report on the national biodiesel conference and expo 2005

Report on the

National Biodiesel Conference and Expo 2005

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, Jan 30th to Feb 2nd 2005

Conference and Expo Summary

Prepared by Dina Bacovsky and Manfred Wörgetter [email protected]; [email protected]

For the IEA Bioenergy Task 39 “Liquid Biofuels”

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

National Biodiesel Conference Fort Lauderdale Jan 30 to Feb 2, 2005

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Background This report was prepared in the frame of the Subtask “Biodiesel” of the IEA Bioenergy1 Liq-uid Biofuels Task2. The overall goal of the subtask is to gather and exchange information that will help participants establish an effective infrastructure for biodiesel. The subtask aims to establish an information exchange network to provide data to decision makers in governments and industries. Information on biodiesel fuel standardization will be collected and efforts to involve stake holders from industry will be made. Finally an updated worldwide overview of the commercial production of biodiesel will be prepared. The Subtask leader Manfred Wörgetter, assisted by Dina Bacovsky, attended the Conference and presented IEA Bioenergy in general and the Biodiesel Subtask in particular to the confer-ence and exhibition public. Especially the exhibition offered an excellent opportunity to con-tact stake holders. The respective report is part of the information exchange and stake holders involvement task. It was prepared on the basis of the conference program, the results published in the internet and on the participation of the authors in the specific sessions and the exhibition. The report is distributed to the Task 39 members, Task leaders of the different IEA Bioenergy Tasks and members of the IEA Bioenergy Executive Committee. Representatives of the par-ticipating countries are requested to distribute these informations on the national level.

Conference Highlights The National Biodiesel Conference and Expo 2005 was a truly impressive event: More than 1000 attendees, mainly from the United States, but also from Canada, Europe, South America and Asia, came to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to take part in the worlds´ largest biodiesel event. The conference program covered all the essential topics like quality, standardisation, and sta-bility, provided overviews on the situations in North America, Europe and South America, and offered technical details for those already skilled. The NBB calls for a commitment to quality: Small as the biodiesel industry at the moment is, all actors will benefit from consumer confidence if the delivered quality is good, and deterio-rate if someone delivers bad quality. The BQ-9000 biodiesel quality systems program, which is combined with the ASTM D 6751 specification for biodiesel, ensures that good quality biodiesel according to the mentioned standard is being produced. It is a voluntary program, available for biodiesel producers and marketers.

1 More information on IEA Bioenergy at www.ieabioenergy.com/. 2 Task 39 is divided into three subtasks: (1) marketing and policy issues, (2) ethanol from lignocellulosic raw materials and (3) biodiesel. Task Leader is Dr. Jack Saddler from the University of British Columbia, Canada, Biodiesel subtask leader is Manfred Wörgetter from BLT Wieselburg, Austria.

http://www.ieabioenergy.com/


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Which biodiesel parameters are those that will ensure good quality biodiesel that will burn neatly in modern diesel engines? This is the approach ASTM took when developing a bio-diesel standard specification. Thus it has become an application-oriented standard. The B100 specification is not meant for use as B100 but for biodiesel as a blending component. A B20 blend with fossil diesel is the fuel of choice in the United States, thus a B20 stand alone speci-fication is under elaboration. A ballot for inclusion of B5 into ASTM D975 failed in Dec 2004, because of lack of a stability parameter; a stability working group has been formed to work on this issue. The mentioned stability working group aims to develop simple, accurate and timely tools to predict changes in biodiesel that correlate to those seen in the field. Focus lies on the compre-hension and the prevention of deleterious fuel changes, not on the impact of using degraded fuel. Results so far have proven that the stability should be controlled in the B100, not in the blend. Although caution has to be taken when blending biodiesel with ultra low sulfur diesel, because especially the B20 blend can lead to high deposit formation. The test method should furthermore be able to predict beneficial additive effects. The currently ongoing “Drum Farm Project” will provide more data on stability for storage at ambient conditions over a time pe-riod of one year. An overview on the current situation of biodiesel markets in the United States was provided by John B. Campbell, Ag Processing Inc. His opinion on the possible future development of biodiesel in North America was supported by handy data on the availabilty of raw materials in the near and mid-term. Campbell´s conclusions build a solid base for promising political strategies. Policies and market perspectives for biodiesel in the European Union were presented by Raf-faelo Garofalo, European Biodiesel Board. The EU is the world leader in biodiesel produc-tion. The EU mineral oil markets are short in diesel and long in gasoline, and the biodiesel production equals three times the production of bioethanol. The further development of the biodiesel market requires a solution to the limited raw material potential. The CEN 14214 standard is the cornerstone for the biodiesel development: it is the most restrictive existing specification, thus it is unanimously accepted by OEMs and the mineral oil industry. Even Brazil – known for its ethanol production and use – is interested in biodiesel. Due to the climate there is a broad range of possible raw materials for biodiesel production available: soybean, canola, sunflower, cotton, castor, palm, coconut, babacu, jatropha, and others. The Brazilian government installed a working group that involves 12 ministries, with participants of the scientific community, the industry, agriculture and federal personnel. Targets are the overall use of B2 in 2005, B5 in 2008, and a mandatory revision in 2013. Besides these central topics, even relatively small issues like the use of B100 in cruisers in tourist areas, biodiesel education, test methods for the biodiesel content in blends, the call for a standardisation of well-to-wheel analysis of biofuels in terms of CO2-reduction, the tax sys-tem in the US, and an outlook on the possible use of bio-hydrogen in the future, were treated with the required quality and depth. The active participation of the OEMs, providing insight in the needs of the car industry, and calling for a B20 stand alone specification, also proves the importance of this conference. NBB has established an OEM team and an OEM supported B20 fleet evaluation team, and NBB works with ASTM for a B20 standard. A $ 12 Mio. 2007 engine testing program


