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|  | Pres. Bush Calls Biodiesel Most Promising Fuel to Meet RFS Requirements |  |
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 Last month, at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC) President Bush called biodiesel the most promising renewable fuel for helping to meet renewable fuels standards.
"The legislation requires fuel producers to supply at least 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel in the year 2022," said Pres. Bush. "In other words, these just aren't goals, these are mandatory requirements. I'm confident the United States can meet those goals, and I know we must, for the sake of economic security, national security, and for the sake of being good stewards of the environment. Biodiesel is the most promising of these fuels. Biodiesel refineries can produce fuel from soybeans, and vegetable oils, and recycled cooking grease, from waste materials."
"Last year, we produced 450 million gallons of biodiesel. That's up 80 percent from 2006. There are hundreds of fleet operators that use biodiesel to fuel their trucks, and that's just the beginning of what is going to be a substantial change in our driving habits," said Pres. Bush.
For more on the President’s comments on biodiesel, and biodiesel’s role at WIREC, see "In the News," at www.biodiesel.org.
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| | NBB Announces Sustainability Task Force Members | |
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Recently, the National Biodiesel Board announced the members of its inaugural Sustainability Task Force. Small and large biodiesel producers, distributors, various feedstock suppliers and farmers will help lead the biodiesel industry with regards to sustainability.
Under the leadership of Emily Bockian Landsburg of Philadelphia Fry-O-Diesel, appointed by NBB chair Ed Hegland, the Sustainability Task Force will work to ensure that the U.S. biodiesel industry continues to protect the environment, while producing jobs and reducing dependence on foreign oil.
Sustainability Task Force Members include: Kumar Plocher, Yokayo Biofuels; Rachel Burton, Piedmont Biofuels; Victoria Carver, Iowa Soybean Association; Dennis Fisher, ADM; Tim Maneely, U.S. Biodiesel Group; Doug Smith, Baker Commodities; Jeff Trucksess, Green Earth Fuels; Brian Young, Imperium Renewables; Darryl Brinkmann, American Soybean Association; and Landsburg.
The Task Force will oversee the development and implementation of a comprehensive sustainability roadmap for the U.S. biodiesel industry that will:
- Quantify and maximize the environmental and social benefits of biodiesel
- Ensure that biodiesel produced and sold in the U.S. comes from sustainable resources
- Ensure the best environmental and safety practices are followed in the production of biodiesel
- Develop mechanisms to encourage responsible use of the world’s resources
- Discourage the use of non-sustainable agriculture practices worldwide in biodiesel production.
For more information on the members and the goals of the task force, please visit www.biodiesel.org.
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| | Lower Additive Blend Rate Approved for B5 – B20 Blends of Biodiesel in Texas | |
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In an effort to keep biodiesel competitive in the Texas market, the National Biodiesel Board continues to encourage both additive and non-additive options. The Texas Commission on Environment Quality (TCEQ) has now approved a lower blend rate for the Oryxe additive, when used in biodiesel blends from B5 – B20. This approval was based on emissions testing on nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter before and after the additive. For details of this approval and TxLED blending requirements see the TCEQ Web site (TxLED-A-00014).
This new additive called OR-LED3, is made by Oryxe Energy International, Inc. based in Irvine, Calif. In addition to this product, two other additives are in the final stages of testing and should be available in the near future.
The NBB announced in December 2007, the TCEQ approval of 5% biodiesel blended with any TxLED-compliant diesel fuel would not require any additional additive (TxLED-A-00013). National Biodiesel Board's alternative diesel fuel formulation was tested at the National Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. While there is no approval for blends over B20 at this time, NBB continues to seek alternatives for the Texas market.
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| | National Biodiesel Foundation Unveils the BioTrucker Fuel Card | |
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 The National Biodiesel Foundation unveiled the first-ever biodiesel fuel card last week, at the largest truck show in the country - Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS). Officially called the BioTrucker Fuel Card, it highlights the availability of biodiesel with a network of 151 truck stops that carry biodiesel. The card is also accepted at 5,000 truck accessible retail locations across the US.
The National Biodiesel Board exhibited at MATS, along with the Kentucky Soybean Board to reach some of the 70,000+ truckers who attend the show. Press coverage on biodiesel and the BioTrucker card included interviews on Sirius Satellite Radio trucking network and many articles in trucking magazines.
The BioTrucker Fuel Card gives trucking companies and owner operators an easy way to pay for fuel, access cash advances, and pay for repairs and other expenses while on the road. Truckers and fleets pay cash price on all fuel and no fuel transaction fee for biodiesel at in-network truck stops. In addition, three truck stops are offering a $.02 discount at the pump for BioTrucker Fuel Card holders. Discounts on repairs and tires as well as road side assistance are also available through the card.
