By Tina Caparella
In order to lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and other pollutants from diesel-powered motor vehicles and non-road equipment in 110 counties in the eastern half of Texas, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has put in place a stringent Texas Low Emission Diesel (TxLED) rule. The rule requires that diesel fuel produced for delivery and ultimate sale to the consumer – for both on- and off-road use – must contain less than 10 percent by volume of aromatic hydrocarbons and have a cetane number of 48 or greater. The rule applies to diesel fuel producers, importers, common carriers, distributors, transporters, bulk terminal operations, and retailers. Texas Governor Glenn Shankle extended the original compliance deadlines by 30 days due to Hurricane Rita’s threat to the state’s diesel fuel production. New deadlines are: November 1, 2005, for producers and importers; December 15, 2005, for bulk plant distribution facilities; and February 1, 2006, for retail fuel dispensing outlets, wholesale bulk purchasers, consumer facilities, and all other affected persons.
Alternative diesel fuel formulations, such as biodiesel, must meet the new requirements and be approved by the TCEQ before they can be used in the affected areas. Alternative diesel formulations approved by the California Air Resources Board will also be considered approved by the TCEQ.
In an effort to certify a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel (B20) as TxLED equivalent diesel fuel, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) plans to conduct testing on behalf of the biodiesel industry whereby a B20 blend utilizing biodiesel meeting American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6751 specifications, regardless of feedstock, would be covered if the blend included one of the additive formulations approved by TCEQ. NBB is partnering with Octel-Starreon to test a B20 with one of their NOx reducing additives, a B20 blend utilizing a generic cetane improver (ethyl hexyl nitrate, also known as EHN), and a B20 using a third additive that has not yet been selected. TCEQ has awarded three grants to the NBB to fund these tests in large part with significant additional financial resources being provided by the NBB.
Meanwhile, Biodiesel Industries’ biodiesel formulation has received certification from TCEQ, confirming the fuel blend meets the TxLED requirements. According to the company, their B20 formulation posts significant emission reductions, including an eight percent reduction in NOx and a 20 percent drop in particulate matter as compared to standard No. 2 diesel emissions. Biodiesel Industries produces the TxLED alternative fuel in its Denton, TX, plant.
“We were given a very short lead time to develop a biodiesel that would meet the TxLED requirements, and because we were already working on formulations to reduce harmful emissions, we were able to meet that deadline,” said Russell Teall, president and founder of Biodiesel Industries. The company began commercial biodiesel production in 1999 and has plants located in Australia, Colorado, Texas, and California.
TCEQ has also approved GTAT California’s fuel additive Viscon in achieving the state’s new emission mandates. Viscon is a high-molecular weight, pure hydrocarbon polymer approved for use with No. 2 diesel and biodiesel. The base chemical component for Viscon is polyisobutylene polymer. According to the TxLED program Web site, the TCEQ has certified Biodiesel Industries’ B20 blend treated with GTAT California’s Viscon diesel fuel additive at a rate of one ounce to 20 gallons of B20 diesel fuel.
ATA Supports Blend
The American Trucking Association (ATA) has revised its alternative fuels policy to advocate the use of biodiesel in blends up to five percent as part of the national diesel fuel standard. The new policy serves as one part of the organization’s efforts to combat rising fuel prices and help shape a comprehensive national energy plan.
“We need to look at all options for extending the supply of diesel fuel,” said ATA President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Graves. “Biodiesel represents an important part of a long-term energy plan designed to increase the nation’s fuel supply and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”
ATA’s energy policy calls for a single national diesel fuel. Biodiesel meeting the accepted quality standard, ASTM D6751, and blended with petroleum-based diesel in amounts up to five percent works in any diesel engine. ATA is working with the NBB to promote the use of biodiesel and ensure its incorporation into the national diesel fuel standard.
The U.S. trucking industry consumes 35 billion gallons of diesel each year. There are more than 564,000 motor carriers in the United States that transport 70 percent of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation.
California Sees the Light
After years of hard work by biodiesel producers and advocates, including the California Energy Commission, California has taken its first, although small, step towards acceptance of the alternative fuel.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a proposal authored by Senator Roy Ashburn that would allow public agencies and utilities, along with solid waste collection companies, to use a biodiesel blend of not more than 20 percent in vehicles or off-road diesel engines. The law is effective until January 1, 2008.
Cold Flow Guidelines Released
After months of anticipation, a biodiesel industry-established Cold Flow Blending Consortium finally issued results of a cold weather blending study. The project employed experts in biodiesel and petroleum diesel industries from both the United States and Canada. The NBB coordinated the study because petroleum blenders and distributors wanted more data on the most cost-effective means to achieve a homogenous, or consistent, biodiesel blend in cold weather.
It is well known that blends of B20 and lower can be used in cold climates if the finished blend has appropriate cold flow properties for the time of year and geography where it is used. This study addressed questions from the petroleum industry about how to achieve that stable blend in cold weather, especially for a two percent biodiesel blend (B2), when the temperature of the diesel fuel is colder than the point at which the pure biodiesel starts to freeze and become cloudy (known as the cloud point).
According to the report, successful homogenous blending of B2 will occur if the biodiesel is incorporated into the diesel stream as it is going from a storage tank to a truck, and if the temperature of the biodiesel is a minimum of 10 degrees Fahrenheit above the cloud point. The temperature of the diesel fuel did not matter, as long as its temperature was above its cloud point. This type of in-line blending is similar to the way conventional diesel additives are incorporated.
The full study is available on NBB’s Web site at www.biodiesel.org.