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(funded by industry and USDOE) was established. Engines and after treatment devices have to be redesigned in order to fulfill 2007 engine emissions requirements (-90 % PM, - 90 % NOx). B20 will be approved by all major diesel engines with the 2007 engines; engine and vehicle companies will incorporate B20 into all future designs. Next to this comprehensive conference program a well-equipped exposition took place. About 60 exhibitors presented their products (biodiesel, additives, chemicals, test methods,…) and their scientific findings (e.g. direct transesterification of soy flakes). The conference attendees flushed the exposition during conference breaks, gathering as much information as they could possibly get, and proving that the biodiesel industry in the United States is really fast-growing. On the whole the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo testifies the tremendous endeavour undertaken by the American biodiesel industry in general and the National Biodiesel Board in particular, attempting to enhance the use of biodiesel and to build consumer awareness. While North America still ranges behind Europe as concerning technical biodiesel issues and actual biodiesel production, European stake holders could learn from the American way of ap-proaching the biodiesel task in a most comprehensive manner. Hopefully biodiesel stake holders all over the world will be successful in enhancing the use of biodiesel and will be able to benefit from the advantages that biodiesel as a renewable transportation fuel provides.

Introduction The National Biodiesel Conference and Expo 2005 took place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, from Jan 30th to Feb 2nd. It was hosted by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). The meeting aimed to meet the educational needs of all biodiesel stakeholders – from fuel dis-tributors, marketers and biodiesel consumers, to technicians and feedstock growers and proc-essors. More than 1000 attendees participated in this event, whereof more than 900 were citizens of the United States. Other attendees came from Canada (~40), fewer from Europe, South Amer-ica and Asia. Most of the attendees were employed in the private biodiesel industry, others came from federal institutions or were academic personnel. The conference sessions were organized into five tracks:

- technical, - fuel distribution, - policy/regulations, - markets - and users.

Additionally three general sessions were provided, covering the latest trends, data and ad-vances in the industry. Each conference day started with a general session. The following sessions were given simul-taneously for the five different educational tracks; thus, most of them were attended by 150 to 250 persons. 3 to 4 different presentations were given in each session, outlining different as-pects of it´s main topic; in the end there was time for questions from and discussion with the audience.


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The conference program started off with 5 sessions at the Marina Marriott Hotel, providing Biodiesel Basics as well as networking events. The full conference program and the speakers can be found at http://www.biodiesel.org/expo2005/

Saturday, January 29, 2005 Session 1: BQ-9000 Training Seminar

Attendees arriving at the conference early were invited to take part in a comprehensive train-ing seminar on BQ-9000, biodiesel industry´s accreditation program for fuel quality.

Sunday, January 30, 2005 Session 2: 2005 Biodiesel Golf Tournament

Networking event. Session 3: Media Training

Attendees could learn how to carry their message to reporters and interact with the media in a positive and constructive way. Session 4: Train the Trainer / Biodiesel Basics

This pre-conference session was designed to provide basic- to intermediate-level training for stakeholders who will be called upon to field questions and make educational presentations on biodiesel. The course included PowerPoint slides and other materials that would empower the attendees to give basic biodiesel presentations like a professional. Session 5: Welcome Reception at the Marina Marriott

Networking event.

Monday, January 31, 2005 General Session 6: Let the Journey Begin - Biodiesel Takes Off Joe Jobe, Executive Director of the National Biodiesel Board, welcomed the attendees to the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo 2005. There has never been a more spirited time in the history of the United States biodiesel industry. The industry has grown in the last year and the biodiesel tax incentive was passed. National experts lead through the exciting progress that is shaping the biodiesel industry. Session 7: Biodiesel Fleet Experience and OEMs – Technical Emphasis

One of the biodiesel industry´s top priorities is to work with Original Equipment Manufactur-ers (OEMs) on generating more positive warranty statements. The latest field data docu-mented by the OEM community through the B20 Fleet Evaluation Team was presented in an engineer-adequate way.

http://www.biodiesel.org/expo2005/


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Camil Lagace reported on a Biodiesel pilot project in Quebec/ Canada. The BioMer project aims to demonstrate the feasibility and assess the impact of using B100 and B 5 to fuel cruis-ers of various types in two tourist areas. BioMer is carried out in the old port of Montreal and the Lachine Canal National Historic Site. Diesel engines of the following manufacturers are included:

- MTU, - Detroit Diesel, - Caterpillar, - John Deere and - Volvo Penta.

A total of 254 000 liters of B 100 was the projected fuel supply for 12 boats. Biodiesel was delivered from Rothsay, Montreal. A technical and logistical monitoring program was imple-mented. The environmental impacts were measured by the Environmental Technology Centre in Ottawa, Biodiesel biodegradability and toxicity by the Biotechnology Research Centre in Montreal. Financing partner were National Resources Canada, Environment Canada, Canada Economic Developmenr and two ministries of Quebec. Preliminary results showed that:

- Boats can run on B 100, but fuel filter blocking was observed - Emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxides and particles (including fine particles)

were reduced while nitrogen oxides increased. Details can be found on www.biomer.ca. Session 8: Best Practices: Biodiesel Blending and Handling Options

As the biodiesel industry grows, so does the storage, transport and handling of biodiesel. The new tax incentive is expected to jump start the industry in 2005. (See the NBB fact sheet at http://www.biodiesel.org/members/membersonly/files/pdf/fedreg/20041022_Tax_Incentive_Fact_Sheet.pdf.) Important issues of biodiesel blending and handling are the stability and the cold flow properties of the pure biodiesel and the blends. Cold flow blending data has been developed recently by ASI Engineering, and shall now be put into practical use. J.T. Schokker, Jefferson City Oil Company, gave an account of the 15,000 Gallon above ground tank for B-100, that was installed at his company in September 2001. The pump meter and hose are kept inside. The year round storage is a success. For winter time blending he gives the following advice:

- Always load diesel fuel on the truck first, the biodiesel second. - Blend each compartment to the desired blend (B5, B10, B20). - Keep biodiesel above 45°F (7°C) prior to blending. - Ensure the success of the blending through agitation. - Evaluate the cold flow properties.

