Can Imerys biofuel feedstock pretreatment solutions help you get ahead?
CYNERSORB®, CELITE® AND HARBORLITE®
Our range of mineral filter aids and filterable adsorbents improve throughput rates and allows dirtier fats and oils to meet feedstock specifications of renewable diesel, biodiesel and other oleochemical plants.
Where preparation meets opportunity.
ANY QUESTIONS?
Contact us at:
www.imerys.com marketingna@imerys.com Linkedin/@imerys
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is crucial for bringing down the CO2 emissions of the aviation industry. And yet, SAF currently accounts for less than 1% of the global jet fuel consumption.
Co-processing is a quick and cost-effective pathway to SAF production without major modifications to your refinery. By adding renewable feedstocks in your existing kerosene hydrotreater, you’re ready for takeoff on your SAF journey tomorrow.
ADVERTISERS:
For advertising sales please call 218-745-8347, email editor@biobased-diesel.com or visit our website at www.biobased-diesel.com.
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: Ron Kotrba editor@biobased-diesel.com
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Doug Conboy Raised Brow Productions
MAGAZINE PRINTING: Century Publishing
COVER PHOTO COURTESY: First Hawaiian Bank
Biobased DieselTM is published by RonKo Media Productions LLC. Subscriptions are free of charge to those in the United States and Canada. To subscribe, visit biobased-diesel.com and fill out the contact form in the website footer. For subscribers outside the United States and Canada, a digital version of the magazine will be emailed. For those located outside the United States and Canada who wish to have a print version of Biobased DieselTM mailed, please email editor@ biobased-diesel.com with the request. A nominal postage fee may be required. For mail correspondence, write to: RonKo Media Productions PO Box 86 Warren, MN 56762
By Kelly King
When I first began covering the biodiesel industry in 2005, Pacific Biodiesel was an established player in the field. Today the company is most known for its community-based, Hawaii-centric model in which it collects, cleans and utilizes used cooking oil as feedstock for biodiesel production at its cutting-edge facility on Hawaii Island. The fuel is also used in-state to help reduce dependence on imports—when you live on a small archipelago in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, that’s an impressive task. More recently, the firm expanded sunflower farming and processing to Kauai as part of a federally funded project.
Back then, though, Pacific Biodiesel was both a producer and a technology provider, and it was well on its way to constructing more than a dozen biodiesel plants for itself and various companies utilizing a process design Bob King first developed in the mid-1990s. Not only was the company a prolific producer and tech provider, but Bob and his wife Kelly were instrumental in making biodiesel cool. They had remarkable connections—Willie Nelson, Woody Harrelson, Jack Johnson and so many more.
Since the biodiesel heyday in the mid- to late 2000s, Pacific Biodiesel has refocused its mission on the company’s communitybased operations in Hawaii. As it builds out its regenerative agriculture project with Hawaii-grown sunflowers, the company has significant plans for the future. Last year, in 2024, Pacific
Biodiesel laid out a major growth trajectory that stretches out to 2040. I won’t reveal the details here, so you’ll have to read the feature article on page 36 to get the scoop.
Pacific Biodiesel is celebrating its 30-year anniversary in 2025, and to see such a tuned biodiesel model working so well for the Kings and their family, employees and community is truly inspiring—particularly in light of the bad news we’ve heard lately in the market with plants idling, closing or going out of business. For every one plant that has vocalized its struggles, there are likely many more that haven’t. Conversely, I would also like to think that, for every biodiesel company like Pacific Biodiesel that succeeds, there are many more doing so as well. I suppose this is the eternal optimist in me that comes from my years writing about biodiesel. This brings me to another milestone I’d like to mention. January 2025 marks my 20th anniversary reporting on this industry for trade magazines. It has been, and continues to be, an honor and a privilege. Thank you to everyone—online readers, magazine subscribers, contributors and advertisers—for making it possible for me to accomplish this. I am grateful.
Ron Kotrba Editor and Publisher
Growth in renewable fuels like biodiesel is unstoppable. So are your partners at Evonik – with reliable supplies of alkoxides to keep your biodiesel business up and running. And targeted technical support when and where you need it. With production facilities in all major markets, we’re never far away. Let’s talk about boosting your business in this key source of renewable energy.
Let’s talk about what Evonik can do for you. Evonik Catalysts. Let’s make a difference.
Are you interested in learning more? Please contact us at:
Evonik Corporation
Phone +1 331 666-8235
fabio.tufano@evonik.com evonik.com/catalysts
Global project development marches forward while 2024 production falls short of previous estimates.
Pathway Energy LLC debuted in mid-December as a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexus Holdings and announced the first in a series of commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facilities. The project, based in Port Arthur, Texas, will be capable of producing 30 million gallons per year (mgy) of carbon-negative SAF annually. Through biomass power, gasification and syngas conversion technologies, Pathway will convert sustainably sourced wood pellets into SAF. Pathway has partnered with Sumitomo SHI FW, which will supply the project with power-production and gasification process-technology packages, and Drax Group, which is expected to supply over 1 million metric tons per year (tpy) of wood pellets to the proposed facility as feedstock for SAF processing. Drax could also become a strategic partner in the project, with a potential investment in the form of a convertible-loan note of up to $10 million. Pathway will soon begin front-end engineering design and anticipates that it will start construction on the $2 billion plant in early 2026. Commercial SAF production is expected to begin in 2029. Pathway also intends to develop a bioenergy with carbon-capture and storage (BECCS) system at the Port Arthur site. [BBD]
Samsung E&A has secured a $955 million engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) contract for a joint-venture biorefinery in Malaysia between Enilive, Petronas and Euglena. This biorefinery will be located within Petronas’ Pengerang Integrated Complex in Johor and upon completion will have the capability to process about 650,000 tpy of raw materials to produce renewable diesel, SAF and bionaphtha. This is Samsung E&A’s first entry into the SAF market. [BBD]
Parkland Corp. produced Canada’s first batch of low-carbon aviation fuel (LCAF) at its Burnaby Refinery in British Columbia this past fall. Using existing infrastructure, Parkland’s Burnaby Refinery manufactured approximately 101,000 liters (26,681 gallons) of LCAF by using nonfood-grade canola and tallow as feedstocks. With appropriate certification, LCAF could be classified as SAF. The batch of fuel has been purchased by Air Canada [BBD]
Topsoe has signed an agreement with Refinaria de Petróleo Riograndense SA to provide its HydroFlex™ and H2bridge™ technologies for SAF and renewable diesel production at Riograndense’s Rio Grande renewable fuels plant in Brazil Riograndense aims to produce 672,000 gallons per day of renewable diesel and SAF from soybean oil and tallow. The plant is anticipated to begin operating in the first half of 2028. The agreement with Riograndense follows a number of wins announced by Topsoe for the roll-out of its HydroFlex™ technology, including Holborn’s Hamburg renewable fuels refinery in Germany, Braya Renewable Fuels’ Come By Chance plant in Canada, Cepsa Bioenergia San Roque’s Palos de la Frontera plant in Spain, and Guangxi Hongkun Biomass in China [BBD]
The SAF project at the Diamond Green Diesel renewable diesel plant in Port Arthur, Texas, is now complete. The project provides the plant with the optionality to upgrade approximately 50 percent of its current 470 mgy renewable diesel capacity to SAF. Diamond Green Diesel is a joint venture between Darling Ingredients and Valero. [BBD]
Montana Renewables and Gevo were both given conditional commitments for loan guarantees from the U.S. DOE Loan Programs Office for their respective SAF projects. Gevo is expected to receive a $1.46 billion loan guarantee for its 60 mgy Net-Zero 1 project in Lake Preston, South Dakota, while Montana Renewables is anticipated to get a $1.44 billion loan guarantee for its MaxSAF™ project to expand SAF production in Great Falls, Montana, tenfold to 300 mgy. [BBD]
Mercantile & Maritime Group is expanding its MENA Terminals in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, to launch a nearly 40 mgy SAF production facility. The project is slated for completion in 2026. [BBD]
DG Fuels is planning to develop a $5 billion-plus SAF project in Moorhead, Minnesota, scaled to produce 193 mgy. Operations are expected to begin in 2030. [BBD]
Neste and Air Canada signed an agreement for the supply of 20.5 million gallons of neat Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ Neste started delivering the SAF blended with conventional jet fuel to the Vancouver marine terminal in December, with further shipments throughout 2025. The Vancouver marine terminal has a direct pipeline connection to the fuel facilities at Vancouver International Airport enabling the use of the blended SAF at the airport. [BBD]
The International Air Transport Association released new estimates in December for SAF production showing that in 2024, SAF production volumes reached 1 million tons (343.4 million gallons), double the 0.5 million tons produced in 2023. SAF accounted for 0.3 percent of global jet-fuel production and 11 percent of global renewable fuel. This is significantly below previous estimates that projected SAF production in 2024 at 1.5 million tons, as key SAF facilities in the U.S. have pushed back their production ramp up to the first half of 2025. In 2025, SAF production is expected to reach 2.1 million tons, or 0.7 percent of total jet-fuel production and 13 percent of global renewable fuel capacity. [BBD]
Canadian woes, temporary unexpected shutdowns in Rotterdam and Singapore, and updates to California’s LCFS.
