Daily News—12/08/09

Biodiesel demo plant receives $2.5M federal grant

An Illinois company has received a $2.5 million federal grant to put in a demonstration project in an Iowa biodiesel plant that could allow the facility to produce the green fuel and cosmetics.

Last month, I told you how Elevance Renewable Sciences of Bolingbrook, Ill., was looking to get some government assistance to put in the $8.1 million project in Renewable Energy Group’s Central Iowa Energy biodiesel plant in Newton (see my post from Nov. 23, 2009). Now, the Des Moines (IA) Register reports the U.S. Department of Energy has come through with part of the money Elevance was looking for:

Here we see a biodiesel producer ask for and receive a grant, so you can’t very well deny that our country has a keen interest in biodiesel. I will show you photos of this plant when they are available, I’m sure it will be something to see.

Ohio biodiesel plant gets $20M in federal stimulus funds

An Ohio biodiesel plant is among those 19 projects that Michelle told you about yesterday that will share in $564 million in federal Recovery Act monies.

This press release from Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), whose district includes a biorefinery pilot project on the Health Science Campus at the University of Toledo, says that biorefinery will get nearly $20 million:

Federal funding for the project will total $19.9 million and will be derived from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, popularly known as the economic stimulus plan. “Our goal is to put our people to work in an industry that can help America break its dependence on imported petroleum,” Kaptur said.

More evidence that our US government sees the potential of biodiesel to clean up both the foreign oil spending and air pollution problems. This is only a small part of the investment in biodiesel we will see the US make.

Sacramento, CA: Biodiesel Workshop — Saturday, December 12, 2009 from 9am – 12pm

This workshop is part seminar and part-hands on. Learn about biodiesel, its positives and negatives, debunk the myths and even create your own small batch! $20 per student and open to anyone 16+. Space is limited and preregistration is required. To learn more about the class or to sign up today, click here.

If you live in the area and want to learn first hand how to make your own biodiesel, here is a good workshop at an interesting auto museum, please post on your experience if you attend.

Santa Monica, CA: city makes it easier for restaurants to recycle WVO into biodiesel

The city of Santa Monica has placed refuse collection sites around the downtown area, where local restaurants can deposit used fats oil and greases that will be turned into fuel for biodiesel vehicles, the Santa Monica Daily Press reports.A Los Angeles company called GeoGreen Biofuels recently placed the 200-gallon containers at five parking structures. The company picks up the filled containers and takes them to its Vernon plant, where the oil is transformed into biodiesel. Participating restaurants can then purchase the fuel at wholesale cost.”Our goal is to make something that is beneficial to restaurants,” said Myesah Jones, business assistant in the city's solid waste management department. Read more about the biofuel program in the Daily Press.

Note that the restaurants can get a discount on the biodiesel, but the main point is those recycling  containers, the city can make it very easy to recycle WVO into biodiesel, or almost impossible.

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