Paul Hinkle, Additive Systems Inc, outlined the “Biodiesel Cold Weather Blending Study”. The objective of this study was to accurately determine baseline temperatures for blending biodiesel at 2% into #1 and#2 fuel. The testing was performed for soy, tallow and yellow grease methylesters. Blending was simulated on a small scale for as well top loading as bot-tom loading. After first visual observations the testing procedures were modified to include differential pressure indicators to be able to measure the results with objective data. So the exact temperatures of crystallization for the fuels, the methylesters and the B2 blends could be

http://www.biomer.ca/

http://www.biodiesel.org/members/membersonly/files/pdf/fedreg/20041022_Tax_Incentive_Fact_Sheet.pdf

http://www.biodiesel.org/members/membersonly/files/pdf/fedreg/20041022_Tax_Incentive_Fact_Sheet.pdf


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determined. The results will now be reviewed by the funding participants and released for publication soon. Questions were asked on

- biological problems in the summer time – this is due to the water in the fuel, which to-gether with warm weather promotes the formation of biological films; this problem can be treated by additives;

- storage during cold weather – introduce cold flow additives before the fuel reaches the cloud point; and

- long transport distances – keep an eye on phase separation (water/fuel); agitation helps a lot.

Session 9: Update! National and State Legislation

Congress and state legislatures considered a number of diverse bills in 2004 related to bio-diesel, including the all-important federal excise tax credit. In this session it was explained how the federal excise tax credit works and what it could mean for biodiesel. There was also a part on 2005 state legislatures and biodiesel´s role in it. Session 10: Back to School with Biodiesel - in the Bus and in the Classroom

School districts around the nation have flocked to B20 as a means of immediately reducing harmful exhaust from school buses without having to invest in new vehicles or expensive equipment. The health benefits of biodiesel have broad appeal, and school bus fleet managers have found biodiesel to be a seamless fit into their operations. In this session success stories and their impact on the communities were told. And attendees were advised how to help get biodiesel into their school´s buses and curriculum. Jon van Gerpen from the University Idaho introduced Biodiesel educational programs. This project was financed by USDA grants in collaboration with NBB. Several conferences were carried out and a website was published (www.BiodieselEducation.org). Additionally high technical level Biodiesel Technotes were worked out. Courses and workshops for Biodiesel producers were carried out, too. More information is available at www.me.iastate.edu/biodiesel. Session 11: It´s Easy Being Green with Biodiesel - Now Get Noticed!

Biodiesel users have a positive impact on their communities, and many want to promote that their company or organization´s fleet is fueled by America´s fastest growing alternative fuel. Attendees were advised how to market biodiesel´s health, environmental, energy security and operational benefits to the community. Organizations and resources that can help were pre-sented. Session 12: Fuel Property Improvements and Cold Flow Data

The most recent technical developments in improving biodiesel properties, including new data on cold flow properties of biodiesel blends and technical data on incorporating cold biodiesel into cold diesel fuel were presented in this session. It was designed as a technically detailed session that also examined ongoing research. Brian S. Cooke from the Dallas group (www.DallasGrp.com) introduced the audience to the purification of Biodiesel with magenesium silicat (MAGNESOL®). This technique can re-

http://www.biodieseleducation.org/

http://www.me.iastate.edu/biodiesel

http://www.dallasgrp.com/


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place the washing process. The method is broadly used in the edible oil industry. Free fatty acids, soap and other polar materials can be removed and oxidation stability can be increased. Tests were carried out at the BECON plant by the Iowa State University. Ken Bickel from the Center of Diesel Research, University of Minnesota, investigated the cold flow properties of Biodiesel blends. Cold flow properties depend on the properties of both biodiesel and petroldiesel. B5 or less does not appear to differ significantly from the base petrodiesel. Session 13: Introduction to Biodiesel for Fuel Distributors and Marketers

This session covered the ABCs of handling biodiesel. Topics included an introduction to neat biodiesel (B100), strategies for taking receipt of biodiesel and storage practices. The produc-tion cycle was explored, as well as all aspects of the fuel´s journey from field to fuel pump. Paul Nazzaro, Advanced Fuel Solutions, Massachusetts, highlighted:

- Biodiesel demand in the US will reach 40 Mio. Gallon in 2005 - Biodiesel is not toxic and contains less then 15 ppm sulfur and no aromatics - Biodegradability, Cetane number, lubricity and flash point are high - The heating value is similar to fossil diesel. - Biodiesel is one of the two alternative fuels that fulfill EPE health effects testing. - Emission measurements with B100 in an unchanged 1997 Cummins engine showed:

Changes, % Ozone forming potential of HC´s - 50 Carbon monoxide - 50 Particulates - 30 Sulfates - 100 NOx + 13 PAH - (75 – 80) nPAH -90 Source: EPA 211 (b) Health effects testing protocol

- Emissions are reduced using B 100, B 20 and B 2:

B 100 B 20 B 2 Changes in % Total unburned hydrocarbons - 67 - 20 -2.2 Carbon monoxide -48 - 12 -1.3 Particulate matter -47 - 12 -1.3 Nitrogen oxides + 10 + 2 +0.2

- “Quality” means for Biodiesel and petrodiesel:

Biodiesel Petrodiesel ASTM D 6751 ASTM D 975 Flash point Cetane number Acid number Cloud point Free glycerin Pour point Total glycerin CFPP Water & sediment Water & sediment Cloud point Sulfur


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- Solvent impact of Biodiesel: higher blends (>20%) may clean sediments in the fuel system. Thus you need to replace fuel filters when starting a program (once sediments are cleaned, filter changes will normalize again).

