Mexstan

Here is a story I have just read in the Seattle Times that may be of interest to some.
(Mods, not sure if this belongs here on in "other".)


John Plaza is one of those entrepreneurs who truly believes what he's selling will change the world.

On a recent day, though, the West Seattle man faced a more mundane challenge: a disgruntled customer. "Can't I get more?" groused a driver who pulled a tanker truck up to Plaza's loading dock along the Duwamish waterway in South Seattle.

Plaza shook his head, amused at his fledgling industry. He's been open only two months and his product is perpetually sold out.

"I haven't done a minute of sales or marketing, and people are buying this stuff as fast as we can make it," he says.

"It" is biodiesel, the latest rage in the alternative energy world. It's a fuel made from vegetable oil that can be used in most any car, truck, bus or boat that has a diesel engine.

Cleaner-burning and more energy-efficient than petroleum, it's being hailed as a way to literally grow our way out of dependence on foreign oil.

Plaza has built the Northwest's first large biodiesel factory. I visited to get a sense of whether the fuel that smells like French fries is a fad or the real deal.

It's not a new idea. The guy who invented the diesel engine more than a hundred years ago, Rudolph Diesel, powered his with peanut oil.

For years, enthusiasts have microbrewed plant-based diesel fuels in backyard stills.

It started to go mainstream around 2002, when the price of a barrel of petroleum oil began its surge from $20 to $60 today. Now biodiesel is used by governments, to run ferries and buses, and by several thousand Puget Sound drivers.

Enter Plaza, 39, a commercial jet pilot who built Seattle Biodiesel for $1 million. It looks like a beer brewery, complete with tanks salvaged from the old Rainier plant.

From here Plaza hopes to refashion the industry, mimicking the hugely successful model of the organic-food business.

Today the raw materials for biodiesel come from the Midwest. The idea is to make them here instead, by growing canola seed in Eastern Washington and crushing it into oil there. Then, the oil can be combined with ethanol made from local wheat to make biodiesel.

The result: a locally grown, locally made, sun-powered fuel.

Plaza's big hope is that he can make it for the same price as petroleum diesel, without subsidies. Today biodiesel is heavily subsidized and costs 50 to 75 cents more per gallon.

He just bought two seed crushers to try to prove that making vegetable oil here can bring down biodiesel's price.

"We should be relying on ourselves for our own fuel," he says. "That's not sexy, but it's a world-changing idea."

I have been leery of biodiesel, as it seems it will require huge taxpayer subsidies, à la the ethanol program.

It's a watershed, though, that people such as Plaza are vowing to compete with the likes of Exxon Mobil. And that their plan to do it is the opposite of outsourcing.

Biodiesel may not change the world. But it's already changing this country's stale energy debate.

Danny Westneat's column appears Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at 206-464-2086 or dwestneat@seattletimes.com.

torquefan

It has to start somewhere, and I hope this gets a lot bigger.

trout74

I agree, how cool would it be if Texaco and BP and Exxon started working with Midwest farmers to GROW fuel here in America. Forget the middle east and the freaking camel jockey's, once we quit buying your oil they will go back to the stone age, oops they allready are.

Seriously though, growing biodiesel and the ability to run alternative fuels is what draws me to diesel engines in the first place.

Bring it on!

P.J

The cheaper fuel is one thing that drew me to diesel power. Hey, what happened there? It'll be two years this October since I bought my truck, price was right at $1.65-$1.75 a gallon back then. So, if our farmers can pump out the beans for Exxon and Valero and whoever, what will the price be? Should be a little cheaper, right? Less shipping, less dino oil required? Would make you think it "could" be less than $2.00 a gallon again maybe??
That would be nice for a change. I don't know about you guy's but, diesel prices are starting to make decisions about where and when I go places for me latley.
Bring on the Bio-Diesel.
Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey are the worst states to find it.
I for one have NEVER in my life even seen a Bio pump?? What's with that?

MnTom

Here in Minnesota the state has MANDATED the use of B-2 starting this month. All diesel sold at the pumps or elsewhere will be bio. Yes, I mean B2 and not B20.

P.J

This is VERY Interesting to me. I would have never guessed it had that strong of a market presence. Guess it would be like a novelty thing if we had it even as a choice here......
2%? thats barely even Bio??

bulabula

c'mon now PJ, there's at least 4 (Four) bio stations here in our lil dinky state of Merryland; and another just across the line in Nova.

Hopefully there will be another here in Anne Arundel County in the near future.

P.J

Put it this way, there isn't a station within 50 miles of my home. That's too far.
Something in Cecil, Kent, Harford or Queen Anne counties would be nice.

I can't imagine why there isn't any closer?

wings

MN Tom,
so does this mean that we can forget the Powerserv for lubrication??? I live in so east MN and haven't noticed the B2 yet. I'll fill up tonight and check the local Conoco. I will say that the b20 I got in Ill was great. $.05/gal cheaper too.

bentwings

infidel

Yes, B2 has 60% more lubricity than straight #2.

Seven other states besides Minn have passed laws that haven't come into effect yet requiring all diesel contain a certain percentage bio.
In some states and localities a certain percent bio is now required or will be soon for all government vehicals.
It's coming.

MnTom

Last I heard was the mandate is to take effect this month but no date was given. Our local refinery has put in the needed parts and pieces for the B-2.
Tom