.

The marine industry accounts for roughly 10 percent of the U.S. petroelum diesel fuel consumption market.

90-1294329264.jpg

Environmental stewardship doesn't stop at the shoreline. Protecting the world's fragile marine ecosystems is the responsibility of all mariners. From California to Thailand, the air and water are just a little bit clearer where biodiesel blends are used.

Making Waves

As a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue University, Bernie Tao has worked on several experimental projects that challenge biomass parameters. 
 
 Over the years, Tao and his students have explored changes in plant microbial behavior to create useful products that people can use. One example is biodegradable plastics made with animal fat. The U.S. government has also asked Tao to look at vegetable oils and soybeans to create renewable products that would replace petroleum, a limited resource. For him, the projects aren't about repeating what scientific advances have already been made, such as renewable fuel, but discovering new products that perhaps no one had thought of before.
 
 "We didn't have any use in making biodiesel fuel because it's pretty simple," Tao said. "But people would approach us and ask, 'What else can you do with this?' So we began to look at what other things you can make with it."
 
 As Tao and his students have proven, the possibilities seem endless.
 	
 
 Getting the most out of biodiesel
 The highest value petroleum product in the energy sector is aviation fuel, according to Tao. It differs from ground transportation fuel, and the main challenge is its cold temperature behavior. A biodiesel-fueled car has no problem running in weather 5 or 10 degrees below zero. However, biodiesel in airplane engines would easily crystallize with temperatures in the atmosphere between 40 and 58 degrees below zero. To obtain a more ideal aviation fuel, Tao and his students created an efficient fractionation method for biodiesel, extracting the materials that would quickly freeze in the fuel. Tao's improved biodiesel is being tested in commercial airline engines at Purdue University Airport, where Tao's students measure thrust, emissions and power of various biodiesel blends.
 

 "There's really no other competitors [other than biodiesel] in this area," Tao said. "For cars, you can use fuel cells, coal and ethanol. Biodiesel is the only thing that can work on aviation."
 
 Biodiesel can supply many other useful materials when broken down. Glycerin, obtained from triglycerides in fatty acids, is a sweet-tasting ingredient that can be used to make pharmaceuticals. It can also be added to food in small amounts. Tao said the market for glycerin in those areas is very small and saturated. So he posed the question: "How do we make money from glyceride and not sell it for pharmaceuticals?"
 
 Tao knew glyceride absorbs water very well. He realized it could make an ideal anti-freeze agent. Traditional anti-freeze products, made up of ethylene glycol, are toxic and currently being phased out by propylene glycol. Propylene glycol isn't as harmful but is more expensive. Both are made from petroleum or natural gas. Thus, Tao and his students found a way to use glycerin in anti-freeze as a cheaper and more biodegradable alternative. The glycerin-based anti-freeze works as a deicer for airplanes. One could spray it on the outside of a plane and not worry about contaminating the ground or sewer. Tao is currently talking with a company to commercialize the product.
 
 Tao and his students have also been looking at solvents in biodiesel, such as methyl esters. Methyl esters can be applied to waste such as polystyrene or Styrofoam, and those materials would dissolve into a harmless solution. But what could be done with the leftover solution? Since products that treat wood and protect other materials from erosion, corrosion and weather elements are petrochemicals that emit unpleasant odors and damage the environment, Tao and his students found the polystyrene solution to be an adequate replacement for the petrochemical.
 
 Tao has done experiments with the source of biodiesel: oilseed plants. These plants contain both oil and water, which plants naturally separate by storing the oil in tiny balls called oil bodies. The oil bodies are coated with a unique hydrophobic protein that protects them from water. To give this natural occurrence a boost forward, Tao and his students cloned the protein and genetically modified the oil body with enzymes and catalysts in order to cause the same chemical reaction used to produce biodiesel in production facilities. Tao's altered plants allow for the chemical reaction to occur while the oil is still in the plant. This process, called post-synthetic modification, saves money and gives a full yield of oil production.
 
 Hexane use in the biodiesel production process also posed a challenge for Tao and his students. Hexane is a petroleum alkane added to the oilseed crushing process and then evaporated to create biodiesel. In order to avoid using the explosive, flammable and inedible chemical in the process, Tao and his students created a way to extract the oil using water, which is cheaper. Unfortunately, the process only yields 80 percent to 85 percent oil, whereas the hexane process yields approximately 94 percent. Tao's research at least offers producers a choice: should a cheaper process be used or one that yields the most oil?
 
 Undergrads get creative
 Tao said he likes to see where society has a need and discover how he can fill that need with an environmentally-friendly product that can make a profit. He decided to pass that aspiration to his undergraduate students through an entrepreneurship class that demands creativity and smarts to produce a usable product.
 
