For over 25 years, Austria-based BDI-BioEnergy International GmbH has been engineering biodiesel plants globally, building a name for its industry-leading design and deep understanding of feedstocks and pretreatment systems. Today, the company&rsquo;s renowned process savvy is being applied to the fast-growing renewable diesel segment while, at the same time, BDI is staying busy with new biodiesel plant construction.&nbsp; &ldquo;Working with all kinds of different feedstock throughout the years, from fresh vegetable oils to waste oils and fats, we have gained considerable know-how and an unmatched understanding of how to process them to biodiesel,&rdquo; says Theo Friedrich, technical sales manager for BDI. &ldquo;It was a logical next step for us to use that knowledge and experience gained in biodiesel to expand our activities in the field of pretreatment for renewable diesel.&rdquo; Now, with multiple biodiesel projects underway&mdash;and renewable diesel activity rising precipitously around the world&mdash;BDI is balancing its resources to serve both segments of the biomass-based diesel industry. &ldquo;Waste-based biodiesel is still the most important sector for us, and we are working on several large biodiesel projects at the moment,&rdquo; Friedrich says. &ldquo;For sure, the field of renewable diesel is growing, and it is an important sector that fits very well into our portfolio as a supplier of renewable fuel technology and green tech solutions.&rdquo; Currently, BDI&rsquo;s multi-feedstock biodiesel technology, called RepCAT, is being installed at Cargill&rsquo;s high-profile biodiesel plant under construction in Ghent, Belgium. The facility will be the first in Europe capable of processing numerous feedstocks, including fatty acids from vegetable oil refining, liquid residues from industrial processes, and even the fat recovered from sewage sludge from local municipalities. The Ghent facility will be complete in June 2022. For BDI, however, the work won&rsquo;t stop with commissioning. &ldquo;For us, the customer service that comes after startup is an important task,&rdquo; Friedrich says. &ldquo;It is our mission to train and hand over to our customers the important knowledge regarding the efficient and economic operation of the plant.&rdquo;

Crimson Renewable Energy in Bakersfield, California, uses BDI's RepCAT biodiesel production technology. The facility's distillation unit, shown here, is an open-air design.  

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With deep feedstock and process knowledge, Austria-based BDI-BioEnergy International GmbH is successfully engaged in both biodiesel plant construction and renewable diesel feedstock pretreatment globally. 