Braya Renewable Fuels is evaluating the possibility of an economic shutdown of its renewable diesel plant in Come By Chance, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. “This evaluation is necessary due to lower-than-normal margins and short-term market disruptions caused by the expiration of the blenders tax credit (BTC),” said Paul Burton, Braya Renewable Fuels’ refinery manager, in a statement provided to Biobased Diesel Daily®. At press time, the longstanding BTC, a U.S. incentive for biodiesel and renewable diesel, was set to expire Dec. 31, 2024, and is expected to be replaced after two decades with the clean fuel production tax credit, commonly referred to as 45Z. The 45Z credit, passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, is only available to domestic (U.S.) producers versus the BTC, which is a blenders credit for which imported qualifying fuel is eligible. In mid-December, the U.S. Department of the Treasury had yet to provide any substantive guidance on the 45Z credit other than urging producers to register in order to be eligible for the incentive. This, coupled with the looming expiration of the BTC, has caused significant uncertainty in the biobased diesel markets. The value of the new 45Z credit is also expected to be either somewhat or significantly less than the $1-per-gallon BTC for many domestic biobased diesel producers eligible for the incentive. “If temporary market conditions make it economically unfeasible to operate the plant, the processing of feedstock may be paused,” Burton said. “During this time, all equipment would be maintained in good condition and in a ready-to-start mode.” Braya Renewable Fuels’ refinery conversion project was first announced in late 2021. The plant, scaled at nearly 260 million gallons per year (mgy), began commercial operations in February 2024. [BBD]
Across the country in British Columbia, Tidewater Renewables revealed in November that unfairly priced U.S. renewable diesel entering Canada was having a significant negative impact on the competitiveness of its domestic operations. As a result, the company said it was preparing a trade case to
curb the imports. If the measure is not successful, Tidewater said its ability to continue operations would be in jeopardy. Tidewater Renewables began commercial operations of its 45 mgy renewable diesel unit at the Prince George Refinery in fall 2023. [BBD]
Neste’s Rotterdam refinery in the Netherlands had to unexpectedly shut down due to a Nov. 8 fire. The company said the fire was extinguished the same day it started and resulted in no injuries. “Based on our initial assessment, the Rotterdam refinery production will be down for several weeks impacting renewable diesel customer deliveries,” Neste stated in November, adding that the incident had no effect on the ongoing Rotterdam refinery-expansion project. The Rotterdam fire followed an October equipment failure at its Singapore refinery, which caused the company to shut down renewable diesel production there as well, the company told Biobased Diesel Daily®. The impacted Singapore production line produces renewable diesel that meets the requirements set for the U.S. market. Neste said its U.S. customers were notified of the impact to their deliveries for the remainder of 2024. The production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at the new production line of the Singapore refinery was not affected. [BBD]
The California Air Resources Board approved updates to the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard in November, including a contentious 20 percent companywide cap on biobased diesel fuels from virgin crop oils such as soybean, canola and sunflowerseed oils. The updates set targets to reduce the carbon intensity of California’s transportation fuel pool by 30 percent by 2030 and by 90 percent by 2045. To date, the LCFS has reduced the carbon intensity of California’s fuel mix by almost 13 percent and displaced 70 percent of the diesel used in the state with cleaner alternatives like biodiesel and renewable diesel. The updated LCFS sends long-term market signals to phase out combustion fuels and increase zero-emission fuels and transportation options. The LCFS updates by CARB include “new guardrails to avoid land-use changes resulting in potential loss of food production or deforestation,” the agency stated. “The majority of biomass-based diesel and sustainable aviation fuel in the LCFS has historically come from waste feedstocks, such as used cooking oil, animal fat and inedible distillers corn oil. To minimize potential land-use issues, the program will require fuel producers track crop-based and forestry-based feedstocks to their point of origin. The LCFS will also require independent feedstock certification to ensure biomassbased diesel and SAF feedstocks are not undermining natural carbon stocks. Palm-derived fuels are also explicitly prohibited from receiving credits.” [BBD]
Braya Renewable Fuels, which just opened in February 2024, is considering shutting down its renewable diesel plant in Atlantic Canada. PHOTO: BRAYA RENEWABLE FUELS
A new law in Brazil, novel feedstock research in the U.S., Iowa blend sales surge and a Minnesota plant shuts down after 15 years.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed the Fuel of the Future law in October. The program will unlock investments totaling $260 billion Brazilian reals (USD$43 billion). As a result, several biofuel manufacturers in Brazil announced new investments including biodiesel producers Grupo Potencial and Be8. The new law increases the biodiesel-blend requirement in Brazil 1 percent a year until reaching 20 percent (B20) in March 2030. The current biodiesel requirement is 14 percent. [BBD]
Researchers at the University of Missouri, Washington University in St. Louis and Texas A&M University have used electrocatalysis of carbon dioxide to create “electro-biodiesel” that they say is 45 times more efficient and uses 45 times less land than soybean-based biodiesel production. The team used electrocatalysis, a type of chemical reaction initiated by electron transfers to and from reactants on surfaces of catalysts, to convert carbon dioxide into biocompatible intermediates, such as acetate and ethanol. The intermediates were then converted by microbes into lipids, or fatty acids, and ultimately became biodiesel feedstock. [BBD]
A report published by the Iowa Department of Revenue in late 2024 showed that in-state sales of biodiesel blends hit 486.5 million gallons in 2023, nearly tripling the 160.8 million gallons
recorded in 2007. State incentives played a critical role in this success. In 2007, biodiesel blends accounted for 22.6 percent of total diesel sales in Iowa. Today it represents 58.7 percent. [BBD]
Ever Cat Fuels, a small-scale commercial biodiesel producer located in Isanti, Minnesota, has closed its doors and ceased all biodiesel production activities. “Poor market conditions, inconsistent government support, lack of reliable feedstock supply, and the decision by the U.S. EPA to include petroleumproduced renewable diesel in the same renewable identification number (RIN) category as biodiesel has led us to a point where we can no longer continue operations,” the company stated. “These headwinds, combined with a lack of clarity regarding the clean fuels producers tax credit being introduced in 2025 by the U.S. Department of Treasury, made it impossible to continue operations.” The biodiesel plant was scaled at 3.3 million gallons per year. Ever Cat Fuels used waste vegetable oil as feedstock to produce biodiesel, which it did utilizing the novel Mcgyan® process. The biodiesel company first opened its doors in September 2009. “It is a sad day for the future of renewable biofuels in Minnesota and for small businesses trying to help make a positive difference in the environment to promote a green energy-based economy,” Ever Cat Fuels stated. [BBD]
CNSL is suspected of causing operational issues, New York ferries transition and GoodFuels exits a major bunkering hub.
In the past few months, several ships in the Singapore and Rotterdam areas reported operational problems including fuel sludging, injector failure, filter clogging, system deposits and corrosion of turbocharger nozzle rings. In light of the reported problems, CTI-Maritec carried out extended gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) testing of samples from these vessels. GC-MS testing by the solid-phase extraction (SPE) method showed the presence of high concentrations— greater than 10,000 parts per million—of cardol, cardanol, anacardic acid and other alkyl resorcinols. All mentioned compounds, which are substituted long-chain phenols, indicated the fuel was blended with cashew-nut shell liquid (CNSL). CNSL
a marine fuel or use CNSL as a blending component in marine fuel. [BBD]
New York City’s transportation department has begun testing renewable diesel on the Marchi Staten Island Ferry boat. The agency plans to expand renewable diesel to the full Staten Island Ferry fleet in 2025. The Staten Island Ferry is the busiest municipal ferry service in the country. In addition, the NYC Ferry has launched a six-month pilot using renewable diesel on select vessels with the goal of transitioning the entire fleet to renewable diesel in 2025. Furthermore, NY Waterway, which operates a ferry fleet between New Jersey and New York, also recently completed a trial of renewable diesel. NY Waterway began its renewable diesel trial this past July on selected ferries and is currently on track to use 375,000 gallons over the next year— roughly 20 percent of the fleet’s fuel consumption. Its goal is to increase to 50 percent usage in the near future. [BBD]
GoodFuels has pulled out of the Singapore market and will no longer supply marine biofuel to one of the largest bunkering hotspots in the world. “After evaluating market conditions, we have determined that applying more emphasis to our activities in Europe will enable us to maximize our impact on transport
The shipping sector is increasingly using biofuels—such as fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), also known as biodiesel—to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions. Concerns have arisen, however, regarding the legitimacy of biofuels and whether they are truly sustainable. Industry bodies are seeing a rising number of cases mislabeling biofuels purported to be made from recycled oils and fats, while suspicions persist that they might be produced from cheaper and less sustainable virgin oils.
To address these concerns, FAME fingerprinting can be used as a potential tool to detect fraud in marine fuel supply chains and ensure biofuel authenticity. By providing a physical validation method that complements existing certification schemes, FAME fingerprinting can help justify the green premium with genuine environmental benefits and safeguard the integrity of the marine fuels supply chain.
FAME fingerprinting is based on the principle that the fatty-acid profile of FAME is unique to its feedstock and can be preserved during feedstock transesterification to produce FAME. The “fingerprint” can then be compared against a database of known fattyacid profiles to identify the feedstock origin.
The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation worked with VPS, which modified existing fuel-testing methods, to carry out sample analyses using a gas chromatograph with flame-ionization detection, an instrument commonly found in fuel test laboratories. The analysis takes about an hour, comparable to the turnaround time for current marine fuel quality testing
in the supply chain. This method was tested on a variety of FAME samples from different suppliers, including virgin oils, used cooking oils, palm-oil mill effluent (POME), beef tallow and food waste and was able to identify the feedstock origins for each sample.
The full report can be obtained at https://www.gcformd.org/our-publications/.
In 2024, the U.S. East Coast became a consistent destination for small volumes of renewable diesel as a few suppliers and local governments began offering or consuming the fuel. Because no renewable diesel is produced on the East Coast, suppliers and local governments are procuring their supply from a combination of imports and interregional U.S. shipments.
The fuel is primarily consumed on the West Coast because California, Oregon and Washington are the only states with active clean-fuel programs that incentivize its consumption. Small but increasing volumes of renewable diesel are now being consumed in other U.S. regions, however, notably the East Coast.
The increase in renewable diesel consumption on the East Coast is attributable to decisions by a few suppliers and local governments including New York City; Approved Oil; Sprague; Neste; Diesel Direct; K.W. Rastall Oil; New Jersey Natural Gas; the township of North Brunswick, New Jersey; Colonial Oil and Global Partners.
A little more than half of the renewable diesel supplied to the East Coast in 2024 has come from imports from Neste’s plants in Singapore, Finland and the Netherlands. Through September 2024, Neste delivered renewable diesel to the East Coast each month except for April and May, shipping an average of 3,000 barrels (126,000 gallons) per day during the first nine months of the year.
DATA SOURCE: U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION, PETROLEUM SUPPLY MONTHLY. NOTE: CONSUMPTION IS DEFINED AS PRODUCT SUPPLIED PLUS REFINERY AND BLENDER NET INPUTS.
DATA SOURCE: U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION, PETROLEUM SUPPLY MONTHLY
Of the renewable diesel imported into the East Coast, about two-thirds have been destined for New Jersey, with the remainder for Georgia. The remaining renewable diesel supplied to the East Coast in 2024 has come from tankers or barges in the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The East Coast now holds almost 10 percent of renewable diesel inventories in the United States and attracts almost 10 percent of U.S. imports. Despite recent growth in East Coast renewable diesel consumption, renewable diesel has yet to exceed 1 percent of the region’s distillate fuel oil pool. Without any clean-fuel programs in East Coast states, renewable diesel is unlikely to significantly displace distillate fuel oil in the region.
DATA SOURCE: U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
U.S. imports of renewable diesel broke back-to-back monthly records in June and July 2024. Prior to June, the highest monthly volume of renewable diesel imported into the U.S. was in May 2023 at more than 48 million gallons. In June, the U.S. imported more than 61 million gallons of renewable diesel. In July, this spiked to nearly 67 million gallons. The vast majority of renewable diesel imported into the U.S. in June and July originated in Singapore. U.S. imports of renewable diesel from Canada arrived for the first time on record in June (11.4 million gallons) and rose in July (13.6 million gallons).
Strategic planning and advocacy will help face the intersecting challenges of state-level regulatory changes and potential federal policy shifts.
By Lisa Hanke
In 2024, the biobased diesel industry showed resilience amid swings in feedstock and commodity prices, renewable identification number (RIN) values, and California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (CA-LCFS) credit prices that impacted plant economics nationwide. Maintaining this resilience will be essential as the industry aims to navigate an ever-changing regulatory landscape in 2025 and beyond.
On the state level, the California Air Resources Board in early November approved amendments to the CA-LCFS program, signaling major implications for biobased diesel producers, investors and stakeholders. A notable change involves the eligibility of certain feedstocks—namely soybean, canola and sunflower oils—for generating CA-LCFS credits. These feedstocks will be limited to contributing up to 20 percent of a company’s annual combined total biobased diesel production starting Jan. 1, 2028, provided the producer has submitted a pathway-certification application or obtained certification before the effective date.