- Biodiesel increases fuel lubricity even at very low blending levels. - Biodiesel will form sediments when in contact with brass, bronze, copper, lead, tin

and zinc; BD is compatible with steel and aluminum. - B 100 may adversely affect elastomers, - Most elastomers used after 1993 are compatible with B 100; blend (B20) effect is less

or non-existent - Free water in the fuel system accelerates corrosion and fuel degradation; water enters

in the tank mostly by air. - Stored fuel will degrade forming insoluble substances. - Maintaining fuel quality is a key issue.

More information is available at www.biodiesel.org. Session 14: Biodiesel – Doing Business with the Federal Government

The Federal Biobased Procurement Program was authorized by Section 9002 of the 2002 Farm Bill. When fully implemented, agencies will be required to purchase biobased industrial products, such as biodiesel, whenever their cost, availability and performance are compara-ble to their petroleum-based alternatives. This session provided companies with important information that would help them navigate through the government procurement process. Session 15: Quality Matters – Making Sure Your Fleet Is Using Quality Biodiesel Fuel

The biodiesel industry is fast-moving, with many new players coming into the market. It is important to specifiy quality biodiesel in order to build a consumer confidence in the product. Steps are the ASTM biodiesel specification and the BQ-9000 quality system. George Kopittke, Griffin Industries, outlined the ASTM biodiesel specification. It is based on the specification of physical and chemical attributes that need to be met in order to ensure satisfactory operation of the vehicle and engine. It is not based on feedstock source or proc-essing methods. Important parameters for biodiesel quality are

- Complete reaction - Removal of glycerine - Removal of catalyst - Removal of alcohol - Absence of free fatty acids

Industry standards save money, because they facilitate the commerce, protect the customer from low quality and protect the seller from companies that sell low quality. The National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission, NBAC, has developed a voluntary program for bio-diesel producers and marketers called BQ-9000. Danny Norton from the Peter Cremer group explained BQ-9000:

- it is a quality system program for the biodiesel industry - It incorporates elements from ISO 9001 - It applies to producers and marketers - It contains specific process requirements to ensure biodiesel meets ASTM D 6751

http://www.biodiesel.org/


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- It was created & peer reviewed by industry stakeholders Application of BQ-9000 is a commitment to quality. West Central is a company that markets turnkey biodiesel production facilities. It is now in the audit phase of BQ-9000. Myron Danzer argues that the customer demands for good and uniform biodiesel quality and the use of BQ-9000 helps in producing good quality. The qual-ity control steps are

- process control - storage monitoring - transport inspections - ASTM testing (full and partial) - lot control

Jeannie Wilson, Missouri Department of Transportation, is in the end user position of bio-diesel. The MoDOT began using biodiesel in 2000 in the St. Louis area. Its fleet size is 6,400 units, it uses 5 million gallons of diesel annually. One of the challenges is to develop a speci-fication that meets the winter operability standards while being flexible enough that the ven-dors can meet it. Preference is given to vendors that are BQ-9000 certified. Upcoming issues are:

- Development of a tank maintenance schedule (approx 1200 tanks) - Supplier Options - Stress the importance of BQ-9000 certification to suppliers - Education of the operators/mechanics

Gene Gebolys, World Energy, requested a commitment to quality from all biodiesel produc-ers and marketers. As the biodiesel industry in the United States is still a small industry, it will only be successful, if it delivers high quality biodiesel to the consumer. This will build consumer confidence into the product. Low quality biodiesel will have negative effects not only on the company producing or marketing it, but on the entire biodiesel industry. Thus every single producer and distributor should take care of good quality. Session 16: Understanding Fuel Standards and Fuel Quality

The biodiesel industry achieved a major milestone when the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) approved a national specification for biodiesel. But work is still continued, focusing on the incorporation of B5 into ASTM D975, a proposal for a B20 stand-alone speci-fication and investigations on stability issues. Steve Howell of MARC IV and Chairman of the ASTM Task Force on Biodiesel Standards provided an overview on the ongoing specification work. The ASTM D6751 on B100 will be updated with the following:

- Inclusion of a stability parameter - Inclusion of Ca, Mg, Na, K limits - Harmonization with EN 14214 in acid number and viscosity

Further work items of the ASTM Task Force are

- Incorporation of up to 5% biodiesel into the diesel fuel standard ASTM D975. - Development of a stand alone specification for a finished B20 blend.