SPOTLIGHT: Building with Balance

Sam Carbis founded the Aluminum Ladder Co. in 1930 with the idea of helping American workers and firefighters&mdash;the early pioneers of first response&mdash;stay safe and efficient on the job, whether it was building homes, repairing equipment, or saving lives. Today, Carbis&rsquo; mission carries on as his namesake company, Sam Carbis Solutions Group LLC, continues to offer fall protection and safety solutions to the world.&nbsp;&nbsp; Carbis, a fourth-generation family-owned business headquartered in Florence, South Carolina, is today a global leader in customized bulk loading access equipment and turnkey systems for truck, rail and marine applications across all industries. Carbis is the only company in North America that designs and manufactures both access equipment and loading arms, ensuring they work together without interference. The company&nbsp; fabricates its industrial equipment in their manufacturing facility in&nbsp; Darlington, South Carolina, just minutes from its headquarters and engineering hub. &nbsp; A Natural Extension For 60-plus years after Carbis was founded, the company&rsquo;s main focus remained ladder manufacturing&mdash;in particular, ladders designed for fire departments. To this day, in fact, its ladder subsidiary still supplies a large number of U.S. fire departments and fire truck manufacturers with ladders, says Jason Shannon, regional sales manager at Carbis. &ldquo;That said, industrial fall protection and safety solutions is without question the largest segment of our business today,&rdquo; he says. Shannon explains that, starting decades ago, Carbis was asked by its customers to build platforms, which it frequently did. Over the years, as jobsite safety became increasingly more important&mdash;especially with the establishment of OSHA in the early 1970s&mdash;Carbis was increasingly called on to design and manufacture custom loading solutions for its clients. &ldquo;The emphasis on safety, and continued innovation in that area, gave rise to modern-day industrial fall protection solutions,&rdquo; Shannon says, explaining that Carbis officially started offering fall protection and loading systems in the mid 1980&rsquo;s.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;
In a span of nearly 40 years, Carbis has engineered and fabricated custom truck and rail car loading solutions for thousands of businesses and institutions and is a world leader in customized bulk loading access and fall protection equipment. Biofuel Solutions While Carbis can and does sometimes install loading systems at fuel terminals, the majority of its work in the biodiesel/renewable diesel industry is onsite at production plants. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll find our equipment at some of the largest biodiesel and renewable diesel facilities in the country,&rdquo; Shannon says. &ldquo;The industry is in a major growth phase right now, for a multitude of reasons, and it&rsquo;s keeping us very busy.&nbsp;&nbsp; Large renewable diesel producers, in particular, rely heavily on rail to move product to market, Shannon says, explaining that a large number of the loading/unloading systems Carbis installs in the industry are for rail. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not uncommon for some of these sites to handle 40 or 50 rail cars, or more, at a time.&rdquo; Whether biofuel producers are looking for a simple gantry system, or a complete package featuring cages, loading arms, and spill containment, Carbis&rsquo; team of onsite engineers can design the solution they need. Shannon says the company&rsquo;s role in designing and building loading systems typically includes the platform, loading arm and physical mechanism to get the product in and out of trucks or rail cars, but not the process piping, pumps and metering technology that transfers product to and from storage tanks. &ldquo;We provide everything around the truck or rail car: the platform to get you up there, the access around it, spill containment, and more,&rdquo; he says.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Project Partner &ldquo;We try not to think of ourselves as a vendor of equipment, but rather a safety solutions partner that happens to offer equipment,&rdquo; Shannon says. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been in this business long enough to know what &lsquo;not to do,&rsquo; which is a huge advantage. When you&rsquo;ve seen almost everything, you really learn what works, what doesn&rsquo;t, and why. Our experience is our biggest strength.&rdquo; The first step Carbis takes with a new client is gaining an in-depth understanding of what the customer needs before advancing them through a step-by-step process of design and engineering. &ldquo;How many cars do they need to unload, and at what rate?&rdquo; Shannon relays. &ldquo;Do they need to accommodate different rail car sizes or unique configurations on site? And what&rsquo;s their corporate requirement for safety&mdash;because safety is defined differently by each customer?&rdquo; After extensive up-front planning, Carbis&rsquo; mechanical, civil and electrical engineers in Florence collaborate to bring the project to life, ultimately producing detailed drawings of what will be fabricated in Darlington. The time required to design, fabricate and erect each loading system varies widely, depending on the customer, location, weather and many other factors. &ldquo;Every project is different and regardless of the timeline, each job is completed to not only our standards, but the customer&rsquo;s,&rdquo; Shannon says.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Staying Safer Carbis&rsquo; work on site doesn&rsquo;t end with installation. &ldquo;We can build the nicest, most expensive piece of equipment out there, but if you don&rsquo;t show people how to use it properly, it&rsquo;s useless,&rdquo; Shannon says. &ldquo;So training is a huge aspect of what we do.&rdquo; Ultimately, Carbis views training as a vital extension of safety, which is central to the company&rsquo;s founding mission and purpose. &ldquo;At the end of day, it&rsquo;s our job to make sure everyone goes home to their family at night,&rdquo; Shannon says. &ldquo;We stand behind our company tagline&mdash;"Keeping Your People Safer and Your Products Flowing&rdquo;&mdash;and we use the word &lsquo;safer,&rsquo; instead of &lsquo;safe,&rsquo; because you should always be increasing safety. Staying safe implies that you have achieved a basic level of safety. &lsquo;Safer&rsquo; implies continuous improvement, and the difference is important to us.&rdquo;

Todayâ€™s largest biodiesel and renewable diesel producers are predominantly relying on rail to move product to market, often in unit train volumes.

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The components for Carbisâ€™ loading/unloading platforms, like this canopied system for trucks, are engineered and fabricated in South Carolina.

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Fall prevention pioneer Sam Carbis Solutions Group designs and fabricates custom loading and unloading systems for the growing biomass-based diesel industry. After more than 90 years in business, the company remains focused on worker safety.   

SPOTLIGHT: Keeping the Biodiesel Industry Safer

Biodiesel and renewable diesel have different feedstock pretreatment requirements, but decades of production experience with the fuel that came first are proving critical.

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Fully automated vertical pressure leaf filters are utilized in bleaching and other filtration processes within renewable diesel pretreatment. 