The move will require many producers to shift feedstocks and look more closely at the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) sector as CARB aims to promote diversification in feedstock sourcing and the development of new fuel types. It also underscores the state’s focus on regulating the scale and type of biobased diesel production to balance environmental and industry concerns.
CARB’s decision to approve the CA-LCFS amendments could inspire initiatives in other U.S. states or Canadian provinces that have LCFS-type programs with similar emissions-reduction goals. By introducing feedstock-specific limitations, California may set a precedent, prompting producers to innovate and optimize processes to meet regulatory demands.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 represents a cornerstone of the federal renewable energy policy. A key provision relevant to biobased diesel producers is the section 45Z tax credit, expected to be released in 2025. When implemented, 45Z would replace the $1-per-gallon biodiesel blenders tax credit (BTC). As with any new incoming administration, however, policy priorities may shift, potentially altering the timeline or focus of implementation for these tax credits like 45Z or the BTC.
Another area of consideration is how a new administration might approach setting future renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard. Uncertainty, as the biobased diesel industry has seen in the past, could exert downward pressure on RIN prices.
It remains to be seen if President-elect Trump’s nominee Lee Zeldin, a former four-term Republican congressman from New York, will be confirmed as the new U.S. EPA administrator by the Senate. During his time representing Long Island constituents in the House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023, Zeldin co-sponsored several bills that aimed to repeal or eliminate certain requirements of the RFS. If his appointment is approved, the industry will need to make concerted efforts to encourage the new administrator to support the RFS.
Navigating the intersecting challenges of state-level regulatory changes and potential federal policy shifts requires strategic planning and advocacy. Industry players must take proactive steps to mitigate risks and leverage opportunities in 2025 and beyond.
1. Strengthen federal-level engagement: Industry stakeholders should prioritize and strengthen outreach, education and collaboration with federal agencies such as U.S. DOE, EPA, USDA and others to educate new congressional staff on the merits of the RFS and promote the proven message of how the biobased diesel industry supports farmers, increases energy independence and has a positive impact on job creation.
2. Diversify feedstock supply chains: Given new restrictions on feedstock eligibility in California’s LCFS and potentially for sourcing domestic feedstocks under 45Z, producers should explore alternative feedstocks and invest in research to optimize the carbon intensity (CI) of their products.
3. Invest in innovation and technology: Advancing technologies for more efficient production and feedstock processing can help meet evolving CA-LCFS criteria and eligibility for IRA tax credits while reducing costs. Partnerships with academic institutions and research organizations can expedite innovation.
Proactive efforts today, such as fostering innovation, advocating for stable policies and engaging with policymakers, will help ensure a thriving biobased diesel sector in the years to come. We intend to monitor and analyze the first 60 days of the new Trump administration to provide insights into its impact on the biobased diesel industry and will continue to help guide the industry through this uncertainty.
Author: Lisa Hanke Director of Regulatory Engagement EcoEngineers
613-857-2414 lhanke@ecoengineers.us
EcoEngineers is a consulting, auditing, and advisory firm with an exclusive focus on the energy transition.
From innovation to impact, Eco’s team of engineers, scientists, auditors, consultants, and researchers live and work at the intersection of low-carbon fuel policy, innovative technologies, and the carbon marketplace.
Together, we can create a world where clean energy fuels a healthy planet.
Let’s connect Scan the QR code to get started.
Cook-Illinois Corp., a major school-bus contractor and 20-year biodiesel user, won two sustainability awards in 2024.
By Ron Kotrba
Cook-Illinois Corp., the sixth-largest school-bus contractor in the U.S. with 2,100 vehicles operating in the Chicagoland area, won two new sustainability awards in 2024. “Biodiesel had a big part in them,” says John Benish Jr., president and chief operating officer of the company.
The National School Transportation Association presented the “Go Yellow, Go Green” Award to Cook-Illinois Corp. at its annual meeting in July 2024. The award recognizes a company leader in student transportation who demonstrates commitment in pursuing positive responses to growing environmental concerns through corporate practice and industry leadership. In addition, Cook-Illinois Corp. was also honored with the “Green Bus Summit Fleet Award” in the regional private-fleet category by School Transportation News in affiliation with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
“We are very honored for both,” Benish tells Biobased Diesel™. “We are coming up on our 20th school year using biodiesel in most of our 2,100 vehicles each day, and we are very happy with the proven results.”
Under Benish’s leadership, the company was the first in Illinois to voluntarily switch an entire bus fleet to biodiesel fuel beginning in the early to mid-2000s. Today, all of Cook-Illinois Corp.’s diesel buses use some amount of biodiesel, whether that’s 11 percent (B11), B20 or, in a growing number of cases, B100.
Cook-Illinois Corp. has 11 fueling sites throughout its network and uses biodiesel at all of them. Its buses run 25 million miles a year and Cook Illinois Corp.’s overall vehicle fleet consumes between 1.5 million and 2 million gallons of blended biodiesel annually.
In addition to school buses, Cook-Illinois Corp. operates airport shuttles at Chicago’s Midway International Airport on a 24/7 basis, transporting millions of passengers every year. Those shuttles only use B20 or higher.
Nearly five years ago, Cook Illinois Corp. began trialing B100 in a select number of buses. Benish says the company first got involved with the B100 project with help from Bailey Arnold, program lead for the B20 Club of Illinois, through Cook-Illinois Corp.’s membership in the B20 Club. The B20 Club recognizes a select group of Illinois-based organizations with strong commitments to run fleets on biodiesel blends of 20 percent or greater. The B100 project also involves Chevron Renewable Energy Group, the nation’s largest biodiesel producer, and Optimus Technologies, manufacturer of the Vector System— an advanced fuel-system technology that can upgrade any medium- or heavy-duty diesel engine to run on 100 percent biodiesel, even in cold Midwestern winters.
The B100 project began with five school buses, which Benish says was a success. In mid-2023, the company worked to add three additional units. In December 2024, Benish tells Biobased Diesel™ that the project has been such a success that CookIllinois Corp. is currently adding another five B100 buses to its fleet. “We have had a good experience with this so far,” he says.
Benish says being a member of the B20 Club has been a great assist in providing opportunities for Cook-Illinois Corp. to use more biodiesel. “We continue to work very closely with Bailey and his team,” Benish says. “We have encouraged many more bus companies like ourselves to use some type of biobased fuel.”
In January 2022, Benish was named a “Bio Ambassador” by the United Soybean Board for his commitment to biodiesel. The Bio Ambassador program is operated by USB and funded with soybean checkoff dollars. As a Bio Ambassador, Benish volunteers his time to share with other fleet leaders how soyderived biobased products contribute to the sustainability of vehicle fleets. Benish says it’s not hard to sell people on the clean-air, performance and sustainability benefits of biodiesel. “Biodiesel sells itself,” he says.
Author: Ron Kotrba Editor, Biobased
Diesel™ 218-745-8347 editor@biobased-diesel.com
Start Your
"Biobased Academy is a great way to expose fleet and facility professionals to the environmental, health, and safety benefits of transitioning to biobased products."
- Sarah Mark, Fleet and Facilities Manager for the City of Moline, Illinois
Enter discount code USB23 at checkout to receive complimentary access to the course!
As uncertainty clouds the regulatory landscape, three new tools will help provide clarity, simplicity and enhanced decisionmaking for the challenging year ahead.
By Dani Charles
At the start of last year, I predicted that 2024 would be “the year traceability goes global.” Now, as the year draws to a close (as of the writing of this piece), I feel confident saying that prediction has come to fruition. From regulatory shifts to voluntary market growth, traceability has cemented its place as a foundational principle across renewable energy and sustainability industries.
In the United States, scrutiny around feedstocks tightened significantly. The U.S. EPA announced audits of used cooking oil (UCO)-based biofuels, spotlighting the importance of verifying feedstock origins. Across the Atlantic, the European Union made strides in implementing its Union Database for Biofuels, though delays hampered full adoption. These developments, among others, reflect a growing recognition that traceability isn’t just desirable—it’s now essential for compliance across the various global regulatory programs.
2024, however, wasn’t solely focused on regulatory compliance. Voluntary markets saw remarkable growth driven by the adoption of frameworks like book-and-claim systems to tackle the complexities of scaling decarbonization efforts. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) emerged as a key focus, signaling a broader shift toward the rising significance of biofuels, including marine fuels, in the years ahead. Yet this rapid expansion wasn’t without challenges. Allegations of fraudulent accounting in offset programs highlighted weaknesses in the system, emphasizing the urgent need for reliable and rigorous verification mechanisms.
At the same time, rising global renewable energy demand added pressure. The artificial-intelligence (AI) revolution—with its immense computational needs—has accelerated the demand for renewable energy. Increasingly, stakeholders are asking for more than sustainability commitments; they’re demanding proof backed by clear, end-to-end traceability systems.
Even as traceability becomes a global priority, uncertainty clouds the regulatory landscape. In the U.S., key questions remain unanswered. Guidance for the 45Z clean fuel production tax credit is still pending, and speculation about extending the biodiesel and renewable diesel blenders tax credit (BTC) leaves businesses in limbo. Legal battles over renewable volume obligations (RVOs) and small-refinery exemptions (SREs) further complicate planning for 2025.
California continues to lead the way in setting ambitious standards, with the California Air Resources Board adopting stricter targets for its Low Carbon Fuel Standard this past November. With that, CARB is updating its pathway requirements for renewable fuels used in the program, including feedstock verification and traceability as evidenced by the “Tracking Feedstock Characteristics” request for information (RFI) it issued in October. A similar dynamic is
unfolding in Europe, where heightened targets are being introduced, yet the timeline for implementing the UDB remains unclear. This further underscores the growing challenge of aligning ambitious policy objectives with the practicalities of enforcement, leaving businesses on both sides of the Atlantic grappling with shifting compliance landscapes.
This regulatory fog demands not just vigilance but adaptability. Companies must not only track their compliance today but ensure they can pivot quickly as rules shift. Bio optionality™—the ability to flexibly operate in and around global bio markets, while ensuring you can adapt to dynamic regulatory and compliance requirements—will be critical in navigating the uncertainties ahead.
In this volatile environment, traceability and sustainability management provide businesses with a guiding principle. They deliver the transparency and data integrity needed to substantiate sustainability claims, deter fraud and meet compliance requirements. But beyond compliance, they empower companies to respond proactively to market changes, giving them a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving space.
At Veriflux, we’ve built our platform to deliver precisely that. By enabling end-to-end visibility across supply chains, we help businesses demonstrate authenticity, maintain flexibility and uphold their commitments to sustainability and circularity. Whether in regulated markets or voluntary frameworks, traceability is the foundation for success.
In 2025, we are excited to build on the value of our existing tools—Collect, Veriflux360 and Recordkeeper—with the introduction of three new products: FLUX AI, Attributes and Ledger. These tools will add powerful new dimensions to the Veriflux system, making it even easier for businesses to adapt to regulatory complexity and strengthen their sustainability claims. Together, they are designed to provide clarity, simplicity and enhanced decision-making in navigating the challenges of the year ahead.