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The fuel injection equipment manufacturers rejected a ballot for inclusion of B5 into ASTM D975 in Dec 2004, because of lack of a stability parameter. The stability working group is already working on this issue. A stand alone specification for a finished B20 blend will determine a separate set of proper-ties for finished B20, while the used petroleum diesel and biodiesel each must meet their own specifications. The ballot also failed in Dec 2004, but work is being continued. One of the problems is that the deposit trend of B20 is worse than B100 and diesel, when biodiesel is blended with ultra low sulfur diesel. Bob McCormick, NREL, presented the results of a nationwide biodiesel quality survey. 27 samples of B100 fuel were collected from blenders throughout the US. 85% of these samples met the ASTM D6751. 4 samples failed because of acid number, total glycerin or phospho-rous content. Blenders depend on the biodiesel quality they get from the producers, yet most of them don´t take samples but rely on visual testing only. 50 samples of B20 fuel were taken from fleets nationwide, but only 32 samples were actually tested to contain about 20% biodiesel. Possibly the blenders do not achieve a homogeneous mixture, so that the biodiesel content varies; this could cause problems with cold weather. The fuels density is not a predictor of its biodiesel content. There were no quality problems to be observed with the B20 samples, all limits were met ex-cept for the distillation 90% recovery temperature. This temperature should not exceed 640°F (337°C), but some samples did exceed the limit by only a few degrees; the suggestion is to increase the value for the limit by a few degrees when including B20 in the D975 specifica-tion. Rod Lawrence of Magellan Midstream Partners and Chairman of the ASTM Stability Work-ing Group, outlined the work done on biodiesel stability. It aims to develop simple, accurate and timely tools to predict changes in biodiesel that correlate to those seen in the field. Focus lies on the comprehension and the prevention of deleterious fuel changes, not on the impact of using degraded fuel. As the ASTM D6751 should include a stability parameter, an adequate test method has to be selected. In the European standard EN14214 the stability parameter is a Rancimat induction period of at least 6 hours. Although US biodiesel generally does not meet this requirement, B20 operational problems are few, and usually related to biodiesel not meeting the ASTM D6751. The stability working group concludes that the average biodiesel (meeting D6751) is probably adequately stable when used as B20 or less in existing applications. For the US maybe a limit in deposit formation, indicated by insolubles, would be a better stability pa-rameter. Factors that affect the stability of biodiesel have been identified as

- Polyunsaturated FA (low 18:3 is more stable) - Natural and added antioxidants - Levels of glycerin and glycerides - Potentially other impurities

The samples taken for the nationwide biodiesel quality survey have been analyzed in order to find out which stability test method should be preferred. Results so far have proven that the


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stability should be controlled in the B100, not in the blend. Although caution has to be taken when blending biodiesel with ultra low sulfur diesel, because especially the B20 blend can lead to high deposit formation. The test method should furthermore be able to predict benefi-cial additive effects. In order to get more test data the Drum Farm Project is sponsored by the NBB. Commercially available fuels are all stored under the same conditions (ambient conditions) in 55 gallon un-coated steel drums for one year. Evaluation of total, filterable and adherent insolubles is per-formed at 1,2,4,6,9 and 12 months. Thus the accelerated stability methods D2274, D6468 and Rancimat can be compared to actual storage results. This project is still ongoing.

Summing up all the efforts made by the stability working group it can be said, that although there is no stability parameter neither in the petroleum diesel standard nor in the biodiesel standard, stability is monitored for petroleum diesel and the same will be done for biodiesel. Session 17: Adding It Up: Biodiesel Additive Development

Many companies claim their additives can improve biodiesel properties, but which are hype and which are real? Leading fuel additive manufacturers discussed biodiesel cold flow and stability products currently available and those under development. What biodiesel suppliers and downstream fuel users could expect from additives and the costs associated with current and future products was highlighted. And general fuel management practices to keep diesel fuel, heating oil and biodiesel free of contaminants that negatively impact fuel performance were also introduced. Bacteria in the fuel may degrade all grades of liquid fuels, lead to corrosion of metals, espe-cially steel, and will plug fuel systems. Bacteria grow better in warm climates and are present in high quantities usually. Many species live in the presence of oxygen as well as in it´s ab-sence. Fungus are hard to detect, fewer in number and they tend to grow on solid surfaces. There may be a rapid fungal bloom that is nearly impossible to control. Microorganisms are airborn or come from water, they take in nutrients, excrete metabolic by-products and prolif-erate. Microbes in fuel convert fuel components into new chemicals, create byproducts that enhance corrosion and cause water to emulsify with the fuel. They can lead to heavily fouled fuel filters. Biocides may be used to protect fuel systems. They must be compatible with the


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lubricant, EPA registration is necessary. With a suitable program in place, microbes and fun-gus can be monitored, treated, and kept under control. Session 18: Producer and Distributor Taxes, Reporting and Labeling

If you’re producing biodiesel or getting ready to produce, there are a number of questions to consider. Do you pay excise taxes? Do you need to register in your state? Are you allowed to dye fuel? What codes do fuel distributors need to use in reporting? These and other critical questions were answered during this session. Cindy Anders-Robb from the federation of tax administrators gave a comprehensive over-view on the states/ federal motor fuel taxation system in the US. Session 19: Mixing Oil and Biodiesel February 1, 2005 The biodiesel industry must work with the petroleum industry to become fully integrated into America’s energy supply. Industry leaders have already taken steps to ensure this happens, but how has it impacted biodiesel sales? How can we most effectively work with the petro-leum industry, from large oil companies to small distributors, in moving biodiesel into the market? A panel of experts addressed these questions.

Session 20: Separating Myths and Facts: Warranty, Winter and Performance

“Won’t biodiesel void my warranty, gel up in winter and plug my filters?”These and other common questions were answered in this session. Experts presented the latest on how bio-diesel impacts engine warranty statements. They separated the winter operability myths from the facts, and taught attendees how to source quality biodiesel. Greg Zilerfarb from ASG Renaissance gave an insight on car industry needs. the ASTM D 6751 specification is a B100 specification. Yet the fuel actually in use is a B20 blend. Thus the “Big Three” OEMs demand for a B20 standalone standard, which will ensure that only good quality biodiesel is used in their engines. They also call for quality management tech-niques to be applied. Some OEMs have issued support:

- Caterpillar, - Cummins, - Detroit Diesel, - International and - John Deere.

Others have shown support:

- Daimler-Chrysler and - Jeep Liberty.

