Minnesota Biodiesel Council

REG Albert Lea Biodiesel Plant Officially Opens

admin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:49:31 +0000

The Renewable Energy Group (REG) celebrated the official opening of the REG Albert Lea biodiesel plant in Minnesota on Monday, with representatives of the state and local community and agriculture industry.

REG President and COO Dan Oh says they were involved in the construction and operations of the plant when it origi nally was built and opened by SoyMor. “We have worked together since 2003,” said Oh. The plant unfortunately got caught up in the economic issues that hit the renewable fuels industry back in 2008 and had to shut down, but REG felt it was a significant plant that needed to get back in operation, so they worked to make it happen for the local economy. “Think of a gallon of biodiesel in roughly every bushel of soybeans, this is a 30 million gallon biodiesel facility, so that really adds value back to a bean bushel,” Oh said.

Representatives of the Minnesota soybean industry were on hand today for the grand opening, including Jim Willers, who is a farmer from Beaver Creek and a director on the United Soybean Board, as well as a member of the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. After touring the plant, Willers said he was impressed with the shape it is in after being shut down for three years. “I found out that it was in excellent condition when they closed it down and the start up was way better than they thought,” he said. “It’s a state of the art facility and in six months they’re going to be a BQ-9000 plant.”

Posted by Cindy Zimmerman

MnSP Biodiesel Day

admin — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:38:08 +0000

Biodiesel Day

The Minnesota Soybean Processors, Brewster, Minnesota along with the MN Biodiesel Council would like to invite you to learn about the impact of Biodiesel at a Biodiesel Day at MNSP on Monday August 15, 2011. Registration will begin at 10:00 with a tour of the Biodiesel facility beginning at 10:30 am . Following the tour lunch will be served at the Brewster Plant. A small information session will follow lunch in the Board room.

Please RSVP to Kim Collin by Tuesday August 10, 2011 either by email at kim.collin@mnsoy.com or calling 507-842-6715

Advancing Biodiesel

admin — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:03:25 +0000

What makes Biodiesel an Advanced Biofuel?

Get the Real Story

Advancing Biodiesel- Part I- Minneapolis Fire Dept

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygeWtz7O-Wo

Advancing Biodiesel-Part II- Ed Hegland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsT-bB3Oo5M

BIODIESEL:

1) a clean-burning alternative fuel produced from 34 domestically grownand renewable feedstocks, such as soybeans

2) the only domestically produced advanced biofuel in the United States

3) the most thoroughly tested biofuel on the market

4) the fuel of the future.

Peterson Introduces Biodiesel Legislation

admin — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:17:10 +0000

WASHINGTON – U.S. House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin C. Peterson, D-Minn., today joined Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., to introduce the Biodiesel Tax Incentive Reform and Extension Act (H.R. 2238). The legislation extends the $1 per gallon biodiesel tax credit to 2014 and changes the tax incentive to a production excise tax credit.

“Increasing the production of renewable energy is vital to creating jobs and growing our rural economies. Unfortunately, by allowing the biodiesel tax credit to lapse, we’ve already witnessed a loss of jobs and production,” Peterson said. “The biodiesel industry is still developing and, with the certainty of the biodiesel tax credit, we can continue to move forward and fully realize our renewable energy potential.”

Biodiesel Technology Workshop

admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 18:42:39 +0000

The five-day Biodiesel Technology Workshop co-sponsored by the University of Idaho and Iowa State University will take place from July 18-22, 2011, in Ames, Iowa. This workshop covers business management for biodiesel producers, biodiesel analytical methods, and biodiesel production technology.

For more information and to register: http://www3.me.iastate.edu/biodiesel/

Benefits of Biodiesel are Wide-Ranging

admin — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:10:30 +0000

Biodiesel reduces U.S. dependence on petroleum imports and increases domestic jobs.
Biodiesel can be used in most existing diesel engines in blends up to 20 percent.
Biodiesel made from soybeans only uses the oil portion (19%), leaving the protein to nourish livestock and humans.
Soy-based biodiesel complements and enhances production of renewable fuels from other oils.
Fuel that is 20 percent biodiesel reduces total hydrocarbons by up to 30 percent, carbon monoxide by up to 20 percent and total particulate matter up to 15 percent.

Renewable Fuels Standard Helps Increase Demand for Biodiesel

admin — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 23:12:36 +0000

Biodiesel is now qualified as an advanced biofuel as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Biodiesel exceeds EPA standards for RFS2, which mandates the use of 800 million gallons of biodiesel domestically in 2011 and a minimum of 1 billion gallons of biodiesel annually in 2012 through 2022.

MN House Passes HF3683

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:08:30 +0000

MN HOUSE PASSES HF 3683 BY 121-7 AND SETS NEW BIODIESEL STANDARD

On Thursday April 24, 2008 the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a comprehensive Agriculture and Veterans Policy Bill that again puts Minnesota in a leadership position when it comes to renewable energy.

The bill, authored by State Representative Al Juhnke (DFL-Willmar), included initiatives from the Governor and members of both parties. It passed on a 121-7 vote.

“This bill reaffirms the state’s commitment to renewable biofuels by establishing a new 20 percent biodiesel standard by the year 2015,” said Juhnke, who chairs the MN House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Finance Committee. “This legislation again puts Minnesota the cutting edge of renewable fuel development.”

The legislation establishes a new biodiesel standard, which will be phased in over the next seven years. Currently, diesel fuel sold in the state must contain at least 2 percent biodiesel. That will increase to 5 percent by May 1, 2009, 10 percent by 2012 and 20 percent by 2015. The 10 percent and 20 percent standards would only be in effect from April through October and several off-ramps were included in the legislation in case there isn’t enough biodiesel to meet demand or the price becomes an economical burden to end users.

Other agriculture policy highlights include the creation of a Livestock Investment Grant Program, strengthening of pesticide handling and application laws to protect the environment, efforts to combat Bovine TB, compromise on the rules regulating Animal Chiropractic and creation of a proposal to establish hemp as a cash crop in Minnesota that will only be put in place if the federal Drug Enforcement Agency authorizes commercial production in the U.S.

*LEGISLATIVE PROCESS EXPLANATION: As is the practice at the Legislature, the MN Senate passed their Omnibus Ag bill last week (SF3683) and sent it over to the House. The House version of the bill now goes back to the Senate where they will debate and most likely bring forward amendments, vote on it and send it to a Conference Committee for hammering out the final version of the bill.