Benjamin Franklin, ever a wise man, once remarked that nothing is certain except death and taxes. With tax guidance for 45Z still outstanding, uncertainty around BTC extensions and shifting regulations across the board, the only certainty in biofuels today seems to be uncertainty itself. And yet, two constants stand out: the growing importance of supply chain traceability and the need for companies to adapt to evolving rules while preserving bio optionality™. If Franklin were alive today, he might add, “Nothing is certain except death and the necessity of Veriflux.”
A wise man indeed.
Author: Dani Charles Co-founder, Veriflux 720-838-7233 dani@veriflux.io
E
E
T I
A r e y o u t i r e d
s c a t t e r e d a c r o s p y y g p p , , ,
a n d I S C C l e d g e r s ? K e e p i n g t r a c k o f b i o m a s s a t t e s t a t i o n s , S F W C s , S D s , P o S s , C F R d e c l a r a t i o n s
a n d m o r e ? A r e y o u w o r r i e d a b o u t p r o o f o f R I N e l i g i b i l i t y ? 4 5 Z C I c a l c u l a t i o n s ? L C F S p a th w a y
v e r i f i c a t i o n ? U D B c o n n e c t i v i t y ? D o y o u w i s h y o u c o u l d h a v e a s i n g l e i n t e r f a c e f o r a l l y o u r
t r a c e a b i l i t y a n d s u s t a i n a b i l i t y n e e d s ? A u t o m a t e a s s i g n m e n t a n d a l l o c a t i o n o f m a t e r i a l s a n d p r o d u c t s ? V a l i d a t e a d d r e s s e s ? M a n a g e i n v e n t o r y a n d w h a t p r o d u c t s q u a l i f y i n w h i c h m a r k e t s ?
A u t o - r e p o r t t o U D B ? I m a g i n e p r e p a r i n g f o r a u d i t s i n m i n u t e s v e r s u s d a y s a n d w e e k s ! W H Y S E T T L E F O R L E S S ? W H E N Y O U C A N H A V E S O M U C H M O R E ! F U L L Y F E A T U R E D F O R R F S , 4 5 Z , L C F S , C F R , I S C C , C O R S I A , U D B , B & C A N D M O R E ! U . S . B A S E D G L O B A L L Y U S E D E N D - T O - E N D E P A - F U N D E D
Y H E R E ! O V E R 1 B I L L I O N L B S . T R A C E D !
2 + M I L L I O N T R A N S A C T I O N S
2 0 + C O U N T R I E S 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 + P O I N T S O F O R I G I N s u p p o r t @ v e r i f l u x . i o w w w v e r i f l u x i o
Revisions to ASTM D6751, adoption of ISO 8217:2024 and results from the latest BQ-9000 fuel-quality report are helping to ensure biodiesel’s readiness in decarbonizing challenging sectors.
By Scott Fenwick
Clean Fuels Alliance America’s technical program made significant strides in 2024 strengthening the industry’s position in advancing biobased diesel and enhancing biodiesel quality.
Reflecting the global shift toward decarbonization, the ASTM D6751 standard, which sets the specifications for biodiesel fuel blendstock (B100) for middle distillate fuels, underwent revisions aligning with the growing demand for more sustainable and efficient fuels that can meet the expected performance metrics of original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and consumers. The updated specification now includes tighter adjustments to the allowable limits for key parameters such as metals content, ensuring that higher biodiesel blends can meet the stringent requirements of modern engines and aftertreatment systems.
Additionally, the seventh annual “Assessment of BQ-9000 Biodiesel Properties” report revealed that biodiesel quality continues to surpass ASTM requirements. This ongoing qualityassurance effort is critical as the industry seeks broader acceptance of biodiesel across various sectors.
Clean Fuels is championing groundbreaking opportunities for biodiesel producers to expand into emerging markets, particularly in rail, marine and home-heating applications. Recent advancements, such as Wabtec’s approval of B20 biodiesel blends for locomotive engines and the adoption of the ISO 8217:2024 specification for marine fuels, signify major milestones.
The heating-oil industry is closer to reaching its goal of netzero emissions by 2050 with the release of new protocols by Underwriters Laboratories and certifications for equipment to operate on biodiesel blends, up to B100. Several distributors have announced sales of B40 to B50 blends to their customers, touting biodiesel as a better alternative to traditional heating oil.
The rail industry has been under increasing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint. Conventional dieselpowered locomotives are a substantial source of greenhousegas (GHG) emissions, and cleaner alternatives like biodiesel and renewable diesel are gaining traction as viable solutions.
Wabtec, a global leader in freight and passenger rail technology, conducted extensive testing to ensure that B20 blends meet performance, reliability and emissions standards. This approval not only provides a cleaner alternative for rail operators but also demonstrates that biodiesel can integrate into existing infrastructure. Wabtec’s approval of B20 is a game-changer and opens up a substantial market for biodiesel producers. Railroads are now equipped with a proven solution to decarbonize their operations while maintaining performance.
To date, four out of the six Class I railroads have joined Clean Fuels’ membership, working closely to ensure the smooth adoption and performance of these higher blends.
Ongoing efforts with agricultural groups continue to bolster the supply chain for consistent and reliable access to high-quality renewable fuels.
Meanwhile, the marine industry faces unique challenges in transitioning to biobased diesel. Stringent regulations from organizations like the International Maritime Organization are pushing vessels toward low-carbon alternatives. Biodiesel’s compatibility with existing engines presents a compelling option.
The introduction of the ISO 8217:2024 specification earlier this year is a transformative gain for the marine industry. This updated international standard allows for the use of up to B100 in nearly every grade of marine fuel applications, provided the fuel meets stringent quality and performance criteria. The Clean Fuels technical team has been instrumental in passing this specification, working alongside industry stakeholders to ensure biodiesel’s inclusion as a recognized alternative to marine diesel fuel.
These new markets for biodiesel are creating significant economic benefits. For producers, expanded access to rail and marine translates into increased demand and a more diversified customer base. This, in turn, supports local economies, particularly in agricultural regions where domestic soybean oil remains a primary feedstock.
While the opportunities are vast, challenges remain. Education and awareness are critical to ensuring that users fully understand the benefits and operational requirements of biodiesel. Clean Fuels and its members are addressing these issues through extensive outreach and collaboration with OEMs while also working to address supply-chain logistics to ensure the fuels are readily available.
As the industry adapts to a shift in federal tax policy in the New Year, one thing is clear: Biodiesel is no longer a niche fuel. It’s a mainstream solution that’s driving realworld progress in some of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize. Enabling the use of higher blends in emerging markets like rail, marine and home-heating applications unlocks a massive opportunity for clean fuels to contribute to decarbonization efforts on a global scale.
Author: Scott Fenwick Technical Director
Biodiesel and renewable diesel can reduce GHG emissions today in existing engine technology while operating seamlessly throughout the nation’s rail system.
Better. Cleaner. Now!® cleanfuels.org
Participants will hear from industry leaders who will discuss a range of topics, including:
• An increase in demand for biofuels in heavy-duty applications such as farm, marine, rail and air.
• How export opportunities are driven by low-carbon goals in Canada, Japan, Colombia and the Far East.
• National policy surrounding year-round E15, the Renewable Fuel Standard, the 45Z clean fuel production credit and the farm bill.
• The role biofuels play in realistic low carbon-emission goals from the perspective of a major auto manufacturer.
In addition to the exclusive speaker program, the summit is the second-largest biofuels trade show uniquely situated in the heart of the Midwest.
To learn more about the summit, visit IowaRenewableFuelsSummit.org.
“
By Lisa A. Coffelt
In agriculture, if you’re not growing, you’re dying. With commodity prices already dropping to near the cost of production, we need to turn the agriculture economy around.
At the 2025 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit, we will visit every avenue on America’s road trip to prosperity. Join us as we explore our Fuels of Opportunity.
This will be the 18th year for the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit, the Midwest’s largest biofuels policy conference. The summit will be held Feb. 4 at the Prairie Meadows Event Center in Altoona, Iowa. It is free to attend and open to the public.
Every year, the summit draws attendees from over a dozen states that represent every sector of the biofuels industry including biofuel producers and supporters, policy experts, elected officials and media.
Renewable fuels continue to be the solution that many look toward as a viable path to grow commodity demand, making this event more prevalent year after year. From foreign trade to domestic policy, we will cover the big issues everyone is talking about as we peek into the future of the role biofuels play in promoting U.S. energy independence.
Renewable fuels continue to be the solution that many look toward as a viable path to grow commodity demand, making this event more prevalent year after year.
Author: Lisa A. Coffelt Marketing Director
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association 515-252-6249 lcoffelt@iowarfa.org
Electric cooperatives and agriculture share a deep connection, a partnership exemplified by the adoption of biodiesel.
By Matt Amick
Built on the foundation of farmers and rural America, Missouri’s electric cooperatives have powered their communities for nearly 90 years.
In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration to provide loans for extending electricity to rural areas. Investor-owned utilities largely avoided these regions, considering them unprofitable due to their sparse populations. In response, farmer-owned cooperatives stepped in, borrowing funds to deliver power to rural communities and establishing the electric-cooperative model.
Through a shared foundation rooted in supporting farmers and rural communities, Boone Electric’s adoption of biodiesel honors the co-op’s agricultural heritage while driving sustainable energy solutions that benefit both farmers and local economies. Traditionally, Boone Electric’s board consisted entirely of farmers. Today, the member-owned coop has a diverse group of voices from both within and outside agriculture, broadening perspectives.
Boone Electric’s mission is to provide reliable, affordable electricity to its members. The cooperative serves 32,000 meters across five counties.
“We’re fortunate enough to be in Boone County, around the city of Columbia, which has a denser population than other rural electric coops,” says Jimmy Goodnight, manager of operations at Boone Electric Cooperative. “It’s good for us and allows our systems to stay in great working order.”
While Boone Electric primarily relies on traditional energy sources, it has steadily incorporated renewable energy, including wind and solar. Building on this commitment to sustainability and supporting farmer-members, Boone Electric recently reintroduced biodiesel to its fleet.
“We’ve been using a biodiesel blend since the spring,” Goodnight says. “We tried it before, but this is a different time, different equipment, and a different fuel. Performance has been exactly what we expect from our fleet.”
Biodiesel, a renewable fuel made from soybeans, can be blended with diesel fuel and provides higher lubricity, more efficient combustion and requires no engine modifications. It offers significant environmental benefits by reducing greenhousegas emissions by up to 15 percent with B20 blends. Missouri has five biodiesel plants producing nearly 250 million gallons annually, creating jobs and supporting farmers and rural economies.
Boone Electric first experimented with biodiesel 20 years ago, when the fuel was newly commercialized. At the time, inconsistent quality hindered its widespread adoption. Today, the biodiesel industry has matured, with improved quality and reliability prompting Boone Electric to make the switch.
Storeroom Assistant Doug Hackman, who oversees fuel orders for Boone Electric, echoes this sentiment.
