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Idahoans learn about biodiesel

It´s not quite french fry fuel, but it´s awfully close.
State of Idaho officials, local officials and private investors are exploring the possibility of building a plant that would take used cooking oil and convert it into biodiesel.

Ken Dey
The Idaho Statesman

They heard a biodiesel consultant tell them Thursday that the secret to success is to create a network of customers in advance so that a biodiesel plant will have a solid customer base when it opens.

Biodiesel is a fuel based on vegetable oil or animal fat that can be safely used in most diesel-powered vehicles to replace petroleum- based fuels.

A vehicle powered by a 100 percent biodiesel fuel would reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 44 percent. And because it contains no sulfur, it would reduce sulfur dioxide emissions completely.

Most vehicles now using the alternative fuel, however, aren´t being powered by 100 percent biodiesel, but with a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel called B20. The blended fuel is used because it´s less expensive.

But even with that blend, carbon monoxide can be reduced by nearly 13 percent, according to U.S. Department of Energy statistics.

Dick Larsen, a spokesman for the energy division of the Idaho Department of Water Resources, said hundreds of tons of waste cooking oil that could be used for biodiesel is dumped into Idaho landfills each month.

Biodiesel can also be produced with fresh oils. In some parts of the country, soybean oil is a major source of biodiesel.

Larsen hosted a meeting Thursday with state, local and business leaders to discuss the benefits of biodiesel and the potential it offers to Idaho.

Wes Berry of W.W. Berry and Associates, based in Lakeland, Fla., was the featured speaker. Berry has consulted for companies that have entered the biofuels market.

He told the group there´s great potential for biodiesel plants if the project is carefully planned. But the first priority, he said, is making sure there´s a customer base for the product.

“If you build it, they (customers) won´t come,” Berry said. “You have to have an established network in advance.”

Larsen said there are talks under way about the potential of adding the biodiesel plant in conjunction with the ethanol plant being proposed in Payette County.

The proposed $25 million ethanol plant is being spearheaded by local farmers and local investors. That same group is interested in building the biodiesel plant, as well, Larsen said, adding that the next step for the group is to look at the feasibility of building such a plant.

Unlike biodiesel, ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel produced by fermenting and distilling starch crops that have been converted into simple sugars. Sources for this fuel include corn, barley and wheat.

Ethanol is blended with gasoline for use in gas-powered vehicles, allowing them to burn cleaner and cut emissions.

Berry said use of biodiesel is growing across the country and could increase even more if Congress finally passes the energy bill, which further promotes the use of biofuels, including biodiesel, by requiring more use of the fuels. The bill includes tax credits that would make producing biodiesel more attractive.

Already, the U.S. Postal Service and many national parks are using biodiesel in their vehicles.

In Idaho, businesses and some government agencies have been using biodiesel as part of a demonstration program being administered through Larsen´s agency.

The state received a $30,000 federal grant to offset the higher cost of biodiesel, so it could be tested in a variety of areas. Those include school buses in the Meridian School District and trash collecting by Sanitary Services in Meridian.

“By developing our network of users, we are setting the stage for producing it,” Larsen said.

Larsen said if a plant could be built in Idaho, it would lower the cost of biodiesel in the state. Currently, biodiesel costs about 14 to 19 cents more per gallon than traditional diesel. Much of that cost is related to shipping the product into Idaho.

Berry said Thursday that there are many advantages to biodiesel over other biofuels because in most engines there´s no need for modification.

There is, however, a break-in period for engines that make the switch to biodiesel. Berry said biodiesel is a natural solvent, so it will clean all the diesel residue left in the engine.

The cleaning process will clog up fuel filters and require frequent filter changes until all the residue is removed.

Some older diesel engines will also need to have their rubber hoses replaced because biodiesel can eat through older hoses, causing leaks, he said.

To offer story ideas or comments, contact Ken Dey
[email protected] or 377-6428

http://www.idahostatesman.com/Business/story.asp?ID=27922

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