I didn't realize bio was this big in Colorado.

http://www.cortezjournal.com/asp-bin...ws051117_1.htm

 

Just got around 275,000 gallons of palm bio diesel in Tampa Florida. If I still had my Cummins, I'd scurry on out there and try a tank just to see what it smells like.

 

I would be interested in buying some, but all the stations I can find on the internet, cannot tell me what I would be saving to buy Biodiesel. If I can save some money, I would be interested in B/20 or so, but I cannot get anybody to respond with a price. Is there a website that anyone knows of that can give me prices????

 

I'm not sure how big it is here outside Denver, I haven't seen it anywhere, but our whole fleet at school runs on it. I go to the University of Colorado in Boulder, theres about 8 buses we have that run continous loops around campus to a large dorm complex. The buses run from about 6 am until 2 am, and while they do rotate them around, I'm sure the buses rack up a ton of hours, sometimes loaded with 200 people I'd say. We even have a filling station right outside my old dorm.

 

We're getting more and more outlets for Biodiesel link Sapp Bros truck stop off I-70 and Quebec has two B20 pumps (out of ten total) for the big trucks

 

There is a plant in Berthoud near Longmont that makes it. It is available at the Co-op in Fort Collins. Ever since I have been here (aug.2005) its pricing has been relatively close in price. It is Currently about 2.99. I think it is made up of 80% diesel and 20% corn oil, plus a bunch of detergents and cetane boost. I ran it a couple of times. It smells like corn when you pump it but when it is burned it smells the same. I notice a smoother running and quieter running motor, less black smoke, and better fuel economy by about 50-75 miles per tank. Until it makes sense financially for me to buy it I will probably pass. I was also told that after about the 3 first tanks you run you should change out your fuel filter due to all the detergents, they say it cleans out your system.

Chad

 

I agree, until the price goes down to make it worth while, I don't see the advantage in buying Biodiesel. If they need to charge what we are paying for regular diesel to get the start up capitol, let them get investors. I am (unfortunately) transplanted from Colorado to California at the present time due to job, but we are paying $2.65/gal diesel. If you can make it for $0.70 a gallon, why is it still being priced at $2.99 a gallon? If people want us to buy Biodiesel, they should make it better for us. Please tell me if you disagree.

 

$0.70/gal is what it costs to process it- and commercial stations aren't going to use biodiesel sources from WVO, so you have to add the cost of virgin vegetable oil... that's why it's still more expensive..

 

WEllllll............ lets see for starters, its better for your engine..... its cleaner for the enviorment, and it is supporting AMERICAN producers and farmers rather than forigein suppliers.......
hmmmmmmm yer right , I dont see any reason to use it either....

I wish it were available here, right now there is only one Bio outlet here and its a card-key company that doesnt sell to the general public.

 

Correct me if I am wrong...which I doubt. I have read from Dodge's website that it is not as good as diesel and the farmer's are NOT the ones that will benefit, it will be the manufacturing companies (kinda like it is NOW!!). As far as AMERICAN farmers, do we have a process in place to allow for a quick rise in sales? Also, I have not seen any scientific evidence (from a credible agency), about how much better Biodiesel is for the environment than regular diesel. Give me facts and figures, with real numbers...not percentages, and NOT from Greenpeace...

 

Ok I ll answer one at a time....
As for teh enviormental aspects, here is the EPA's study results....
read for yourself if you like, but the exhaust levels of Co, PM and NOx are all reduced by 10 to 20 %......
Key quotes derived from teh EPA Emmisions study:

The ozone forming potential of the speciated hydrocarbon
emissions is 50 percent less than that measured for diesel fuel.

Biodiesel emissions show decreased levels of polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAH) and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(nPAH), which have been identified as potential cancer causing
compounds. In Health Effects testing, PAH compounds were reduced by
75 to 85 percent, with the exception of benzo(a)anthracene, which was
reduced by roughly 50 percent. Targeted nPAH compounds were also
reduced dramatically with biodiesel, with 2-nitrofluorene and 1-
nitropyrene reduced by 90 percent, and the rest of the nPAH compounds
reduced to only trace levels.

 

Cummins Inc. Okays the use of bio, so does Chrysler and all the other major manufactorers.
Cummins Inc. position on the use of Bio in the Ram truck:http://www.cummins.com/cmi/content.j...menuIndex=4#Q6
The EPA has acceptted a ASTM standard for the production of bio that standardizes the quality. Of course, the folks "brewing" at home may or may not be meeting this standard.
ASTM D 6751.

 

Well, I realy cant answer this one with numbers that dont exist, yet... The manufactoring companies very well may be the ones to profit big if and when bio becomes the "standard" or even mass produced.
But , it seems to me that they are still going to have to buy their 'base' refining material from somewhere, just like they do their crude oil now.
Any increase in demand profits the farmers, its just going to be a matter of to what extent. As for having the process in place, well crops only grow so fast....but here is teh US Dept od Agricultur's 1997 report on teh impact of teh use of agricultural fats as fuel oil. The summary is that it will increase teh market for these pruducts which make up about a third of total US agricultural production.....not talknig small potatoes here...

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aer770/aer770.pdf

Rick, you sem realy down on teh idea, almost antagonistic, is there a reason? Bio has been around for years now, has a proven track record so to speak, its just coming back into the lime light now because of the high cost of petroleum fuels....I realy dont even see it as a tree-hugger type issue, since the diesel engine was originaly designed to run off a veggie oil anyways....

 

LAst thought on this Rick,
yep, you will pay as much or more at the pump right now for Bio. The manufactoring infrastructure isnt there, at least not yet, to support the cheap mass production of bio.

The " 70 cents a gallon" is someone making it at home, who isnt paying for the oil to start the process, or for marketing, shipping storage, ect. They also have to maintain a standardization of their product to a exact standard( ASTM D 6751) that the home brewer does not.
I am not supporting the oil companies high prices by saying this, but they will never be able to market it for what someone without the overhead can. That is just being fair to recognize that.

If you have any more questions, here is a link to teh EPA FAct Sheet on biodiesel....http://eerc.ra.utk.edu/etcfc/docs/EP...-biodiesel.pdf

 

Totally untrue, most biodiesel refining plants are farmer owned co-ops.
But hey, it's up to you if you'd rather give your money to Arabs or to US farmers.
It just seems to me you are looking for any excuse to justify sending your money to the middle east.