The “Big Threes” request ASTM D 6751 for B100, blends up to B5 are endorsed, higher blends wont´t void warranty. Problems caused by the fuel fall into the responsibility of the fuel supplier. NBB has established an OEM team and an OEM supported B20 fleet evaluation team (which develops a fact-based position based on stake holders assessment and fleet ex-perience) and works with ASTM on a B20 standalone specification. A $ 12 Mio. 2007 engine testing program (funded by industry and USDOE) was established. Redesigned engines and after treatment devices are needed to fulfill 2007 engine emissions requirements (-90 % PM, -


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90 % NOx). B20 will be approved by all major diesel engines with the 2007 engines; engine and vehicle companies will incorporate B20 into all future designs.

Tuesday, February 1, 2005 General Session 21: The Future of Biodiesel Technology and the Role of Biodiesel

The diesel engine is evolving, and in just two years, new diesel technology will become a part of the backbone of America. A panel of energy experts - including engine and equipment manufacturers, biodiesel experts and professionals from the refinery, pipeline and fuel distri-bution sectors - discussed the future of diesel fuel, advanced diesel technology and how bio-diesel fits into the new equation. Bill Craven from Daimler Chrysler explained the role biofuels play for his company. A num-ber of fuel efficiency technologies are pursued. In the US a Diesel market share similar to Europe could save 800 gallons of oil in the first year, 8 million tons of CO2 could be saved. The Chrysler group could raise its fuel economy by about 3 miles per gallon. If we had a B20 standard the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Ram could be approved for this fuel, but a consistent national specification is needed first. Mercedes is working jointly with VW and CHOREN Energy in Germany on BTL. Any bio-mass can be used to produce a high-valuable diesel fuel. All Daimler Chrysler spark ignition engines are designed for properly blended E 10 fuels, however the prime environmental driv-ers – CO and HC reduction – are largely obsolete. Daimler Chrysler has sold over 1 mio. E-85 capable FFVs and continues to market FFVs options in the Dodge Ram, Dodge Stratus and Mercedes C-class. All Biofuels should be subjected to a WTW analysis. Daimler Chrysler estimates fossil en-ergy ratios

- Ethanol from corn: 1,4 : 1,0 - Biodiesel from soy: 3,2 : 1,0 - BTL 10 : 1

If a national energy policy is to be adopted, biofuels will be part of the solution in the near to mid-term. Any energy policy should evaluate the greenhouse gas reduction and emission based health effects as well as the reduction of petrol and foreign oil consumption. Session 22: Faster, Simpler, Better Test Methods

Biodiesel quality is critical, and there is strong demand for easy test methods to make sure biodiesel meets national specifications. In this session attendees could learn about easier and faster ways to determine critical parameters, such as blend concentration, cetane number and biodiesel acid value in the field. Experts presented the latest developments from analytical equipment companies. R. G. Hayes from the Missouri Department of Agriculture introduced into his work on test methods. Methods are needed to determine vegetable oil and animal fats in biodiesel blends. FTIR methods with attenuated total reflectance (ATR) are used in Missouri. Fast measure-ments of the biodiesel content with a wide range from 0 to 100 % is possible; the method is


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able to distinguish between vegetable oils and esters from animal fats. An ASTM standard will be developed; laboratories for participation in round robin are needed. Session 23: Biodiesel and the 2006 Diesel Fuel – Quality Programs and Petroleum Re-sources

2005 and 2006 bring many fuel standard changes that impact petroleum businesses. Biodiesel can play a critical role in the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D 975 lu-bricity standard changes and the implementation of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD). At-tendees learned what ULSD deficiencies have been uncovered and how additive remediation can resolve them. Will biodiesel be a viable choice both economically and in terms of per-formance for ULSD? Also, there was a section about the industry’s new BQ-9000 quality program and how it could help in marketing biodiesel. Session 24: Incentives from the Federal Government – The New Tax Incentive Program and Beyond

Knowledge of the incentives the government offers for biodiesel and how to access them is important to biodiesel producers, sellers and users. This session examined the federal excise tax credit, the Bioenergy Program that provides grants to producers, State Energy Plans that can help with infrastructure and create new markets, and recurring or provisional incentives. EPAct fleets and biodiesel as a compliance option were also discussed. Session 25: The Rest of the Story: Understanding the Impact of Raw Materials and Co-Products on Biodiesel Profit

In this session the latest industry updates on pricing, availability and projections on biodiesel raw materials, such as oils and alcohol were given. Creating new markets for glycerin offers an opportunity to make biodiesel production more profitable. New research is taking place to identify potential uses for glycerin and other potential large volume uses. John B. Campbell, Ag Processing Inc (AGP), gave a remarkable speech on the current situa-tion of biodiesel in the US market and its possible development in the near future. The current diesel fuel use of 50 billion gallons dwarfs the current and future production ca-pabilities of the vegetable oil and animal fat industry. Hence, petroleum based hydrocarbons will continue to be the workhorse for diesel engines as far as the eye can see. Still, same as for ethanol, that now has a market penetration of just over 2.5 % of the gasoline pool, there are niche markets where the unique properties of biodiesel have their place. In fact, neat or high blend (20 percent) biodiesel makes sense only in those markets where alter-natives to diesel have been demanded by the government or consumers. In the non-alternative fuel markets, lubricity, health and environmental benefits of biodiesel may give it a place in the diesel fuel formulation. The question is often asked “How much biodiesel will the market take”? Campbells´ response is always “as much as we produce”. The real question is: at what price? John Campbell be-lieves that biodiesel demand will be virtually unlimited when biodiesel is priced at a discount to diesel fuel. Will the price of diesel fuel, in relation to fats and oils (the diesel/fat spread) be greater or lesser than the tax incentive? That is a question he can’t answer.


