Photo from: http://www.greenbusinesstimes.com/2008/11/03/exhibition-photos-from-iswawmras-world-congress-2008/
In Poland, oil company Grupa Lotus has contracted with a handful of biodiesel suppliers for delivery of 20,000 metric tons per month for September and October. Its next tender will be in mid-September for November and December delivery. Meanwhile PKN Orlen plans to finalize a tender for delivery from October onwards within the next two weeks. Though no volumes were reported, the company bought 400,000 tons of biodiesel between January and September.
The Polish government has recently boosted biofuels blending to 7% from 5% but its not yet clear when the new rules will come into effect.
More on the story.
Seattle’s Lyle Rudensey, pictured here, was kind enough to send a copy of his two-DVD set, “BioLyle’s Biodiesel Workshop,” for review. It is well worth the time. For anybody interested in knowing about biodiesel, whether as a hobby or part of a cooperative effort, watching this video set is a great way to get started. But be prepared to spend a fair stretch of time with it, as the running length tallies up to 224 minutes.
A viewer’s time will be well spent, however. Lyle Rudensey takes viewers into his classroom for an in-depth lesson concerning everything from the chemistry to the tools required for biodiesel manufacture. Then it is into his garage for a ‘seeing-is-believing’ demonstration that covers all of the steps involved, from collection and filtering, to titration, processing, storing, and cleaning. His blog is also worth a visit.
On the Utah Biodiesel Supply website, Graydon Blair writes that Rudensey “has taught literally hundreds of people how to make their own Biodiesel through his hands-on Biodiesel workshops in the Seattle, WA area. His relaxed teaching style combined with his incredible knowledge of the Biodiesel production process makes for an incredible experience that students come away from raving about. Not only does he make the whole process incredibly easy to learn, but you’ll come away knowing so much more about why Biodiesel works, why anyone can make it, and how you can get started on a budget!”
Rudensey has been making all of his own fuel for his car and home heating stove since 2003. His experience and expertise show quite well. His passion for this work has a contagious effect. Even people who don’t own a diesel vehicle sometimes claim they are ready to get one after watching his videos, just so they can top off the tank with something other than petroleum and then mosey down the road without stinking up the neighborhood.
For those interested in this set of DVDs, they can be purchased at Rudensey’s website or Utah Biodiesel Supply. The price is $39.95, plus shipping. Other comprehensive video information about biodiesel can be found at the Utah Biodiesel Supply website.
This looks like a great video, anyone who is serious about making their own fuel should watch it and feel free to post about it in biodieselnow.com forum. We would love to hear from you.
Photo from: http://www.footprintrecycling.com/archives/date/2008/07
The city of Arcata is helping biodiesel producer Footprint Recycling to relocate its facility to Giuntoli Lane after a spill in January.
Footprint has been unable to make or sell biodiesel at its West End Road facility in Arcata after about 1,000 gallons of fuel overflowed from an above-ground tank due to an automatic timer failure on Jan. 14, according to the city and business owner Andrew Cooper. When city staff visited the facility following the spill, they noticed building and fire code violations at the site and issued a cease-and-desist order and a notice of nuisance.
The business has still been collecting grease from its restaurant customers, but has been unable to make biodiesel fuel for sale, Cooper said.
The West End Road site remains unsuitable for biodiesel production, and Footprint is working with the city to relocate the facility, said Arcata Environmental Services Director Mark Andre. The city is currently working to determine if the plan will require a full environmental impact report under the California Environmental Quality Act.
”The goal, I believe, is to build it to suit the site,” and Footprint has been focusing on moving the facility, Andre said.
The proposed new site for the biodiesel facility is on Giuntoli Lane in Arcata, near the McIntosh Farm Country Store, Andre said.
The West End Road facility was inspected and cleared by the city and the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board in 2009,
Hawaii's Bio Beetles offer more than 35 mpg. (Jim Motavalli photo)
Hawaii is green, or so its boosters tell you incessantly. Of course, you have to ignore the thick smoke from the sugarcane-field-burning operations and the runoff chemicals used to control roadside plants, mountains of tourism-generated waste, plus a huge complement of invasive species.
An encouraging sign is the 30-megawatt wind farm visible from most parts of Maui, providing 10% of the island's electricity. Unfortunately, most of the rest is from diesel oil. But during a recent stay, I saw some evidence that the islands are starting to really go green, especially when it comes to transportation.
There's not much public transit in Hawaii (a light rail system is still stuck in the planning stage) but there is the Bio Beetle company, which rents a fleet of 20 biodiesel VWs and other cars in Maui. Also on Hawaii's second biggest island, the rapidly growing Maui EVs converts trucks and cars to batteries -- and has a backlog of orders.
The hybrid taxicabs in San Francisco are all the rage, and most people have never had a ride in an electric or hybrid car. Try it sometime, it is always a real thrill to feel the power of electrics.