“I knew biodiesel was already in a lot of diesel fuel, but I didn’t have prior experience with it,” Hackman says. “We haven’t had any issues, and there’s actually been a slight cost benefit.”
In 2024, Boone Electric partnered with MFA Oil, a strong biodiesel advocate, to use a B5 blend (5 percent biodiesel, 95 percent diesel). Next spring, it plans to transition to B11 and potentially increase to B20, expecting further performance improvements.
Missouri’s biodiesel industry generates over $2 billion annually for rural communities, creating jobs and directly benefiting soybean farmers.
Electric cooperatives and agriculture share a deep connection, working together to strengthen rural economies. This partnership is exemplified by the adoption of biodiesel, which directly supports local farmers and fosters economic growth.
“Using biodiesel is a natural fit,” Goodnight says. “It benefits both our operations and the communities we serve.”
Goodnight and Hackman note that rural electric co-ops likely power some of Missouri’s biodiesel plants as well as the farms supplying soybeans. They encourage other co-ops to consider biodiesel for their fleets.
“If it helps our members, whether it’s powering biodiesel plants or supporting the farmers who own us, it’s a win-win,” Goodnight says. “If we can also improve fleet performance with biodiesel blends, everyone benefits.”
For Boone Electric, combining renewable energy with a commitment to its farmermembers makes biodiesel a natural choice.
Author: Matt Amick Director of Market Development
Missouri Soybeans 573-690-8102 mamick@mosoy.org
The new Trump administration will mute the relentless federal advocacy for electrification of transportation, which may inspire states to take the lead with new initiatives.
By Allen Schaeffer
“Recalculating.” That’s the voice coming from the car navigation system in response to changing course from a carefully programmed and optimized route to an exact destination. It is also one we can safely apply to our energy and environmental policy in the next four years. Chances are the other routing notifications will ring true as well: “Accident reported ahead,” “speed camera in 0.4 miles,” “delays in traffic … you’re still on the fastest route.” Buckle up, it’s going to be an interesting ride.
The “whole-of-(federal)-government” Biden approach to climate policy is over. The Trump energy policy is world energy dominance, one based on boosting domestic production and energy security, with a heavy emphasis on fossil fuels. The relentless federal-government advocacy and funding for electrification of the transportation sector of the past four years will be silenced. This will be a welcome change for advocates of advanced engines and renewable fuels, and it sets up a new frontier for carbon policy.
This sea-change in policy will take place across government, but it may first manifest in energy policy and vehicle-emissions regulations. Significant revisions are expected from the Trump administration, boosting the continued use of internalcombustion engines (ICE) and the fuels they use. In 2024, the
climate-driven automotive and commercial truck emissions policies that were a major feature of the Biden administration ran into the reality of moving too fast without adequate charging infrastructure and consumer markets unready and unwilling to adopt them. Manufacturers though remain heavily invested in electrification of passenger vehicles and heavy-duty commercial trucks but are now seeking relief from the previous approach that required them to produce fewer gasoline or diesel-powered cars and trucks and instead sell more zeroemission electric vehicles.
Muting the carbon conversation in the federal government will inspire states to take the lead with bolstered policies and new initiatives. That and the steady business-driven commitments of individual corporations will make up the new frontier for carbon policy in the United States.
California has long laid claim to the mantle of climate leadership and now will be compelled to do more, and to engage other states as well. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have already adopted specific greenhouse-gas emissions targets, with that list likely growing in the next four years.
With automotive policy being a relative indicator of state approaches to emissions and fuels policies, it is important
to note that there are a dozen states—so-called section 177 states—that follow California’s light-duty auto-emissions policies. Together these states make up about 40 percent of the nation’s car market.
At least a dozen states have made moves to restrict the sale of ICE vehicles. Nine states are working toward a total ban, possibly following California’s lead seeking to ban sales of new light-duty ICE-powered vehicles by 2035. Opposing that approach are 15 states that have responded by passing their own legislation and resolutions that protect the right of consumer choice of vehicle and fuel type. Last session, Republicans in Congress also introduced legislation to preserve vehicle choice.
Heavy-duty vehicle policy of the states is still evolving. There are now 24 states in court challenging U.S. EPA’s most recently issued rules requiring an increasing percentage of our future commercial trucks to be zero-emission vehicles.
through the new caps on soy and canola-oil feedstocks, as well as engage in the upcoming public forum on land-use impacts related to fuel production. Land-use impacts are controversial and one area some stakeholders see as the means to cut off future growth in renewable fuels.
As for the next four years of federal policy on renewable fuels, much is on the table. First and foremost is ensuring the new administration and Republican-controlled Congress have a mindset and take action that values the contribution of renewable fuels to our domestic energy portfolio. Hopefully, that means the past years of EPA policy establishing lackluster growth targets through weak renewable volume obligations are over. Tax policy is at the very heart of the success of the renewable fuels sector, and the blenders and producers tax credits must be preserved or expanded to ensure the success of the sector. Hopefully, the long-awaited tax-credit guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury has been issued and is favorable to industry.
State Discussing CFS, No Legislation Yet Source: Transport Energy Strategies, July 2024 citing state sources
Low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) policy at the state level continues its slow growth of recent years. In 2024, New Mexico became just the fourth state to enact LCFS legislation. There is expanding interest, however, as a dozen others are in some phase of consideration (discussion or legislation). This could get a boost resulting from the incoming Trump administration as states look for ways to fill the gap of diminished federal policy to achieve greenhouse-gas reductions from the transportation sector.
California’s LCFS program and its influence on U.S. biofuels policy is significant, with the longest-standing and most aggressive state program, such that more than 75 percent of the diesel fuel sold in California now is renewable diesel. In November, the California Air Resources Board approved revisions to the longstanding LCFS, adopting a more aggressive carbon-intensity reduction of 9 percent in 2025 and 20 percent to 30 percent in 2040, with an ultimate goal of 90 percent reduction in 2045. The impact of these changes on fuel prices at the pump remains to be seen but was a principal concern expressed during the hearing.
These adopted amendments further cap the biobased diesel derived from soybean, canola and sunflower oils to 20 percent per company. The amendments close the door on certifying new biobased diesel pathways in 2031 and feature an automatic acceleration-mechanism review each quarter that could further accelerate carbon-intensity reductions.
More aggressive carbon-intensity reductions will boost the biofuel sector by bringing more renewable fuels into the transportation pool in California. The industry will have to work
As for their part of the “new frontier for carbon policy,” leading businesses and corporations that are committed to sustainability and reducing emissions will continue to pursue their own efforts, regardless of political leadership. Reviewing operations and supply chains for opportunities to boost efficiency and reduce emissions makes sense no matter which administration is in charge because these reduce costs. Those committed to technologies associated with the transition to cleaner energy will have a harder time and must assess and evaluate those investments and products in the face of likely less supportive government policy.
The administration may have changed but the benefits of biobased diesel fuels have not. These fuels help support a productive agricultural sector and diversify our energy supply. And one thing they are not is electric. That fact alone may speak to some policymakers and be reason to more fully embrace all that renewable fuels have to offer.
With a new administration and thousands of new policymakers in Washington, D.C., and the states, we’ll have to talk about the benefits and advantages of advanced engines and biobased diesel fuels in different ways, with different emphases than in the past four years. We’ll need to step up our education and outreach efforts while fighting for the policies the industry needs and deserves. We’re ready for more action at the state level, guarded reactions from business leaders, and a very dynamic and just emerging new federal environment. This is our new normal and our new frontier of carbon policy.
Author: Allen Schaeffer Executive Director
info@enginetechforum.org
By Kelly King
Hawaii-based Pacific Biodiesel, a true American biodiesel pioneer, celebrates a major milestone and makes inspiring plans for the future.
He knew this daily occurrence was creating a ripple effect of environmental hazards, including fires caused by UCO heating up composting materials and spontaneously combusting.
Bob wondered … Could that waste oil be recycled into something useful
instead of being discarded, polluting our island and possibly contaminating our groundwater? He remembered how, when the oil embargo of the 1970s caused nationwide gasoline shortages, truckers in a pinch could stop at a grocery store and buy a few gallons of
I remember the conversation clearly, three decades ago, when my husband Bob King had an idea that would change our lives—and the trajectory of the burgeoning biofuels industry in America—forever.
Back then, Bob was a diesel mechanic and we owned a generator business on Maui. He had been contracted to maintain and repair the Central Maui Landfill generators, where he often saw haulers dumping copious amounts of restaurant used cooking oil (UCO).
vegetable oil to fuel their semis so they could get down the road to the next gas station. The situation at the Maui landfill inspired Bob’s idea: If cooking oil could be a fuel for diesel rigs, what about used cooking oil?
Bob spent the next few months researching the feasibility of his idea. He jumped onto the emerging “information superhighway” and connected with early biodiesel producers in Germany and Austria. In 1995, Pacific Biodiesel was incorporated, complete with the domain name “biodiesel.com.” Bob calculated UCO volumes generated on Maui and then, with help from researchers in Idaho, he designed and built a pilot biodiesel-processing facility that was installed at the very landfill on Maui where his original idea was sparked. Production began in 1996, and that year Bob opened the first retail biodiesel pump in America.
2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Pacific Biodiesel. Our company has designed and built more than a dozen biodiesel refineries around the world, advancing
processing technology for each iteration. Hawaii remains our home base and today our refinery on Hawaii Island annually produces 6 million gallons of distilled, premiumquality biodiesel with nearly 100 employees statewide.
The impact of Bob’s “what-if” idea on the renewable fuels industry is immeasurable. What we can quantify, though, is Pacific Biodiesel’s direct impact from our past 30 years of biodiesel production:
• 70 million gallons of biodiesel have been produced for Hawaii, from our initial small-scale plant on Maui to our world-class refinery today on Hawaii Island. We estimate that by using our 100 percent renewable fuel over the past three decades, our biodiesel customers have reduced greenhousegas (GHG) emissions by nearly 1.5 billion pounds of CO2.
• 17 million gallons of local UCO from Hawaii’s restaurants have been recycled by our company for use in the production of our biodiesel.
Willie helped make biodiesel trustworthy and cool. “
• We created significant savings for local restaurants— before our company existed, restaurants paid $1 to $2 per gallon for their UCO to be collected and landfilled. We currently collect and recycle their UCO at no charge.
Thirty years later, we’re no longer wondering “what if” our community-based model could supply local clean fuel while fighting climate change and supporting our local economy. It does.
We are also no longer wondering if regenerative agriculture could feed not only our biodiesel production but also our local community. It is.
In 2017, Bob and I began our Maui regenerative-farming sunflower demonstration to supplement local UCO as a feedstock for our biodiesel production. We have personally invested in that farming operation and built a crushing mill to produce sunflower oil for food “then” fuel—our culinary oils are sold to local restaurants helping to support food security, and the UCO is later recycled for our biodiesel production.
Scaling up from there, in early 2024, Pacific Biodiesel announced its expansion of agriculture operations to Kauai, a federally funded project to develop a model for regenerative agriculture-based biofuel produced in Hawaii from multiple locally grown oilseed cover crops in rotation with other food crops. The project’s model will include expanded production of culinary oils and other value-added food products, meal for animal feed, biodiesel and coproducts from biodiesel production such as glycerin and potassium sulfate, a fertilizer for local agriculture.
