Daily News—11/12

CEO and founder of Denver, CO biodiesel producer steps down

The man who founded and served as the CEO of one of Denver’s first biodiesel firms is out.

This article from the Denver Business Journal says Blue Sun Energy Inc.’s Jeff Probst, resigned from the company at the end of October… but offers few details about the split:

Probst, who couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday, also left the director position but remains a part owner of Blue Sun, [company spokesman Steve Bond] said.

“It’s a strategic change for the company,” Bond said. “Jeff had done a lot with launching the company, now it’s entering a different phase.”

As one of Denver’s first biodiesel companies, this firm is important to follow, I think, because it shows us how a biodiesel maker has to evolve with the changing times and marketing plans. I hope Jeff Probst will join BDN and sign in please, we would certainly be delighted to hear from you.  Denver recently receive federal stimulus money which includes buying B100 from this supplier, story here.

Did you know Daryl Hannah is a “biodiesel babe”?

In January of 2008, Daryl Hannah put her beloved “Badass Biodiesel El Camino” up for sale through her DH Love Life site. A couple weeks later, we learned the car wasn’t selling as hot as she hoped — and so an auction on eBay became the next step. Sometime after that, the car sold — and Hannah revealed that her next green ride would be an all-electric conversion project for the Trans Am she drove in the move Kill Bill.

Speaking Monday at the National Biodiesel Conference, however, it appears that the actress has converted another El Camino to biodiesel — right down to the same decals she had on its predecessor. “My car loves to drink vegetable oil, especially if it’s from waste. I only use sustainably-sourced biodiesel.” Daryl said.

With both brains and beauty, Daryl Hannah is an outspoken advocate and user of biodiesel, and in particular, biodiesel from WVO and other industrial waste products. I know there was something I liked about her. Now if I could get HER to join BDN, I bet you guys would surely approve.

Palm oil genome project could boost biodiesel yields

A joint American-Malaysian effort has completed an important oil palm genome sequencing project that could unlock even more potential from this oil-rich feedstock for biodiesel.

Biodiesel Magazine reports that the Malaysian Palm Oil Board and St. Louis-based Orion Genomics have led a consortium that has sequenced three oil palm genomes from two oil palm species:

Here’s an interesting joint venture that might result in significant increases in palm oil biodiesel output. We should never forget the potential of genome research which could change everything in the world of oil.

Here BX biodiesel plant expands, betting on farm-grown camelina and canola

Hero BX, already one of the largest U.S. biofuel producers, recently received a fresh financial injection for biodiesel expansion. Formerly called Lake Erie Biofuels, the company won a $1.64 million grant to expand production by 10 million gallon per year.

Company officials expect to grow its use of farm-raised feedstocks, which could benefit farmers in New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. “We anticipate that we'll be producing 20 to 25% of our biodiesel using the second-generation feedstock, camelina within the next two to three years,” says CEO Leonard Kosar.

“Unlike many other companies that are simply developing technologies to use second and third generation feedstocks to produce biofuels someday, we're profitably producing biofuels today.” Currently, most of the biodiesel produced at the plant comes from waste soybean and food oils and biodegradable greases.

Notice that even though they now produce their biodiesel from waste food oils, they realize they must look to the larger sources of crops for raw oil. At some point, there just won’t be enough WVO to go around.