 The students have responded with a wide variety of products. For example, one woman was concerned about crayons in China that were made from hazardous petroleum material. So she made crayons out of soybeans. Tao said the soy-based replicas are so safe that one could eat them. Another student created soy-based candles that burned twice as long and produced less smoke. An avid skier made ski wax out of soybean oil to replace the regular ski wax that puts harmful chemicals into the environment. A vegetarian student made soy-based gelatin to replace gelatin made from cow bones, a possible source of mad cow disease. Another student made a healthy, protein-based cereal without starch or wheat gluten.

 
 "The kids are so creative and now it's in the market," Tao said. "It's an economic benefit."
 
 Tao also spread his bioscience interests to primary and secondary education institutions. Tao helped develop a science kit that teaches kids to make glue and other adhesives using natural products. The students also make ethanol and biodiesel, run the fuels in an engine and do solvent experiments. Tao said approximately 65,000 kits are distributed across Indiana per year. About 95 percent of elementary schools in the state use them.
 
 Advocating a renewable fuel
 Tao knows of the major advantages to using biodiesel. For example, he said biodiesel's lubricity and low sulfur content is ideal. The alternative fuel benefits the environment on a variety of levels, including low air emissions. It's renewable; farmers can grow the feedstock used to produce the biodiesel every year. Economically, it boosts the domestic and industrial markets.
 
 On the down side, biodiesel is currently more expensive than traditional fuels. However, Tao pointed out that as petroleum becomes harder to get, it will become more expensive as well. Consumers have already noticed an increase in fuel prices this summer. 
 
 "We can't quit using it," Tao said. "Where are the resources going to come from? The obvious answer is we're going to grow the stuff. Suddenly, we become the supplier."
 
 Tao hopes biorefineries will replace oil refineries in the near future, drawing the fuel market from southern states like Texas to the agricultural Midwest. The experiments Tao does in Indiana edge that concept closer to reality.
 
 "The most interesting aspect of renewable fuel is the merging of biology life sciences and engineering technology," Tao said. "Let's put down the natural laws that govern biology and how they work with technology and what ramifications come with that."

Students in Tao's entrepreneurship class made

91-1294329265.jpg

Tao's Team

September 5-9, 2004

 Sydney Convention Centre
 Sydney, Australia
 The 19th World Energy Congress and Expo is an international energy industry event, attended by thousands of participants from a hundred different countries. In Sydney, you will enjoy an up-to-date technical program, which will explore key issues furthering the ability of the energy industry; an exhibition providing firsthand access to service and equipment providers; a partners program to ensure that partners enjoy all that Sydney has to offer; and a social program to give participants a chance to get "up close and personal" with Australian culture. 
 <a target="_blank" href="http://">www.worldenergy.org/wec-geis/news_events/
 19th_congress/19th_congress.asp</a>

19th World Energy Congress and expo

September 8-9, 2004
 Hotel Inter-Continental
 Miami, Florida
 The 3rd Annual Power Crops for the Americas looks at the opportunities opening up for fuel ethanol and biodiesel producers in North, Central and South America. Power Crops for the Americas is combined with a special half-day pre-conference workshop on margin and price risk management for renewable fuels managers. Led by Sparks Companies Inc., this workshop gives biofuels producers vital information on protecting profit margins in a volatile market. F.O Licht and the Clean Fuels Development Coalition also sponsor this conference.
 http://<a target="_blank" href="http://">www.agra-net.com</a>/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?
 pagename=agra/showEvent&id=20001018750

Power Crops for the Americas

September 24-26, 2004
 Market Square
 Fredericksburg, Texas

 The Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair boasts the highest visitor attendance and widest variety of exhibitors and presenters of any renewables event in the southern United States. Commercial businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations involved in or providing information on any of the following areas are invited to apply to be exhibitors: renewable energy, green/sustainable building and living, organic/sustainable growing, and water use and reuse.
 (877) 376-8638 . <a target="_blank" href="http://">www.theroundup.org</a>

The Renewable Energy Roundup & Green Living Fair

October 11-14, 2004
 The Fairmont Hotel
 Chicago, Illinois
 This conference will focus on advancements in the development and commercialization of sustainable, nontraditional emerging technologies, and applications utilizing renewable raw materials. The technical program will feature five plenary sessions with 25 invited experts from the industry giving oral presentations supplemented with volunteer poster presentations highlighting the latest technologies. An exhibition will also be an integral part of the conference, where companies will present the latest advances.
 <a target="_blank" href="http://">www.aocs.org/meetings/ia</a>

Industrial Applications of Renewable Resources

October 25-27, 2004
 Hyatt Regency Sacramento
 Sacramento, California
 This dynamic new conference is modeled after the influential and successful International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Trade Show. In its first year, the event will focus on regional technical and policy issues concerning commercial-scale biodiesel and ethanol production, market development and policy drivers. Attendees will have access to current producers, design/build engineers, industry vendors, marketers, feedstock producers, policy makers, researchers, as well as other industry experts and stakeholders. 
 (719) 942-4353 . <a target="_blank" href="http://">www.bbibiofuels.com/biofuelsworkshop</a>