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So how much biodiesel can be produced? The main feedstock sources in the US are soybean oil, animal fats and waste greases. Campbell has estimated domestic near term economically available raw material at 130-260 million gallons (= 0.6% of transportation diesel fuel use). His longer range estimates of availability from increased soybean oil acres, soybean oil con-tent, idle acres, switched acres, increased domestic soybean crush amount to nearly 4 billion gallons (about 10 % of transportation diesel fuel use). What impact can be expected from increasing demand? AGP has looked at some economet-rics that predict price impacts from a demand shock. The conclusion from this exercise was that at current diesel fuel prices biodiesel can only pull about 90 million gallons from domes-tic soybean oil supplies before B2 blends move to a premium over diesel. After that either B2 must be sold at a premium or trade flows will be impacted to keep feedstock prices in check. The Energy Policy Act of 1992, approved in the aftermath of the Gulf War, set a goal of al-ternative fuel displacement of 10 percent by 2000 and 30 percent by 2010. The United States are nowhere close. However, under the right set of incentives or use requirements the supplies would be available to at least get to the 10 percent level by 2010. A less ambitious, but probably more practical proposal has been proposed on Capitol Hill to require 5 billion gallons of renewable fuels use by 2012. For diesel, assuming a 40 billion-gallon baseline, the renewable standard combined with a tax incentive could mean 80 million gallons of biodiesel. While these numbers seem small compared to the availability outlined above, it would be an achievable target. If phased in over time then the goal could be met by domestic sources without disruption to the agricultural or energy markets. Julie Doherty, Methanex, focussed on the role of methanol in the growing biodiesel market. Methanol is a raw material in biodiesel production: For the transesterification of 100 shares of vegetable oil about 10 shares of methanol are required. Currently Methanex produces metha-nol at 4 locations world-wide (Canada, Trinidad, Chile and New Zealand). It estimates that recently passed tax credits for biodiesel could grow the methanol market demand by 13 to 15 million gallons per year in the US. At the moment Methanex is not prepared to meet this in-creasing demand. Further methanol supply can be created by the production of renewable methanol from biomass, landfill gas and biodigester gas. Mack Findley, Peter Cremer group, highlighted the impact of biodiesel production on the glycerine market, or, vice versa, the impact of highly increased glycerine production on bio-diesel economics. Glycerine is a by-product from the production of soap, fatty acids, surfactants and biodiesel. It is used in various products ranging from foods, pharma and personal care to urethanes and several others. In most applications glycerine can easily be replaced, thus there is no strong demand for glycerine; the supply is not determined by the demand. A large increase in bio-diesel production will lead to a large increase in glycerine supply, and this will result in lower glycerine prices which in turn will impact biodiesel economics. So don´t use today´s market price for glycerine when evaluating a biodiesel project. In order to avoid a price collapse, the industries need to work together and create new glycer-ine markets. The government can support this process by means of federal purchase prefer-ences and tax policies.


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Session 26: Low Blend Builds High Demand in the Ag Market

The agricultural industry is quickly becoming one of the largest markets for biodiesel use.This session was intended for farmers who use biodiesel and who want to help convince their sup-pliers, neighbors and others of the benefits of biodiesel. Also highlighted was the economic impact of a thriving biodiesel market for soybean farmers who have invested millions of dol-lars in the biodiesel industry through the soybean checkoff and leadership of the United Soy-bean Board. The Renewable Fuels Association, an association of ethanol producers and industrial suppli-ers, serves as a link between industry and the federal government. The US ethanol industry: - Produced 2.8 billion gallons in 2003 - In 81 plants in 20 states with 3.4 billion gallon per year in 2004 - 16 plants are under construction; combined with expansions of existing plants, capacity

will increase to 4.1 billion gallons in 2005 The majority of the ethanol plants are farmer-driven projects, 40 plants are owned by farmers. Session 27: Engine Testing and Research on Biodiesel

Leading engine, vehicle and fuel injection equipment company representatives, along with top technical experts from the biodiesel research community, reviewed the results of recent bio-diesel engine research and testing. They gave an update on planned activities for testing of biodiesel in future clean diesel engines and aftertreatment technology. This session was in-tended for the technically minded who want to get down to the details. Bill Ayres from “Renewable Solutions LLC” presented the “Universal Reformer Project” which investigates the production and use of bio-hydrogen for fuel cells and hydrogen en-gines. Hydrogen burns neatly with the widest combustion range of all and is the best fuel for fuel cells; but hydrogen can not be found in nature and it is difficult to synthesize, store and ship. Bio-hydrogen can be produced from Biodiesel, vegetable oil, animal fats, ammonia and syngas. All fuels can be reformed with steam or autothermally with air/ oxygen/ steam to CO and H2. All CO can be reformed to H2. In the project a universal reformer is currently tested with Soy Biodiesel. In the Yellowstone fuel cell project hydrogen production from rapeseed oil biodiesel will be investigated. In California hydrogen filling stations are planned. Melissa Hess from the Eastern Regional Research Center in Pennsylvania reported on the effects of antioxidant addition on NOX emission. Emissions are affected by biodiesel feed-stock. Additives were tested with a positive result: butylated hydroxytoluen (BHT) brings NOX level down to nearly NOX neutral. Session 28: Fuel Distributors Warm Up to BioHeat

As the heating oil market for biodiesel continues to build momentum, it will be critical for marketers to understand how to become engaged in this emerging BioHeat market. Updates on the past year’s technical projects were presented, along with the results of the fuel dealer survey recently completed under the USDA Biodiesel Education Grant. A panel discussion brought in participants who had questions for veteran fuel users and industry leaders.


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Session 29: Legislatures 101

State legislatures and the U.S. Congress will have a major impact on the future of biodiesel. Understanding how the legislative process works and what anyone can do to make a positive impact will help to steer the process. This session was for those who want to become an activ-ist, or just understand how the political process works and where he fits in.