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Decades of biodiesel production technology and construction experience has prepared companies like BDI-BioEnergy International for the industry's latest growth phase.   

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When pretreating low-quality feedstock, conventional centrifuges sometimes don't suffice. BDI employs Flottweg Tricanters for pre-purification.  

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As renewable diesel producers source an array of low-quality, low-carbon inputs, they're tapping biodiesel's seasoned pretreatment technology providers for customized feedstock preparation solutions, both on and offsite. 

Getting It Renewable Ready

A Green Star Biodiesel truck carefully backs into a fenced area behind a Miami-area restaurant to collect used cooking oil.  

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A Green Star Biodiesel collection technician sucks used cooking oil out of a grease storage container in an urban alleyway. 

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As the U.S. economy continues to bounce back from the pandemic, trucking and logistics companies like Evergreen Grease Service Inc. are experiencing unprecedented demand for their services and vehicles. 

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This specialty truck owned by Evergreen Grease Service, a subsidiary of Michigan-based Third Coast Commodities, is capable of picking up and dumping entire containers of used cooking oil into the vehicleâ€™s onboard reservoir.   

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With UCO prices at record highs, the occurrence of theft is rising. Keeping the waste product behind locked gates and under surveillance can help deter used cooking oil crooks. 

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The low-quality, low-carbon byproduct of restaurant fryer grease, once largely reserved for modestly-sized biodiesel production, is now a darling input of the industry's new mega plants. Used cooking oil is in high demand  as renewable diesel booms. 

Renewable Diesel Backs into UCO

After more than a yearlong quarantine, NBB&rsquo;s members asked to meet in person this summer for the annual June Membership Meeting to help the industry move from 3 to 6 billion gallons. Nearly 100 biodiesel advocates from across the country met June 14-15 in St. Louis, Missouri, to discuss integral association business and critical federal and state policy initiatives through engaging, interactive sessions. &ldquo;We want to thank each one of our members who joined us back in person and helped us continue the biodiesel and renewable diesel conversation. Like any other meeting, engagement with our membership is vital to the future success of the industry,&rdquo; said Donnell Rehagen, NBB CEO. &ldquo;Every conversation gives biodiesel and renewable diesel the opportunity to excel and see the growth we know we are capable of.&rdquo; The following week, NBB members met to join virtual Hill visits. Meeting with elected leaders is one of the key reasons NBB meets with their members each year. NBB organized more than 75 virtual Hill visits for members to meet with their representatives in Congress. &ldquo;Nothing beats constituent-to-member conversations when it comes to making connections with policymakers,&rdquo; said Kurt Kovarik, NBB vice president of federal affairs. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s important for members of Congress to hear firsthand about the importance of the biodiesel industry so that we can collectively advance and continue to make biodiesel better, cleaner and available now.&rdquo; If you are not currently a member of NBB and would like to attend and participate in future events, contact Brad Shimmens, Director of Operations and Membership, at 573-635-3893 or bshimmens@biodiesel.org to join NBB.

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After more than a yearlong break from face-to-face gatherings, NBB's members met in person for the organization's annual June Membership Meeting. Nearly 100 biodiesel advocates from across the country convened June 14-15 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Biodiesel Leaders Gather in Person for June Membership Meeting   

The biodiesel and renewable diesel industry continues to see growing opportunities as America changes the way it thinks about its energy. The sector is entering a time when the environment and cleaner energy are finally taking their rightful place with consumers and policymakers, and NBB believes biodiesel and renewable diesel, and Bioheat&reg; fuel, will play a huge role in this shift to lower carbon fuel. In the case of a major market opportunity in Bioheat&reg; fuel, the 4+ billion-gallon home heating industry in the Northeast needs a transformation to cleaner fuel and our long-term partnership is now primed to drive significant growth. NBB has partnered with Global Partners LP, a major fuel supplier in the Northeast, to launch Project Carbon Freedom. This cross-industry initiative by the U.S. liquid energy and agricultural sectors aims to decarbonize five million homes affordably and equitably across the Northeast. This first-of-its-kind project brings together the region&rsquo;s wholesale and retail fuel community, equipment manufacturers and the agricultural sector to educate and advocate in support of climate policy action. These efforts are in alignment with the state and regional carbon-reduction goals and support the Providence Resolution the oilheat industry launched with a vision to transition to B100 by 2050. &ldquo;NBB has worked with our heating oil partners in the Northeast for years to start the transformation of their industry to bring Bioheat&reg; fuel, the cleanest alternative available, to tens of thousands of homes in the region,&rdquo; NBB CEO Donnell Rehagen said. &ldquo;Bioheat&reg; fuel requires zero additional investment by the homeowner and offers a superior, clean, dependable heat. Project Carbon Freedom will ask policy makers across the region to join together to take this transformation to the next level, multiplying the carbon reduction benefits already being realized across the entire region.&rdquo; Given the push to reduce carbon, NBB predicts growing momentum for biodiesel and renewable diesel, and Bioheat&reg; now and in the years to come. More information about the initiative can be found at <a href="https://projectcarbonfreedom.com/" target="_blank">projectcarbonfreedom.com</a>.