Also in 2024, we set a bold but realistic vision for our continued expansion of sustainable food and renewable fuel in Hawaii. By 2040, five years before the state’s mandate for 100 percent renewable electricity production by 2045, Pacific Biodiesel will be producing 16 million gallons of biodiesel annually in Hawaii using 100 percent local feedstock (a combination of local UCO plus locally grown crop oils). This volume is estimated to meet the need for 10 percent liquid biofuels in Hawaii’s mix of renewables in 2045—the necessary firm renewable backup to solar, wind and other renewables on the grid.
Speaking as a panelist at the Hawaii Energy Conference in May 2024, Bob explained to the audience of energy stakeholders, “If we’re going to get there by 2045, we can’t start in 2040. These are expensive, elaborate projects … even the farming—it takes years to get land into production, get the system set up and get the equipment. We’re not going to turn this thing on and off quickly.”
With our expansion of agriculture operations to Kauai, we are already making significant progress toward our bold, new vision. Reflecting back on the past 30 years, the clearest factor to date is the strong support of those who believe in our mission. We are grateful to have had immense support from our employees and customers, community groups and environmental advocates, elected officials and leaders from all levels of government. These biodiesel champions have encouraged us to keep forging ahead and their support mattered when we needed it most.
The Hawaiian word “kākou” (pronounced “ka-kow”) means “all of us, together.” It’s what community-based is all about. As we say in Hawaii, “it’s a kākou thing.” From our own employees to world-renowned scientists and celebrities, all the sincere believers who have contributed to getting us this far are the truest measure of our wealth.
This milestone year, we are especially grateful for several long-term relationships with steadfast supporters who helped us from the earliest days. People like Woody and Laura Harrelson, and Willie and Annie Nelson, were four of our first biodiesel customers on Maui. Woody sent his environmental attorney in to offer help in those first struggling years. Even though we never utilized his attorney, that gesture inspired us to keep going in the most doubtful time of biofuel production.
Willie, a music legend and a respected advocate for America’s farmers for decades, was instrumental in building credibility for our emerging fuel technology especially among America’s truckers. Willie helped make biodiesel trustworthy and cool. And this year, we’re thrilled to announce that Annie has accepted our invitation to join our board of managers. Her tenacity and passion for environmental causes aligns with me to a T, so it’s no wonder we’ve been friends for decades.
I look forward to the infusion of energy and creativity and “get-it-done” attitude she’ll bring to expand and enhance our leadership team.
“I first met Kelly and Bob in the early days of their biodiesel business, and what a great way to involve the Maui community in climate action,” Annie explains as she reminisces about her first diesel Jetta running on Maui-made biodiesel. “As the industry grew nationwide, the Kings remained true to their mission of community-based, sustainable production, and it has been my pleasure to support their important focus on doing it right for all the right reasons.”
John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and The Patrón Spirits Company, learned about Pacific Biodiesel through his friendship with Willie. John Paul joined our LLC during an equity raise that helped get us to the next level in production technology. A globally recognized entrepreneur and philanthropist, John Paul has roots in Hawaii and cares deeply about environmental issues—and our company. We are honored to have his continued support.
Kim and Jack Johnson—champions for regenerative farming, the environment, art and music, especially for Hawaii’s youth— have been steady supporters while entering into the world of farming on Oahu themselves. A shared love of music and biodiesel led to Jack’s post-poker-game song, “Willie Got Me Stoned and Took All My Money.”
From celebrity friends around the globe to customers who choose to fuel their car, tractor or boat with our biodiesel made in Hawaii for Hawaii, every supporter matters.
And as I’m often reminded, you never know who you’ll inspire along the way. This summer we hosted farm tours to invite local students, teachers and community leaders to see our first 100 acres of sunflowers in bloom on Kauai. Hailey, a high school student who attended, told us that day, “I am really grateful to see this. It’s surreal to see a solution to a problem that I feel like most people have given up on. As a student I hear a lot of my classmates give up. And they just plan to leave the island because they feel like there’s nothing left for them here. But it’s great to see that Pacific Biodiesel gives not only jobs but a solution for a more sustainable future.”
“The past 30 years were certainly no cakewalk. Bob and I risked everything— multiple times. Facing fickle political will and unreliable financial support, it was often scary not knowing what our future would hold.
Hailey’s generation is why we keep doing what we do. It is not an option to lose hope and give up on our planet—and their future.
The past 30 years were certainly no cakewalk. Bob and I risked everything—multiple times. Facing fickle political will and unreliable financial support, it was often scary not knowing what our future would hold. Now, with an incoming administration that boldly denies climate change and seems eager to dismantle environmental progress to proceed full throttle (backwards!) into a “drill, baby, drill” future, we’re faced once again with an uncertain road ahead for renewables. With wildfires and megastorms quickly becoming our planet’s new normal, now is not the time to reverse course and lose momentum on renewable energy.
Pacific Biodiesel remains true to our mission, unchanged since Day One. We will keep focusing on community-based solutions and fighting for our one and only planet Earth.
I hope those of us in the renewable energy industry who care about our future generations will work together to keep renewables moving forward in a sustainable, regenerative way. The only thing we know for sure is that change is inevitable.
The best solutions will take all of us—kākou.
Author: Kelly King Co-founder Pacific Biodiesel ktk@biodiesel.com
BDI’s innovative, modular and flexible approach to pretreatment offers a promising solution to the challenges of processing waste oils.
By Tobias Maier
In an era where the demand for renewable energy sources is ever-increasing, biofuels such as renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) are gaining prominence. These fuels, primarily produced from hydrogenated oils and fats (HVO and HEFA), are critical to achieving global sustainability goals.
Producing high-quality biofuels from waste materials, however, presents its own set of challenges. To ensure efficiency and minimize negative impacts in subsequent production steps, strict standards must be met regarding the purity of the feedstock. As such, pretreatment processes become essential— especially when waste oils and fats are involved.
BDI-BioEnergy International stands at the forefront of tackling the complexities of waste-based oil and fat processing. The company has developed tailored processes
and technologies that cater to the unique properties of these raw materials.
Over 27 years, BDI has built an impressive expertise that directly contributes to the efficient production of renewable fuels. The company’s specialized approach to waste-oil treatment ensures not only environmental sustainability but also economic viability for biofuel production.
Purifying waste oils and fats is far from straightforward. These materials come with varying degrees of degradation resulting in sticky, difficult-to-process substances.
The contamination levels and composition changes as degradation progresses, making the process more complex. As such, advanced techniques are needed to ensure that waste oils are pretreated effectively for use in biofuel production.
BDI has addressed these challenges head-on by using innovative centrifuge technology.
BDI’s Advanced PreTreatment process offers a robust and reliable solution to the challenge of purifying waste oils and fats. The core of this system is a centrifuge, which helps to prevent fouling and minimizes the need for cleaning, ensuring that the plant runs efficiently with minimal downtime.
The result? A more stable and high-yield process that maximizes productivity while maintaining plant availability.
One of the key features of BDI’s Advanced PreTreatment system is its modular design. This approach allows for easy adaptation to various raw materials and product specifications.
Each module is designed to target specific impurities in the raw material, offering flexibility in processing. Whether it’s the PrePurification, drying or adsorption stage, BDI’s modular system can be customized to meet the exact requirements of the feedstock.
Additionally, BDI has developed a process to reduce polyethylene from raw materials—further enhancing the efficiency of the entire system.
The system’s flexibility doesn’t end with the raw materials. BDI’s modular units can also separate or convert free fatty acids, adding yet another layer of versatility to the process.
These capabilities ensure that BDI can deliver a tailor-made solution for every customer, regardless of the complexities posed by the raw material.
Beyond just the physical technology, BDI emphasizes the importance of flexible plant operation. Its modular system allows for easy adjustments to be made in response to fluctuating feedstock properties. This adaptability is vital in maintaining a consistent product quality, even as feedstock composition changes over time.
BDI goes a step further by providing training for operators to adjust parameters based on analytical results. This proactive approach to plant operation ensures that biofuel production remains efficient and of the highest quality—crucial in an industry where the quality of feedstock can vary greatly.
BDI’s comprehensive support, from raw-material analysis to operational guidance, ensures that its customers are not only equipped with cutting-edge technology but also the expertise needed to maximize its potential.
This holistic approach to waste-oil processing is what sets BDI apart in the competitive biofuel industry.
The need for renewable energy sources is growing, and biofuels are an essential part of the solution. To meet the global demand for sustainable fuels, however, the challenges of waste-oil processing must be overcome.
BDI’s innovative, modular and flexible approach to waste-oil pretreatment offers a promising path forward. By continuously refining its processes and offering tailored solutions to address specific impurities, BDI is not only advancing biofuel production, but the company is also contributing to a more sustainable and efficient future for the energy industry.
Purifying waste oils and fats is far from straightforward.
As biofuels continue to play a pivotal role in decarbonizing sectors like transportation and aviation, BDI’s expertise in waste-oil processing is more relevant than ever—ensuring that the biofuels of tomorrow are produced efficiently, economically and sustainably.
Author: Tobias Maier Associate Division Director
BioFuels & RetroFit
BDI-BioEnergy International tobias.maier@bdi-bioenergy.com
The Ghent Renewables plant, a 30-million-gallon waste-based feedstock-processing facility in Belgium, features BDI’s Advanced PreTreatment technology.
PHOTO: BDI-BIOENERGY INTERNATIONAL
Dicalite has built out its processing and supply-chain capacity for diatomaceous earth and perlite—two filter aids critical to feedstock purification—in response to rapid growth and demand from the biobased diesel sector.
By Ron Kotrba
Filter aids like diatomaceous earth (DE) and perlite have become indispensable for the growing biobased diesel market. As a result, the biofuels sector has become an increasingly important growth market for filter-aid manufacturers and suppliers.
“We see large growth in this market year-over-year, and it is increasingly becoming a larger part of our business,” says Gary Smith, the central area manager for Dicalite Management Group. “We are excited to offer additional products and additional volume for this industry going forward.”
Smith explains that, while filter-aid products may have been in short supply two years ago during the massive renewable diesel boom in the U.S.—a time when the country was also facing labor shortages, supply-chain issues and logistical troubles in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic— Dicalite has since brought on additional volumes to meet new and growing demand.
Dicalite has 17 locations that span across the U.S. and Europe, with five mines and 12 facilities that refine, process, manufacture and package its products. The company lays claim to being the most vertically integrated supplier in its industry. “Since we own and operate each location, we’re able to maintain a high level of quality control and product
consistency,” the company states. “This means our customers can rely on our products to remove unwanted contaminants for cleaner fuels and a more efficient flow.”
While filter aids like DE have been used in the food and wine industries for years, they also found a home in the biobased diesel sector early on as commercialization of the methyl ester biodiesel industry took off in the mid-2000s. Back then, a vast majority of U.S. biodiesel commercial volumes was made from refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) soybean oil. As the industry matured, more waste feedstocks were employed, and frontend filtration and the use of quality filter aids and bleaching clay became even more important. Biodiesel producers also utilize filter aids during filtration for backend fuel polishing to remove contaminants like sterol glucosides.
As renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production began to ramp up, pretreatment and the use of filter aids like DE and perlite took on a new level of importance—and consumption—for contaminant removal, particularly when lower-quality, lower-cost feedstocks are utilized. Certain contaminants like metals and other materials can foul expensive catalysts employed in the hydrotreatment and hydrocracking processes in renewable diesel and SAF manufacturing.
But it’s not just dirty feedstocks that require filtration and filter aids like DE and perlite. “We’ve seen an abundant increase in soybean crushers and refiners in the Midwest—18 plants were either recently built or expanded over the past couple of years,” Smith says. “The biofuels industry needs feedstocks like soybean oil to make biodiesel and renewable diesel. Soybean refiners need filtration as well, so that’s an important market for Dicalite. DE and perlite are used in the filtration stage, along with bleaching clay, in soybean refineries. It’s great volume for our plants, and it’s not seasonal—it’s ongoing.”
Dicalite services the wine industry too. “They use filter aids— but it’s seasonal,” Smith says. “They use a year’s volume in three months. It’s more difficult to service a seasonal market. Consistent volume every month, like biofuels or soy refining, is a market that is very good for our business.”
“
Dicalite has 17 locations that span across the U.S. and Europe, with five mines and 12 facilities that refine, process, manufacture and package its products.
DE is the naturally occurring fossilized remains of diatoms— single-celled aquatic algae. Diatomite consists of billions of minute silica frameworks, making it an ideal filter media. “These large deposits are found in ancient lakebeds in the American West—the Sierra Nevada range,” Smith says. “Some deposits are 300-feet thick, nearly 100 percent pure DE fossils. Our deposit in Northern California is one of the purest deposits of DE in the world. It’s high quality and makes a great filter aid to remove particles from biofuel feedstock.” Dicalite’s DE mines are located in Burney, California, and Basalt, Nevada.
Perlite, on the other hand, is volcanic ore with water trapped inside the rock. “As a result, when you heat perlite up to 1,700-degrees Fahrenheit, it expands 20-times its size like popcorn,” Smith says. “That expanded perlite can be used as a filtration aid. Perlite is half the weight of DE per volume, so transportation typically costs less.”
Filter aids are sold by weight but filter by volume. If a plant is metering in 100 pounds of DE, then it could substitute in 50 pounds of perlite since it is half the weight.
Dicalite’s perlite mine is located in Socorro, New Mexico. Once it is mined, the perlite ore is shipped to the company’s processing facility in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where it is processed and heated up for expansion. Dicalite’s branded perlite product sells under the name Dicaperl.
Once the perlite and DE are processed, Dicalite separates different grades of material. “Those are typically ranged on permeabilities—how well water will flow through a specific size in a specific amount of time,” says Zachary Galberd, Dicalite’s southeastern sales manager. “We can create super tight filtration grades that are slow but filter very fine particles for a very clean product. We also have faster flow-rate material, which filters faster but does not remove the really small particles like the tighter filtration grades. It all depends on the customer’s needs and feedstock, that’s the route we go. We have several different recipes depending on what the feedstock is.”
Biofuel feedstock can be filtered in many different ways, depending on the clarity required. Some common methods
include settling, bag filters, cartridge filters, and leaf and filter presses utilizing DE.
These materials are called “filter aids” because they are used with various types of filters to enhance, or aid, filtration. “Our products are used in multiple types of filters—plate and frame, vertical pressure, horizontal pressure,” Smith says. “The most common ones in renewable diesel and biodiesel are vertical pressure filters, which have leaves inside. DE coats both sides and suction pulls liquid in, through and out of the filter. The process of that removes impurities.”
Using filter media is important because it prevents the cloths used in a filter press from being blinded, which happens when too many particles are collected and oil can no longer pass through. To prepare the filter press, a mixture of clean oil and DE is pumped quickly into a stack of cloth-covered plates pressed tightly together. This mixture deposits the filter media onto the cloth, creating a buildup of about 1/16 of an inch. Once the plates are coated with DE, feedstock filtration can begin. Filter media can also be added to the uncleaned feedstock before passing through the press, which increases filtration times.
The ripple effect and the laws of supply and demand are playing out in real time in the biobased diesel sector. With respect to minerals and filter aids, it’s abundantly clear. It took the U.S. biodiesel industry 20 years to hit the 1-billion-gallon mark. Renewable diesel, however, mushroomed from a small fraction of the biobased diesel market to a multibillion-gallon market in a few short years, surpassing methyl ester biodiesel production volumes in the process. This fast growth spurred a dozen and a half new soybean crush projects alone, not to mention canola processing, partnerships between Big Oil and Big Ag, cover-crop interest and developments, other feedstock research projects, used cooking oil imports and more to “feed the beast,” as it were.
On the minerals side, as Smith says, just two short years ago filter-aid manufacturers and suppliers like Dicalite had a tough time meeting demand. That sent a signal to grow—and Dicalite did just that.
“We are seeking new business,” Smith says candidly. “Even though we’ve already greatly expanded production to meet demand, we continue to make improvements in the amount of filter-aid products we can manufacture. We have high-quality products and consistent, year-round availability, excellent customer service, strong technical support—and we’re easy to do business with.”
Using filter media is important because it prevents the cloths used in a filter press from being blinded, which happens when too many particles are collected and oil can no longer pass through.
Author: Ron Kotrba
Editor, Biobased Diesel™ 218-745-8347
editor@biobased-diesel.com
Boost Your Bio-Based Diesel Success with Dicalite!
Looking for premium filtration solutions for your FAME, HVO, or SAF operations? Dicalite has you covered! Our complete range of DE and Perlite filter aids is designed to optimize your production and deliver exceptional results.
Tailored Support:
Free trial materials | On-site testing & optimization
Flexible Shipping Options:
Paper bags, bulk bags | Tank trucks, rail, or export containers—your choice!
With 17 facilities across North America and Europe—including 5 mining sites and 12 processing hubs—we’re ready to deliver directly to your plant, quickly and reliably.
Partner with Dicalite Management Group— the trusted name in industrial minerals. Your success starts here!
Contact Gary Smith today! 208-409-8661 | gsmith@dicalite.com | Dicalite.com
“Measurement is the first step that leads to control and eventually to improvement.”
—H. James Harrington
By Alexander Clayton
Tightening standards for reduced emissions is driving innovation, invention and increased safety within the fuels sector and, more broadly, manufacturing. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol created by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development defines scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions as: 1. Direct from equipment owned by the producer/ manufacturer.
2. Indirect from energy usage.
3. Indirect emissions from the full value chain. These definitions are the latest effort to define greenhousegas (GHG) reduction strategies. The WRI’s work alongside U.S. EPA’s Clean Air Act creates the push for startups and legacy manufacturers to shift away from decades-old, noncircular processes as well as emissions-prone mechanical seals utilized in traditional process pumps. Among the alternatives to
mechanical seals are canned-motor pumps (CMPs). CMPs resolve scope 1 and scope 3 emissions in pump services and provide true secondary containment.
Further, CMPs can be instrumented in several unique ways to enhance safety and be an operating resource. Performance monitoring using data analytics helps owners, engineers and operators to parse large data sets to improve system performance. Figure 1 below provides a visual breakdown of where these sensors are applied as referenced in API 685, Sealless Centrifugal Pumps for Petroleum, Petrochemical, and Gas Industry Process Service.
The permanent magnet is imbedded in the rotor and the coils are located in the hermetically sealed stator windings. The change in field strength measured by the coils provides an inference of the rotor’s change in radial position relative to the fixed-position stator—thus, inferring any physical wear to the bearings.
The table at the bottom of the page describes key instrumentation and devices that may be used to collect essential information about the condition of a CMP.
Of the API 685 recommended instrumentation, the two most utilized by CMP users and specifying engineers are the shaft-position sensors (ZE) and the power monitor/ power sensor (JE). The shaft-position sensor can be provided with either a simple radial or a combination radial and axial position sensing device. All CMP designs provide a radial shaft-position sensor as standard. In general, these devices use the Hall Effect, whereby the intensity of a magnet’s field is measured by a pair of coils.
Tag Description Location Function
ZE Shaft Position Sensor
Embedded in Motor Stator Windings
TE2 Temperature Sensor with Thermowell Circulation Flow Path
PE Pressure Sensor Secondary Pressure Casing
TE1 Thermal Cutout Device
Motor Stator Windings
VE Vibration Sensor On Pump (Near) Bearing Housing
JE Power Sensor Motor Wiring
OUTPUT WAVEFORM
IMAGE: TEIKOKU USA INC.
Indication or alarm/shutdown on excessive change in shaft position. May be either radial or axial and indicates the wear on product-lubricated sleeve bearings.
Indication or alarm/shutdown on increasing temperature due to loss of internal circulation.
Shutdown on rising pressure due to secondary containment shell leakage.
Alarm/shutdown on excessive temperature in windings due to loss of circulating fluid or overload
Indication or alarm/shutdown on excessive vibration.
Indication or alarm/shutdown on high or low power due to dry running, excess load or single phasing.
ROTOR
VOLTAGE DEPENDENT ON THE AXIAL POSITION OF THE ROTOR
In addition to radial position sensing, a linear variable differential transformer can be installed on the rear of the motor to provide axial shaft position, typically used in cases where an axial thrust bearing is installed. The axial sensor coil has one primary coil and two secondary coils. A rod is affixed to the rear side of the rotor and is adjusted so that it travels along the axis of the coils and an AC voltage is supplied to the primary coil. A voltage is induced in the secondary coils based on the change in axial position, allowing the device to compare the voltages from the original condition against the worn condition to provide a corresponding output. Both sensors’ signals can be converted to a 4-20 milliamp or 1-5VDC signal.
While some operations possess resources to use transmitters on the suction and discharge piping of process machinery, for many the budget is limited. In such cases, a power monitor (JE) offers the most consolidated way to infer a pump’s operating condition. It can also detect:
• If fluid properties have changed.
• If the rotor is locked.
• Dry running condition.
In conjunction with shaft-position sensing, users can detect and track process upsets and create predictive reliability and maintenance analysis of these pumps. Lastly, vibration monitoring is an additional method to further refine the analytics of a pump. In cases where users have developed years of vibration data, vibration monitoring could potentially replace both power monitoring and shaft-position sensing as a predictive tool.
The remaining portion of API 685’s recommended monitoring offers single-variable monitoring outputs to indicate specific elements of CMP performance worthy of consideration by users in gauging pump functionality. These include:
• TE2—Circulation flow path temperature.
• PE—Secondary pressure casing.
• TE1—Thermal cutout device.