Truckers and fleets can sign up for the card at www.biotrucker.com, and find all in-network locations for the BioTrucker Fuel Card and hundreds of truck stops that carry biodiesel. The National Biodiesel Foundation is a not-for-profit organization supporting biodiesel education and outreach.
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| | Study Confirms Biodiesel Safe for Underground Tanks | |
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A new study by the Steel Tank Institute confirms that biodiesel and biodiesel blends are safe for use in underground steel storage tanks. The study reports that low carbon steel typically used for underground storage tanks has excellent corrosion resistance to biodiesel and biodiesel blends.
The findings of the biodiesel and steel compatibility study, which was co-sponsored by the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) and the National Biodiesel Board, were consistent with years of in-field use.
"In nearly a decade of experience covering hundreds of millions of gallons of biodiesel being used, we have not experienced any problems with the compatibility of biodiesel blends in underground storage tanks," said Don Scott a technical engineer with NBB. "Biodiesel is non-toxic and biodegradable, and we are committed to promoting and encouraging environmentally safe storage and handling procedures."
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| | Two More Producers Gain BQ-9000 Certification | |
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 The National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission welcomes two biodiesel producers to the ranks of producers certified under the BQ-9000 program.
Western Dubuque Biodiesel of Farley, Iowa, and Delta Biofuels of Natchez, Miss., received certification recently.
BQ-9000 certification is a voluntary program that helps biodiesel producers as well as marketers ensure that their product meets ASTM D 6751 specification for biodiesel. Having the certification gives current and prospective customers confidence in their products.
"We see and wholeheartedly agree with the BQ-9000 philosophy because if you're making poor quality fuel, you won't be in business very long," said Tom Brooks, Western Dubuque's general manager.
"At more than 80 million gallons per year of plant capacity, we're one of the largest biodiesel producers in the country," said Scott Nisula, Chief Technical Officer of Delta BioFuels. "As large as we are, we know we must be viewed by our industry as best in class. The BQ-9000 accreditation instills that confidence."
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| | Mercedes-Benz Debuts a Trio of Next-Generation Diesel Vehicles | |
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Mercedes-Benz continues its U.S. diesel passenger car initiative with the introduction of three new SUVs. They are all equipped with the innovative BlueTEC drive technology, meeting the American Bin 5 and ULEV clean diesel standards. In addition they consume 20-40% less fuel than comparable gasoline models. This combined with Mercedes-Benz USA’s approval of the use of B5 biodiesel makes them some of the cleanest and most fuel efficient vehicles available in the US.
"The BlueTEC campaign expresses our ambitious targets for the U.S.," comments Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Management Board Daimler AG, Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. "We want to make diesel driving popular here again – especially for SUVs."
The trio of 2009 model year vehicles will go on sale in fall 2008 in all 50 states, making Mercedes-Benz the world’s first automaker to receive a certificate for licensing diesel SUVs in all 50 states.
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| | McCormick Wins Award for Outstanding Researcher | |
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 Bob McCormick has won the HM Hubbard Award for Research Excellence. This annual award is given by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to one of its own for outstanding research throughout the year. McCormick received this award for "bringing technical credibility to the development of biodiesel and working with industry to deploy a high quality renewable fuel, thus reducing our reliance on imported oil."
"We congratulate Bob on his achievement," said Steve Howell of MARC-IV and who serves as the Technical Director for the National Biodiesel Board. "The biodiesel industry is fortunate to have such an upstanding and non-biased technical expert doing biodiesel research at NREL."
McCormick has been instrumental in leading the growing team at NREL involved with biodiesel research and development. He played a critical personal role in the data used to pass the first stability parameter into D6751, and much of the independent emissions work done on biodiesel in the United States has been led by McCormick. McCormick has also been responsible for the bellweather NREL Biodiesel Quality Survey, now being led by Teresa Alleman of McCormick's team, which showed a significant improvement in meeting ASTM D6751 over the last 2 years.
"It is critical to have un-biased, scientifically sound data on any new product, but this is especially true with new fuels," said Howell. "While the NBB has an excellent reputation for being scientifically sound and not 'over-hyping' the benefits of biodiesel, the independent data provided by NREL has served to bolster the confidence in the benefits biodiesel brings to the environment and energy security."
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| | National Biodiesel Board Seeks Government Affairs Intern | |
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Do you know a student with an interest in government affairs or someone who wants to gain more experience in the biodiesel industry? The NBB is seeking an intern to assist with government affairs projects. The intern must have effective communications and writing skills. He or she needs to be a self-starter, able to manage multiple tasks.
The intern will attend and take notes on DC area events relevant to biodiesel including Congressional hearings and briefings. He or she will assist with writing letters, articles, fact sheets, content for the Web site and other documents relating to policy issues.
The NBB internship requires a commitment of 20-40 hours per week. To apply please submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample and transcript to Larry Schafer at lschafer@biodiesel.org. The position is unpaid. More information can be found at www.biodiesel.org.
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