Industry Rallies for RFS Inclusion
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently working on a final rule to establish products that will receive credit under the Renewal Fuels Standard (RFS) contained in the recently enacted federal Energy Bill. Initially, it appeared that refiners would not receive credit for using biodiesel in 2006 since EPA lacked the time to establish a comprehensive renewable credit program that would detail how biodiesel would be counted.
Due to the efforts of the rendering and biodiesel industries, particularly the National Renderers Association and NBB, the EPA is working to ensure that biodiesel will be included in the 2006 program.
“This is an important development for biodiesel since it will now have increased market opportunities due to its use as a lubricity additive for ultra low sulfur diesel fuels that are mandated by June 2006,” said NBB Vice Chairman Fred Wellons, Baker Commodities.
Manitoba Gets Serious
An action plan was announced in early November to promote the development of biodiesel as a new economic opportunity for Manitoba, Canada, producers and rural communities and a clean-energy alternative to fossil fuels. The two main components of the program are geared toward increasing biodiesel production in Manitoba.
Effective November 1, 2005, the province will no longer collect the 11.5 cents per liter fuel tax on 100 percent biodiesel, offering an advantage over regular diesel of approximately 5.5 cents per liter after provincial sales tax has been applied. The provincial tax incentive will be reviewed after four years.
The province and Natural Resources Canada will also work together to provide a $1.5 million request for proposals (RFP) support package to Manitoba biodiesel producers who wish to either increase production of biodiesel or start a new venture. The federal funds are from Natural Resources Canada’s Opportunities Envelope and are subject to successful contribution agreements being negotiated with producers who are awarded funding.
The remaining elements of the action plan are:
• appointing an independent biodiesel board to review the RFP submissions of interested developers;
• establishing a Manitoba-based biodiesel fuel-quality testing center;
• developing a preference policy for Manitoba Transportation and Government Services for use of biodiesel in its fleet vehicles;
• conducting research on feedstocks and alternative markets for biodiesel co-products;
• studying the feasibility of using specified risk materials for biodiesel;
• working with private sector fleet managers to encourage the use of biodiesel;
• conducting a long-haul demonstration to demonstrate the benefits of biodiesel; and
• opening a biodiesel office to coordinate the rollout of the strategy.
New Crosscheck Program Offered
A new Interlaboratory Crosscheck Program (ILCP) on biodiesel is being offered by ASTM International Proficiency Testing in cooperation with the American Oil Chemists’ Society.
The program provides participating laboratories with statistics that can be used to improve or maintain high performance levels in their laboratories when conducting routine ASTM biodiesel analyses. Laboratories involved in the ILCP will be able to compare test results and calculated statistical parameters with those of other laboratories as well as to compare test data for a given quality parameter. In addition, participation will allow laboratories to monitor their own strengths and weaknesses in biodiesel quality testing.
The new program began in November and will be conducted three times annually thereafter. Laboratories who choose to be part of the process will receive a biodiesel sample for each test cycle as well as the necessary instructions for the cycle. Test data from the completed determinations will be submitted electronically to ASTM International, and each participant will receive a summary report containing coded laboratory results, statistical analyses of test data, and charts plotting test results versus lab code. Tests will cover such properties as acidity, carbon residue, corrosion, flash point, sediment, viscosity, and more.
For more information, contact Helen Mahy, ASTM International, at (610) 832-9683, or e-mail hmahy@astm.org.
Ohio Invests in Alternative Fuels
After a successful pilot program, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is now fully integrating alternative fuels into its fleet. By executive order, Ohio Governor Bob Taft asked ODOT to use at least one million gallons of biodiesel fuel and 30,000 gallons of ethanol per year, and to purchase only new cars that are able to run on both unleaded fuel and ethanol.
“Ohio is taking a major step forward in the state’s commitment to biofuels, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, decreasing emissions, and increasing opportunities for the Ohio biodiesel and farm industry,” Taft said. “ODOT’s pilot program has been a success for everyone and we will continue to make the increased use of alternative fuels a priority at the state and local levels.”
ODOT uses about four million gallons of diesel fuel a year in its 4,200 pieces of heavy equipment that run on biodiesel or diesel fuel. Since the start of the pilot program in 1999, ODOT has used 1.2 million gallons of biodiesel fuel.
School District Makes Own Fuel
In North Carolina, the Gaston County Schools (GCS) Transportation Department is producing biodiesel using recycled vegetable oil from the district’s nutrition department. Members of the department made the fuel by mixing the used vegetable oil with alcohol and sodium hydroxide. Assistant Transportation Director Grady Truett calls it a “rather simple process.”
Besides reducing air pollution and the school system’s dependency on petroleum-based fuel, school officials claim they can produce biodiesel cheaper than purchasing diesel fuel. Another benefit the school district sees is the recycling of their used cooking oil, which was previously collected for a fee.
GCS transportation officials expect to produce about 12,000 gallons of biodiesel this year, about four percent of the school district’s total fuel usage, with the possibility of producing more than 60,000 gallons per year in the future. Two area restaurants have joined in partnership with the district to donate their used vegetable oil, and the district hopes additional restaurants will follow suit.
Wisconsin Bill Targets Product Integrity
The Wisconsin State Legislature gave overwhelming approval to a measure designed to assure product integrity for biodiesel consumers.
Senate Bill 41 establishes a statutory definition of biodiesel and biodiesel blends when they are used for labeling and advertising purposes. Under the bill, if the fuel is labeled or advertised as “biodiesel,” that fuel must be 100 percent biodiesel. In addition, if the fuel is labeled or advertised as a “biodiesel blend,” that fuel must contain at least two percent biodiesel.
The measure is modeled after a Nebraska law, and does not create a mandatory labeling requirement. As of mid-November, the bill was awaiting final approval by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle.
Biodiesel Bulletin - December 2005 Render