Particularly for volatile fluids, monitoring of the circulation flow path temperature (TE2) should take place at the highest temperature point in the flow circuit. In simple internal
circulation (API Plan 1-S), this is at the rear bearing housing to ensure that the circulating pumped liquid remains in the liquid state throughout the entire circulation path within the motor’s primary containment. For both volatile and nonvolatile fluids, such temperature measurements can also be used to find any obstruction in the flow path. The thermal cutout (TCO) switch (TE1) is wired in conjunction with the motor starter or as a resistive thermal diode (RTD) embedded in the motor winding. Both serve to detect when motor-winding temperature poses a risk to the winding’s insulation system and either automatically cuts power to the motor (TCO switch) or signals to operators that the pump needs to be shut down (RTD).
Use of any or all of these instruments would be appropriate to provide resolution to a site’s layers-of-protection analysis (LOPA). If a user needed to select just one monitoring device, however, a leak-detection instrument for the interior of the secondary pressure casing should be considered (PE). This is commonly achieved by using a pressure transmitter that can detect fractional changes in pressure—less than 1 pound per square inch (PSI) or millibars. If mechanical breach of the secondary containment occurs, this transmitter can work with the plant-control system to shut down the pump.
By monitoring all or part of these variables, a cannedmotor pump’s superior mechanical design provides end users of any chemical process a significantly reduced risk profile.
Author: Alexander Clayton Western Regional Business Manager Teikoku USA Inc. 719-480-9097 aclayton@teikokupumps.com
While there is tremendous opportunity for grease trappers, they must meet the same federal traceability requirements as UCO collectors.
By Kristof Reiter
It’s no secret that the used cooking oil (UCO) market can be volatile. The market for trap-derived brown grease is no different. In the 2000s, many collectors considered trap brown grease just another byproduct to dispose of or to be sold overseas in less-regulated markets at barely enough money to cover the shipping. During the “biodiesel boom” of the 2010s, however, renderers, traders and producers grew interested in its potential as biofuel feedstock, and the market for brown grease saw a substantial rally to over 10 cents FOB the U.S. domestic origin point.
Unfortunately, the brown-to-biofuel boom didn’t last long. In the coming years, feedstock prices declined, and most industry participants decided that the effort and cost associated with processing brown grease into an acceptable fuel wasn’t worth the investment. As a result, many of Reiter Scientific’s trap-grease pumping clients who had begun to render the grease out of their collections abandoned the effort due to dwindling margins.
Were those early adopters of the concept of harvesting— rather than disposing of—recoverable grease from grease traps wrong, or just before their time?
For the most part, they were likely simply ahead of their time. The value of trap brown grease is stabilizing at a price that justifies the cost of recovering the material for those companies, given they collect a sufficient volume.
But in order to be able to sell recovered trap brown grease to a biofuel producer, the trapper must meet all the same U.S. EPA requirements for documenting the origins of the grease as they would for UCO, an industry requirement known as “traceability.”
Historically, commercial kitchens have paid trappers to pump (collect and dispose of) the contents of their grease trap or interceptor. The pumper has to find a disposal site that will accept the grease. That site might charge around 25 cents to $1 per gallon to dispose of the grease after the trapper has already incurred the cost to pump and transport the waste. If the grease-trap material contains high amounts of fats, oils and grease (FOG) or high chemical oxygen demand (COD), it can cost even more.
Usually about 2 percent to 4 percent of the total volume pumped is recoverable grease. If the trapper can remove that FOG, not only can it be sold into various industries, but disposal of the remaining wastewater will often cost less as well.
So, the value proposition in recovering brown grease from grease-trap sources is twofold: savings in water disposal, and revenue from trap brown grease sales.
Processing trap brown grease into biodiesel or renewable diesel is more expensive than processing UCO. This is primarily
due to the necessary removal of impurities that, in the case of renewable diesel, spoil fuel-production catalysts. For biodiesel, these impurities cause unacceptably high sulfur levels in undistilled product. While there is an upfront investment, if the company can produce sufficient volumes of grease to sell to biodiesel producers, that investment can be rewarding.
As more companies recognize the value of trap-derived brown grease and invest in the processes necessary to remove metals and sulfur from the feedstock, demand from the fuels sector has grown steadily. (Visit ReiterScientific.com for more information on trap grease recovery technology.)
The Renewable Fuel Standard, a federal program that sets minimum requirements for the amount of renewable fuels used in transportation, offers subsidies for those renewable fuels. To receive the subsidies, however, biofuel producers must be able to account for the sustainable origin of each and every gallon of feedstock they purchase—or they could face penalties during a failed audit. That means buyers of multisource brown grease need their suppliers to adopt the technology necessary for tracking and managing their grease-recovery efforts.
While EPA has technically required traceability for UCO for nearly a decade, the agency has increased enforcement and audit activities on the industry substantially over the past two years in an effort to bring UCO traceability up to regulatory standards. It is reasonable to predict that EPA will follow a similar path with respect to yellow and brown grease, increasing audits and accountability.
Initially, many producers and collectors believed that accounting for the origin of each gallon meant that they would only need to state the general area from which the oil was collected, such as a city or region. But in the latest RFS update, the agency clarified that tracking required the specific
As more companies recognize the value of trap-derived brown grease and invest in the processes necessary to remove metals and sulfur from the feedstock, demand from the fuels sector has grown steadily. “
addresses or coordinates at which every gallon of grease was retrieved—not just a general area. The ability to record, store and access the detailed records necessary for compliance, and the ability to do so in a scalable and efficient way, is no longer a request from major buyers but a requirement.
“Under the RFS program, trap grease should be treated like UCO and has all the same traceability requirements,” says Sandra Dunphy of Weaver’s Energy Compliance Services advisory group. “A lot of buyers believe that mixed feedstocks such as yellow and brown grease have no traceability requirements but that is 100 percent incorrect, with each blended component of the yellow or brown grease mixture having traceability requirements.”
Dunphy also emphasizes that Weaver is available to answer additional questions pertaining to feedstock requirements under the federal RFS and California Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
Route Simplified is a leading platform used by many of the country’s most successful UCO collectors to plan their routes and manage drivers to maximize efficiency and revenue, all while maintaining EPA RFS traceability compliance. The software helps with scheduling, route optimization, accounting and traceability, allowing UCO collectors to scale in an organized and compliant manner.
And starting in March, the software isn’t just for UCO collectors. Route Simplified is excited to announce that its
Grease Trap Beta release is scheduled for Feb. 17 at the Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport Show at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Every feature of Route Simplified has been designed with the help of our users, and we’re looking for early adopters to test our grease-trap features and provide the critical feedback needed to further improve the platform. Beta testers receive an extended free trial of the software in exchange for their feedback. Give Route Simplified a call at 888-428-5617 to sign up to be one of the first companies onboarded. Grease Trap Beta tester space is limited.
Route Simplified is the software of choice for the country’s most successful UCO collectors, and with the feedback of a strong beta-testing team, we’ll change the game for grease trappers as well.
Call today to apply for six months of free software as a beta tester.
Author: Kristof Reiter CEO,
Reiter USA 888-428-5617
kristof@reiterscientific.com
Trading Software Consulting
Sell your UCO effortlessly with our streamlined trading system and network of buyers.
Safeguard your client data while complying with regulations.
Expert guidance to grow a grease business, from licensing and regulations to operational best practices.
Advanced adsorbent and filter-aid technologies enable lower-quality waste streams to meet stringent feedstock specifications.
By Jacob Misuraca and Kristina Thompson
As the world shifts toward sustainable energy sources, the biofuel industry requires innovation to meet growing demand while maintaining quality and efficiency. Producers are facing new challenges in feedstock selection and processing. Imerys, a global leader in specialty minerals, is at the forefront of addressing these challenges with its innovative line of filtration solutions designed specifically for the renewable diesel industry.
High market demand and incentive programs supporting the decarbonization of the transportation sector are pushing biofuel producers to use more waste-derived materials as feedstocks, introducing new complexities to production. Lowerquality feedstocks, such as used cooking oils and waste
animal fats, contain higher levels of impurities including soaps, phospholipids, glycerol and trace metals. These contaminants can significantly impact production throughput and performance, necessitating more efficient and effective pretreatment processes.
Recognizing the industry’s evolving needs, Imerys has engineered a comprehensive range of tailor-made filtration solutions. These products are the result of an in-depth understanding of the biofuel manufacturing process and the business constraints faced by producers.
An extensive portfolio of filter aids, such as diatom-derived Celite and perlite-derived Harborlite, provide flexible solutions for contaminant removal across a wide range of permeability requirements. With over a century of experience, Imerys’ filtration team leverages its expertise to help plant operators optimize filtrationsystem performance and reduce wastedisposal costs.
CynerSorb is a unique family of filterable adsorbents that addresses the limitations of conventional pretreatment methods and enhances the performance of traditional filter aids and adsorbents. CynerSorb’s effectiveness lies in its multilayered approach to contaminant removal: a diatomaceous earth (DE) substrate with ideal porosity for solid-liquid separation, a silica-gel layer to adsorb soluble contaminants and chelating chemistry to transform contaminants into filterable or absorbable species. By optimizing feedstock pretreatment with high-permeability CynerSorb, filter-aid and adsorbent dosing rates decrease. Reducing total powder dosage by 50 percent or more leads to higher yields, fewer filter cycles and less waste cake.
Feedstock-purification requirements differ based on facility design and type of feedstock. Using waste fats and used cooking oil as feedstocks pose challenges in terms of higher levels and variability of contaminants that need to be removed as part of the refining process. Imerys has conducted extensive testing internally and in collaboration with customers to tackle difficult feedstock-purification issues.
Case studies demonstrate CynerSorb’s effectiveness across various feedstocks. In a study with a customer converting to low-quality beeftallow feedstock, CynerSorb reduced phosphorus levels to 1.4 parts per million (ppm) and metals to below detectable limits, meeting stringent requirements for hydrotreating. A blend of 0.4 percent bleaching earth and 0.1 percent CynerSorb achieved over 90 percent phosphorus removal, outperforming
IMAGE: IMERYS
either adsorbent used individually. Another customer pretreating distillers corn oil (DCO) used CynerSorb to effectively remove metals content to 5 ppm and phosphorus to below 1 ppm. This reduction was achieved without reducing free fatty acid levels, thus preserving yield. In both cases, blending CynerSorb with bleaching earth demonstrated synergistic effects, improving contaminant removal while enhancing filtration performance.
Pretreatment of feedstock previously considered too “dirty” to process is vital to the growth of renewable fuel. Imerys’ advanced adsorbent and filteraid technologies enable lower-quality waste streams to meet stringent
feedstock specifications. By eliminating the poor filtration functionality of traditional adsorbents, contaminants can be removed without excessive waste, extended cycle lengths and high powder-dosage requirements. These improvements can lead to substantial annual cost savings, potentially reaching six to seven figures for some facilities, offering a promising financial outlook.
The Imerys filtration team invites you to contact us to explore how Imerys can help enhance your filtration capacity, minimize pretreatment expenses and elevate your product quality. Imerys is ready to provide customized solutions to meet your specific needs and optimize your operations. In a time of uncertainty for regulations and availability, full feedstock flexibility can fuel your growth.
Authors: Jacob Misuraca Research Engineer, Imerys jacob.misuraca@imerys.com
Kristina Thompson Marketing Manager, Imerys kristina.thompson@imerys.com
+ 25 years of experience in pretreatment of waste oils and fats