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NBB has partnered with Global Partners LP, a major fuel supplier in the Northeast, to launch Project Carbon Freedom. This cross-industry initiative aims to decarbonize five million homes affordably and equitably across the Northeast.

Project Carbon Freedom

This spring, NBB launched farmer-focused radio segments in partnership with Brownfield Ag News. This partnership includes 13 weeks of 3-minute interviews with farmer leaders across the Midwest. These interview segments are playing on 294 radio stations in all Midwest states, highlighting at least one farmer from each region. &ldquo;This campaign helps us reach a vital audience to biodiesel and renewable diesel&mdash;America&rsquo;s farmer,&rdquo; NBB CEO Donnell Rehagen said. &ldquo;With each interview from a farmer leader utilizing biodiesel themselves, we are moving the needle at the local level, sharing the many benefits our better, cleaner fuel brings to them as production agriculturalists. Our industry needs today&rsquo;s and tomorrow&rsquo;s farmers to help us meet our industry vision.&rdquo; Interviews from farmer leaders focus on biodiesel and renewable diesel including biodiesel basics, NBB&rsquo;s mission and vision, carbon neutrality, sustainability, feedstock production and growth, technical advances, availability and much more. Interviews from America&rsquo;s farmers can be found at nbb.org.

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This spring, NBB launched farmer-focused radio segments in partnership with Brownfield Ag News. This partnership includes 13 weeks of 3-minute interviews with farmer leaders across the Midwest. The interviews are playing on 294 radio stations.

Fueling Conversations with NBB on Brownfield 

The National Biodiesel Board&rsquo;s annual advertising campaign kicked off in March with biodiesel and renewable diesel education targeting emerging markets on the many benefits of biodiesel. Funded by the United Soybean Board, U.S. Canola Association and a dozen Qualified State Soybean Boards, this educational campaign allows NBB to reach audiences unfamiliar with the biodiesel industry, as a major component includes targeted advertising in New York, Washington D.C., and Washington state. &ldquo;These ads strive to increase consumer acceptance and industry growth through education and promotion,&rdquo; NBB Director of Communications Liz McCune said. &ldquo;Extending our reach nationwide and sharing our story of biodiesel&rsquo;s many environmental benefits is more critical now than ever.&rdquo; So far this year, digital ads have run in The Seattle Times, Politico and on social media such as Twitter and Google/YouTube. This year, the campaign has adopted a new focus&mdash;driving traffic to BetterCleanerNow.com, where the content has been beefed up to improve educational engagement and continued exploration of the environmental benefits of biodiesel. Two video ads running on Twitter in March were watched more than 23,000 times, garnering 2,500 visitors to the BetterCleanerNow.com website. NBB will continue to focus on improving users&rsquo; experience and use of educational content on the website. The NBB advertising campaign will target key emerging markets throughout the summer and fall, promoting the biodiesel industry and its vision.

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The National Biodiesel Board's annual advertising campaign, powered by its "BetterCleanerNow.com" platform, is targeting emerging markets for biodiesel and renewable diesel by highlighting the environmental benefits of both fuels in video ads.

