The next time you’re behind that diesel truck, you may want to roll the windows down and take a deep breath. Of course, it could make you hungry.
Several public biodiesel fueling stations have recently emerged, offering the general public the opportunity to use the cleaner-burning alternative fuel made from renewable fats and oils, including yellow grease. Within one day of each other, two public fueling stations opened, one in Sparks, NV, just outside Reno, and the other in San Francisco, CA. Prior to the new stations opening, most biodiesel was used by government, transit agencies, national park, or school bus fleets, all of which had their own private fueling stations.
“This is a significant step for the industry,” said Joe Jobe, executive director of the National Biodiesel Board. “Although biodiesel is available nationwide and anyone can buy it from a fuel distributor, having it at a public pump simplifies the process for private citizens.”
Biodiesel is a nontoxic, biodegradable diesel fuel that can be made from recycled cooking oil (yellow grease) and burned in any diesel vehicle with little or no modification to the engine. It substantially reduces emissions, particularly black sooty exhaust, and makes the exhaust smell like French fries. Biodiesel has been officially designated as an alternative fuel under both state and federal law, and is registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Sparks, NV, station opened May 22, 2001, offering B20 (a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel) at the pump. With the assistance of the Nevada Energy Office and working under a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Western Regional Biomass Energy Program, a local company in Las Vegas, NV, developed a process for making biodiesel from the waste cooking oils of local casino resorts and restaurants. The company, Biodiesel Industries, now has a plant operating in conjunction with Haycock Petroleum in Las Vegas. Biodiesel Industries’ President Russ Teall said Baker Commodities and Darling International, Inc., are providing the company with yellow grease. Recent contracts awarded to Biodiesel Industries will result in the production of one million gallons of biodiesel annually.
Selling in the range of $1.62 per gallon, which includes all applicable taxes, the cost is comparable to regular diesel selling in the area. Norma McCusker, Western Energetics, the company operating the Sparks, NV, pumping station, said the response to biodiesel has been very positive, especially among government agencies and heavy equipment operators.
A second public station opened just 24 hours later in San Francisco, CA. Olympian Inc., has partnered with World Energy Alternatives and CytoCulture to open the fueling station, which offers soy-based pure biodiesel (B100). At a cost ranging from $2.20 to $3.00 gallon, most users are choosing to blend the product themselves with 80 percent diesel, according to Tom Burke, Olympian, Inc. During the first six weeks of operation, the station had pumped about 1,000 gallons of B100.
A third public station is scheduled to open in late summer in Aiken, SC. The station, owned by United Energy Distributors, will dispense B100, B20, E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent unleaded gasoline), propane, and Phillips 66 Super Clean gasoline. Griffin Industries is supplying biodiesel to the station.
Newsline - August 2001 Render