Biofuels Workshop & Trade Show

December 1-3, 2004

 Sheraton Hotel
 Bangkok, Thailand
 The Pacific Ethanol & Biodiesel Conference & Expo II is expanding to Thailand after the first successful event in Australia in 2002. The Australasian event is planned to address the growing interest in biofuels throughout the region. Join us for the region's most comprehensive biofuels conference. 
 +01.605.338.6829 . <a target="_blank" href="http://">www.pacificethanol.com</a>

Pacific Ethanol & Biodiesel Conference & Expo II Developing an Ethanol & Biofuels Industry

As summer comes to a close, the election season is only beginning. You can see the campaign trail from every town in America. Amid the many campaign issues the candidates have highlighted is the need for renewable energy and decreasing our petroleum imports. Biodiesel appears to have become a campaign buzzword.
 
 President Bush has expressed support for biodiesel on the campaign trail, saying "any reasonable energy policy" will include biodiesel, and that it "makes sense." In response to a question about the high cost of energy in the August 2004 edition of Reader's Digest, he said "… we have to promote alternative sources of energy, like ethanol and biodiesel." Presidential candidate John Kerry has also said he supports biodiesel and talks about renewable energy often.
 
 In July, Vice President Dick Cheney discussed the importance of passing legislation with a biodiesel tax incentive to help diversify America's energy supply. Speaking at a campaign event in Columbia, Mo., near National Biodiesel Board (NBB) headquarters, Cheney expressed support for the biodiesel tax incentive while talking about the Energy Bill, which has stalled in Congress. 
 

 "That bill includes within it significant incentives for biodiesel and ethanol," he said. "It's very important, we think, to go down that road because it will help us to diversify our supplies, but it also will reduce the extent to which we're dependent on foreign sources of oil for our basic transportation. It's a very good piece of legislation. We need to get it done." 
 
 Securing passage of a biodiesel tax incentive is the top legislative priority of the American Soybean Association and NBB. It's critical for the future success of biodiesel. We believe, and many leaders in Washington agree, that in order for biodiesel to compete, the playing field must be leveled. The petroleum industry has enjoyed favorable energy policy for decades, but this will be the first tax incentive that biodiesel has ever had. 
 
 Due in large part to the efforts of U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and others, a biodiesel tax incentive was included in the final Energy Bill. It is structured as a federal excise tax credit that amounts to one penny per percentage point of biodiesel blended with petroleum diesel. The biodiesel tax incentive was also included in the Senate-passed Transportation Bill and in legislation approved by the Senate to repeal the Foreign Sales Corporation and Extraterritorial Income (FSC/ETI) tax exclusion. We are driving hard to get this tax incentive passed in any one of these legislative vehicles. 
 
 It is very gratifying to hear Vice President Cheney say so clearly that there is support for the biodiesel tax incentive at the Executive level, and to hear President Bush say he supports biodiesel. Now is the time for them to use their leadership to get this through. We thank the Vice President for successfully brokering the Energy Bill last time, but we need him to continue to fight for this.
 
 Last fall marked the 30 year anniversary of the 1973 Arab oil embargo, when OPEC declared economic warfare on the West by quadrupling the price of petroleum. It led to the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. In 1973, oil imports accounted for less than 30 percent of US consumption. Now imported petroleum is approaching 60 percent and has become the single largest component of our national trade deficit. Renewable fuel measures would help level the playing field for the increased use of domestic fuels that enhance our energy supplies, energy security, the environment and our economy. 
 
 If ever there was a time for courageous leadership on energy policy, it is now. 
 
 Joe Jobe is executive director of the National Biodiesel Board. He can be reached at <a target="_blank" href="http://">jjobe@biodiesel.org.</a>

July/August 2004

Business Briefs

Van Gerpen takes post at University of Idaho

ISB recognizes Premier Ag LLC for biodiesel blending

NBB creates membership class for small producers

Columns

Editor's Note

Talking Point

Featured

Peach State Producer Crops Up

Of Sunlight and Science

Global Diesel

A Power to Preserve

Making Waves

Tao's Team

July/August 2004.css-7jxktu{position:absolute;bottom:0px;left:0px;right:0px;height:3px;border-radius:3px;background-color:var(--chakra-colors-brandBlack);}

Business Briefs

Van Gerpen takes post at University of Idaho

ISB recognizes Premier Ag LLC for biodiesel blending

NBB creates membership class for small producers

Columns

Editor's Note

Talking Point

Featured

Peach State Producer Crops Up

Of Sunlight and Science

Global Diesel

A Power to Preserve

Making Waves

Tao's Team

July/August 2004