Biodiesel Benefits Boom in Targeted Ad Campaign

The Biden administration delivered some positive news to the biofuel industry in February, announcing a change in stance on small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard. EPA agreed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit that exemptions should be limited. And in April, the agency explained its new position in depth to the U.S. Supreme Court as it weighed the issue. NBB filed its own amicus brief for the Supreme Court proceedings, detailing how small refinery exemptions especially harm the biodiesel industry. &ldquo;Biodiesel and renewable diesel producers appreciate EPA&rsquo;s recognition that exemptions are only temporary mechanisms to transition small refineries into the RFS program,&rdquo; said Kurt Kovarik, NBB&rsquo;s vice president of federal affairs. &ldquo;Continued misuse of small refinery exemptions is a direct threat to the U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel industry and the 65,000 U.S. jobs and more than $17 billion in annual economic activity it supports.&rdquo; Then in May, EPA asked the 10th Circuit Court to vacate 2018 and 2019 exemptions granted to two Sinclair oil refineries, pointing out that they were inconsistent with that court&rsquo;s previous ruling. However, EPA still must decide on 66 pending small refinery exemptions and outline how it will account for any potential exempted volumes in future rules. In other announcements from the administration, the signals for the biodiesel industry were mixed. President Biden&rsquo;s American Jobs Plan made no mention at all of biofuels. Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA) noted the absence in an April letter to House leaders. &ldquo;Although many portions of the American Jobs Act will provide the support and investments that are much needed for the Iowans I represent, I was disappointed that biofuels was not included in the initial framework laid out by the Biden Administration,&rdquo; she wrote. Rep. Axne and other biodiesel industry champions, including Sen. Chuck Grassley, are working to include support for the biodiesel industry as Congress begins to write legislation to enact the jobs plan. Biden administration officials have also indicated strong support for sustainable aviation fuel but in some instances may have their signals crossed. In a May House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development hearing, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm seemed to misstate that support. &ldquo;We see biofuels playing a big role and we think that those refineries can be producing and should be producing aviation biofuels right now,&rdquo; she told Congress members. &ldquo;It is not much to retrofit a biofuel refinery to be able to produce aviation fuel.&rdquo; NBB welcomes support for domestic production of sustainable aviation fuel on par with support for continued growth of biodiesel and renewable diesel. NBB continues to educate members of Congress and the Biden administration on biodiesel&rsquo;s role in supporting economic, climate and clean air priorities.

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While welcoming federal support for domestic SAF on par with support for biodiesel and renewable diesel, the NBB wants Congress and the Biden Administration to understand how all three fuels support the nation's climate and clean air priorities. 

Waiting for the Signal to Change

Biodiesel is the most sustainable fuel on the planet and is made from a broad range of feedstocks, typically blended with petroleum diesel. However, this time, biodiesel is not blending in. Our readily available solution, B100, is 100% biodiesel. With no mixers required, B100 is standing out now and for decades to come. A landmark study, conducted by Trinity Consultants, confirmed what our industry has known for years&mdash;biodiesel has proven positive impacts on the environment. The study also shows how biodiesel can have a dramatic impact on an issue important to all Americans, especially now&mdash;their health. We have always known that biodiesel offers a better and cleaner alternative to petroleum diesel. This study quantifies the health benefits and shows that by using renewable fuels like biodiesel and renewable diesel, we can bring major health improvements to people's lives. The research, sponsored by the National Biodiesel Board with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board, South Dakota Soybean Research &amp; Promotion Council, California Advanced Biofuels Alliance, Iowa Soybean Board and the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board, used well established EPA air dispersion modeling tools coupled with health risk assessments and benefit valuations to assess the public health benefits and resulting economic savings of converting from petroleum-based diesel to B100 in 13 communities in the U.S. exposed to high rates of petroleum diesel pollution. Researchers found that switching to 100% biodiesel in the home heating oil and transportation sectors in just these 13 communities would: &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Prevent 340 premature deaths annually. &bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Result in 46,000 fewer sick days. In the transportation sector, benefits included a potential 45% reduction in cancer risk, when heavy-duty trucks such as semis use B100, and 203,000 fewer or lessened asthma attacks. When Bioheat fuel made from 100% biodiesel is used in place of petroleum heating oil, the study found an 86% reduced cancer risk and 17,000 fewer lung problems. The study also considered the economic cost of premature deaths, asthma cases, reduced activity due to poor health, and work impacted due to sick days. For example, researchers found the communities surrounding the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach would avoid about $1.69 billion in health costs due to improved air quality in the form of reduced premature deaths and health care costs and increased productivity. As these numbers represent findings from just 13 sites and communities, they are truly the tip of the iceberg. B100 can achieve these benefits by reducing pollution from markets that are hardest to decarbonize: heavy-duty transportation and residential heating. Saving lives by reducing the health impacts of diesel pollution should be a higher priority, and biodiesel is widely available today to achieve that goal. These immediate and substantial emission reductions and associated health benefits can and should be an important consideration in any local, state, regional or national climate program as our nation moves toward decarbonization and cleaner air. It is critical that policymakers and energy providers consider the benefits they can deliver to these communities today, while states pursue electrification and other decarbonization strategies. This means these communities, which continue to be disproportionately affected by diesel pollution, don't need to wait five, 10, or in some cases 20 years for an electrified solution to deliver cleaner air. With biodiesel, they can enjoy cleaner, healthier air today. This breakthrough study proves and quantifies the major benefits a simple transition to biodiesel can have on communities that adopt it. Our industry has the ability to make an immediate and swift impact with B100 on public health. We continue to make meaningful advancements in this industry, and for years to come, we will share that biodiesel is not blending in, but standing out and ready now. &nbsp; Donnell Rehagen CEO National Biodiesel Board

