Biodiesel Week

Big Island Biodiesel completes testing of distilled product The sulfur limit for FAME is 15 ppm. Using the ASTM D5453 test method, the BIB plant with high-vacuum distillation resulted in a mere 0.9 ppm sulfur. Total glycerin content using test method D6584 was 0.011 percent, well under the 0.240 percent max. READ MORE SHARE
Piedmont fire caused by spontaneous combustion of filter media A fire occurred at the Piedmont Biofuels biodiesel plant in Pittsboro, N.C., last week after "biodiesel-ensconced filter media spontaneously combusted in the tray beneath our filter press," wrote Piedmont founder Lyle Estill in a May 23 blog entry. READ MORE SHARE
	Koch Industries donates $1 million to Okla. tornado relief effort Koch Industries, parent company of Flint Hill Resources, which just announced a JV with Benefuel to develop biodiesel plants across the U.S., is making a $1 million donation to support tornado relief efforts in Oklahoma after this week's disaster. READ MORE SHARE
110M gallons of US biodiesel produced in April, 369M gallons YTD The U.S. EPA said that 110 million gallons of biodiesel were produced in April, nearly the same volume produced in March. Last year, more than a billion gallons was produced. The 2013 biomass-based diesel mandate under RFS2 is 1.28 billion gallons. READ MORE SHARE
UFOP demands consideration of Finkbeiner study in EU parliament The study concludes that the calculations for the introduction of specific greenhouse gas values for raw materials used as a foundation for current biofuels is not supported by facts and, thus, cannot serve as a foundation for European legislation. READ MORE SHARE
Iowa law ensures retailers' rights to offer higher biofuel blends The Iowa legislature passed H.F. 640 on May 22, legislation that protects retailers from Big Oil efforts to restrict competition by guaranteeing local retailers the right to offer the ethanol and biodiesel blends of their choice, such as B20 or E15. READ MORE SHARE
	With Costa Rican trials done, Fla. firm seeks jatropha scale-up AFAI operates a 25-acre pilot plantation with 40,000 mature jatropha trees in Tempate, Costa Rica. It concluded trials to establish best-practice protocols for maximum crop yield and production profitability. The firm now seeks commercialization. READ MORE SHARE
Benefuel, Flint Hill Resources to develop US biodiesel projects Benefuel and FHR have an exclusive agreement to develop and operate U.S.-based biodiesel projects. The joint venture, named Duonix LLC, is actively developing the first project, which is a retrofit of the 50 MMgy facility in Beatrice, Neb. READ MORE SHARE
Oil price volatility seen continuing in near term Changes in the way refiners get crude oil will keep prices volatile for the near future, according to speakers at INTL FCStone's Energy Outlook Conference, held in Kansas City earlier this month. Experts discussed key supply and demand issues. READ MORE SHARE