Daily News—03/03/10
Biodiesel tax credit would be restored by new Senate bill
The Old Town Fuel and Fiber mill in Old Town, Maine, opened in the spring of 2009 with a focus on biofuels and traditional logging. Photo from June 2, 2009. Credit: Reuters/Brian Snyder
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The $1 a gallon biodiesel tax credit would be revived for 2010 under a jobs and tax-cut bill under consideration in the Senate, Finance Committee leaders said Tuesday.
A vote on the bill, which was unveiled on Monday and would be the second in a series of job creation legislation, is possible later this week.
The biodiesel credit expired at the end of 2009. About 12 percent of U.S. soyoil is used to make biodiesel. The American Soybean Association says production has virtually ceased since expiration of the credit.
Here again, we see the attempt to link biodiesel with jobs, and if that’s what it takes to stimulate support by politicians, that is fine with me. I am just glad some see the future of biodiesel as unstoppable.
Could this car in white gold be the ultimate luxury biodiesel Mercedes?
Getting back to the “solid gold Mercedes” it does have one redeeming quality; its 1,600 HP engine is designed to run on biofuels. But throwing in words and ideas like LEED-certified building and biofuel does not make a construction project or car environmental friendly. It’s just using the good deeds of the environment movement to get some good PR.
Want to convert your Mercedes to biofuel? No problem. Follow this handy resource “converting diesel mercedes to biofuel” and save yourself $2.5 million dollars.
This is the most beautiful photo of a car I’ve ever seen, whether it is real gold or not, and the fact that it runs on biodiesel is just icing on the cake. Wouldn’t you love to tool around in this number?
Portland, OR is not quite ready for B10 biodiesel–yet
Jay Dykeman of Jay’s Garage in Southeast Portland fills up a car with a biodiesel blend. The city has decided to wait on a mandate that all diesel fuel sold in Portland have at least a 10 percent biodiesel blend by July 1. (Photo by Dan Carter/DJC)
Portland isn’t ready for B10 biodiesel. Or at least that’s the impression being given by the Portland Water Bureau, which has decided to delay implementation of a new Renewable Fuels Standard to meet goals for 2010.
The city’s policy requiring all diesel fuel sold within the city of Portland to have a blend of at least 5 percent biodiesel (B5) would have changed July 1 to require a blend of at least 10 percent.
But according to Anne Hill, program manager for Portland’s RFS, the city has decided to hold off on the policy adjustment due to industry concerns about quality standards and engine warranties. Also, a requirement for all diesel fuel sold in the state to have a minimum blend of 2 percent biodiesel went into effect this year, as did a qualifying feedstock rule that requires 50 percent of biodiesel to come from canola and other specific feedstock.
We all know their love of nature in Oregon, and perhaps they were too ambitious in shooting for B10 biodiesel, but I know they will soon lead the country in % of biodiesel blend if it continues to be their will.
Brazil’s state-owned Petrobras goes forward with biodiesel plant expansions
Brazil state-run oil company Petrobras has begun work on raising capacity at its Candeias biodiesel plant.
Petrobras aims to double capacity to 217.2 million litres a year from its current capacity of 108.6 million litres.
The Candeias plant is located alongside a Petrobras refinery near Salvador, Bahia State in northeast Brazil.
Candeias is sited on Todos Os Santos Bay and benefits from favourable logistics to receive raw materials and distribute the biodiesel along Brazil's coast.
The plant capacity increase will cost $36.5 million (€26.9 million) and will be completed by the end of 2010.
Brazil is totally committed to biodiesel, and if we don’t make the same commitment here in the USA, we will simply end up buying our biodiesel from Brazil. Let’s show the world we mean biodiesel business.
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