Donnell Rehagen, CEO, National Biodiesel Board 

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While waiting on electric vehicles, the biodiesel industry has the ability to make an immediate and swift impact with B100 on public health. As we continue to make meaningful advancements, biodiesel is not blending in, but standing out and ready now.

Biodiesel Not Blending In, But Standing Out with Health Benefits 

Greasezilla launches global distribution network Greasezilla, a product of the Downey Ridge Environmental Co., has launched an international distribution system for its advanced biofuel feedstock. The company&rsquo;s fats, oils and grease (FOG) separation systems, operating in several U.S. locations, produce a conversion-ready product for biodiesel and marine engine fuel.&nbsp; &nbsp; &ldquo;Our goal is to be the most forward-thinking, environmentally effective technology in FOG separation today,&rdquo; said Ron Crosier, president, Downey Ridge Environmental. &ldquo;After years of building and implementing Greasezilla systems for our customers, we are pleased to distribute ABF through an established global network.&rdquo;
 REG names former BP executive CFO Renewable Energy Group Inc. has hired R. Craig Bealmear as its chief financial officer. Bealmear brings extensive experience from the oil and gas industry, having spent more than 28 years in a variety of finance, strategy and commercial leadership roles across the U.S. and U.K. Prior to joining REG, he was CFO of BP&rsquo;s North America Fuels division. &ldquo;We are delighted to have Craig join REG,&rdquo; said REG president and CEO Cynthia Warner. &ldquo;His extensive background in oil and gas and the downstream fuel industry is a natural fit with our business activities and strategy. Craig will come into REG to lead our finance function at a very important time for REG, as we continue to seek to expand our global footprint through a number of significant growth opportunities.&rdquo;
 DeCamp named CEO of Pennycress oil startup CoverCress Inc., a St. Louis-based company working to commercialize a novel cash cover crop, has named Mike DeCamp as its new president and CEO. DeCamp takes the helm after serving as the company&rsquo;s chief operating officer. CoverCress is focused on turning field pennycress, a native winter annual, into a feasible oilseed crop for Midwest farmers. The seed would allow corn and soybean growers to add a third crop into their rotation over winter and early spring. Cover crops mitigate nutrient loss, reduce soil erosion and increase soil carbon sequestration. DeCamp and his team believe pennycress oil could be an ideal low-carbon intensity feedstock for biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.
 Marathon to deploy wind power at North Dakota refinery Marathon Petroleum Corp. has announced that it will soon install several wind turbines at its Dickinson, North Dakota, renewable diesel plant as part of a multifaceted approach to achieve progressively lower carbon intensity (CI) ratings for the fuel it produces there.&nbsp; The company has signed an agreement with One Energy Enterprises LLC to install five 2.3-megawatt wind turbines at the biorefinery. The turbines are expected to generate more than 40 million kilowatt hours of energy annually, providing approximately 45 percent of the plant&rsquo;s electricity. The Dickinson facility was commissioned in late 2020 and is reportedly producing at 90% of its design capacity of 184 MMgy, using both soybean oil and distillers corn oil as feedstock.

Greasezilla fats, oils and grease separation systems are now being distributed globally. 

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Industry news and personnel announcements from the summer 2021 edition of Biodiesel Magazine, including Marathon's installation of wind power, Greasezilla's announcement of a global distribution network; REG's new CFO, and CoverCress' CEO appointment

Business Briefs

In the decade before the current and planned proliferation of renewable diesel, the incumbent industry&rsquo;s use of waste fats, oils and greases (FOG), along with distillers corn oil (DCO), had been trending steeply upward. Pre-RD, more than half of all U.S. biodiesel production facilities had gained the ability to process FOG inputs and, quite readily, DCO, as a majority of the fleet was multi-feedstock capable well before blueprints for renewable diesel were drawn up in earnest. For better or worse, however, our industry does not abide by a first come, first serve feedstock policy, especially for inputs traditionally defined as low-cost and low-quality. So, as renewable diesel production opens its seemingly limitless budget to the procurement of FOG&mdash;and specifically used cooking oil (UCO)&mdash;as well as DCO and other low-carbon intensity (CI) byproducts, vast quantities of it will no doubt be drawn into the orbit of our industry&rsquo;s new branch, with its mega refineries buying big, paying like clockwork and never sleeping.&nbsp; The feedstock at the center of renewable diesel&rsquo;s precipitous rise&mdash;not by volume, but CI desirability&mdash;is UCO, which makes up just a tenth of the nation&rsquo;s biomass-based diesel production but 90% of the hype around it. The excitement around UCO, though, is not without merit. The byproduct of restaurant fryer grease is in ultra-high demand this summer, and its price has jumped dramatically during the past year, not just because of renewable diesel production, but mostly. Our cover story, &ldquo;<a href="http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/2517586/renewable-diesel-backs-into-uco">Renewable Diesel Backs Into UCO</a>,&rdquo; explains why UCO is one of renewable diesel&rsquo;s most wanted feedstocks; it also explains where UCO is collected, and how its aggregated, authenticated and sold. The story lends perspective on why UCO collectors and traders, while appreciative of biodiesel, enjoy doing business with the industry&rsquo;s voracious, deep-pocketed takers. Despite the intense new demand for UCO and DCO, renewable diesel producers are not exclusively using these inputs for production, of course. Doing so would be desirable from a CI perspective (i.e., attaining optimum California LCFS value per gallon), but it would be impractical logistically for a 500-million-gallon per year plant. Rather, most big renewable diesel facilities are simply supplementing fresh soybean oil with other feedstocks like DCO and UCO&mdash;which is quite inconsistent in quality. Meanwhile, the draw of renewable diesel production, and the higher prices its creating for waste oils, is pulling an array of marginal feedstocks into the production pool. Just characterizing poor-quality inputs is challenging enough, never mind preparing the product for a renewable diesel plant&rsquo;s hydrotreater. In &ldquo;<a href="http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/2517585/getting-it-renewable-ready">Getting It Renewable Ready</a>,&rdquo; we talk to a few of the leading pretreatment technology providers about what it takes to identify, prep and purify these tough-to-process feedstocks for renewable diesel.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Finally, be sure to check out our Spotlight stories on <a href="http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/2517584/spotlight-keeping-the-biodiesel-industry-safer">Sam Carbis Solutions Group LLC</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/2517583/spotlight-building-with-balance">BDI-BioEnergy International GmbH</a>&mdash;companies in different lines of work in different places, but both uniquely engaged in the industry&rsquo;s newest phase of growth.

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Biodiesel Magazine's Tom Bryan previews the feature articles in the publication's 2021 summer edition, which includes in-depth coverage of the new demand for used cooking oil and the pretreatment platforms required for renewable diesel production. 

2021 Summer Issue

Business Briefs

Business Briefs

Columns

From the Feedstock Front Lines

Featured

Getting It Renewable Ready

Renewable Diesel Backs into UCO

Contributions

SPOTLIGHT: Building with Balance

SPOTLIGHT: Keeping the Biodiesel Industry Safer

2021 Summer Issue.css-7jxktu{position:absolute;bottom:0px;left:0px;right:0px;height:3px;border-radius:3px;background-color:var(--chakra-colors-brandBlack);}

Business Briefs

Business Briefs

Columns

From the Feedstock Front Lines

Featured

Getting It Renewable Ready

Renewable Diesel Backs into UCO

Contributions

SPOTLIGHT: Building with Balance

SPOTLIGHT: Keeping the Biodiesel Industry Safer

2021 Summer Issue