Session 30: Biodiesel Education in America – Making Biodiesel a Household Word

Research shows that only about onefourth of Americans are familiar with biodiesel, signifying the need for further public education. In this session experts highlighted what Americans know and think about biodiesel, as well as programs taking place nationwide as part of the USDA Biodiesel Education Program designed to educate consumers.

Session 31: Biodiesel All-Star User Panel

There are too many biodiesel success stories to count, but there are several users who shine. Fleet managers who have successfully implemented biodiesel in their fleets and have become national leaders in biodiesel use presented their experience. They covered how they sourced quality biodiesel, how their fleet has performed on the fuel and how they faced other chal-lenges in implementing the fuel.

Session 32: NBB Membership

Attendees were invited to come learn about the many benefits of membership in the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). From product development, technical support and legislative support to marketing, NBB stands ready to support this fast-growing industry. NBB told attendees how to become part of the growing population of NBB members.

Session 33: Biodiesel Plant Investment - Making the Correct Decision This session was provided on extra fee. Constructing a biodiesel production facility may seem like a monumental task. How do you know if and when a plant may be economically viable? When will you need to bring in experts to help—or do you need them at all? What are the most important factors to consider when building a biodiesel plant? If the experience of starting a business or building a plant is a new one to you, just having someone tell you which questions to ask is needed and valuable. This course intended to enable potential investors to understand critical elements in assessing the feasibility of biodiesel production (e.g., biodiesel demand, feedstock supply, co-product sales, etc.), technology selection criteria, feasibility studies and business plans, and financing options.


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Session 34: Biodiesel Production Technology Course This session was provided on extra fee. Making biodiesel is easy. The Internet is full of recipes and instructions for making it in your garage or back yard. But if you are considering commercial biodiesel production, you know that questions of quality, waste disposal and other environmental concerns, and cost reduc-tion strategies should be foremost in your mind. You also may be considering purchasing technology. If so, then you should be knowledgeable about the options that are available and how they must be matched to the feedstock that will be used. This course prepared those considering commercial biodiesel production with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions. It could also extend the background of existing producers so that they become aware of technology options beyond that currently used in their plant. Attendees received detailed notes as well as copies of all visual materials.

Wednesday, February 2, 2005 General Session 35: Biodiesel World Summit 2005

Biodiesel stakeholders from all over the world face similar challenges in their efforts to build biodiesel markets. Individual countries continuously fight to gain acceptance by multi-national corporations, governments and the general public in the areas of warranty positions, fuel distribution, fuel quality and education. A panel of international biodiesel professionals tackled the subject of how international stakeholders can better leverage their collective ex-perience and resources to work together on mutual development efforts. Raffaello Garofalo, European Biodiesel Board (EBB) highlighted the biodiesel situation in Europe. EBB represents 85 % of the European Biodiesel production with 17 full members and 8 associates (multinational companies like ADM, Bunge, Cargill, industries from the fuel and renewable energy sector like Sauter, EHN and Fox and medium size industries active in rural areas). The EU is the world leader in biodiesel production (1.4 million tons = 410 million gallons in 2003 within the EU-15), having 66 operational production sites across Europe. The EU min-eral oil markets are short in diesel and long in gasoline, and the biodiesel production equals three times the production of bioethanol. Biofuel legislation in Europe includes

• Directive 2003/30 – promotion of biofuels • Directive 2003/96 – art. 16 on biofuels detaxation • CEN Specs for biodiesel: the EN 14214 specs • Revision of diesel standard EN 590: blends with up to 5% biodiesel are considered as

gasoil • CAP agricultural support and « Energy crops » scheme • New national legislations and German legislation (blends are allowed in Germany as

well as pure biodiesel since beginning of 2004)


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The Directive 2003/30 on the promotion of biofuels states a target of 2% biofuels on the mar-kets in all member states by the end of 2005 and 5.75% in 2010. The 2% target translates into 1100 million gallons of biodiesel (if half of the biofuels were to be biodiesel). This is nearly twice the currently installed capacity. Regardless of the achievability of these targets, a politi-cal debate on biofuels has been opened at a member states´ level. In fact, the biodiesel market is rather a matter for a lobbyist than for market experts. The new legislation has opened an intensive debate at EU level. 21 of 25 member states have already sent the first report to the Commission. Germany, Sweden, Spain, the Czech Republic and Austria have introduced new legislations for biofuels, drafts of new rules are prepared in Belgium, Poland, the UK, Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania and Portugal. The main tools are detaxation, but other tools like mandatory targets, different income tax etc. are being ex-plored. Biodiesel is marketed as blends from 2% to 30% mainly in the EU; only Germany focuses on B100, which is also available in Austria. Diesel containing up to 5% biodiesel is considered as diesel at all effects and is covered by the fossil diesel standard EN 590. In France and Italy blends up to 5% are not even labelled, so the customer is unaware that he is using biodiesel. The further development of the biodiesel market needs a solution for the limited raw material potential. Although the EU enlarged from 15 to 25 member states, the oilseed production will not rise significantly even in the long term. The non-food set-aside scheme is a limited tool, which only indirectly benefits oilseeds. If the energy crops scheme will not apply to the new member states for the next 5-7 years, EU goals will not be reached. Additionally to rape as feedstock alternative raw materials are considered:

• Soybeans • Used frying oil and animal fats • Other vegetable oils like sunflower oil and palm oil • Jatropha

However, there are strong limitations of political nature to the import of raw materials or bio-fuels. And the EU biodiesel standard, which certainly is the most restrictive specification for biodiesel world-wide, can not easily be met by biodiesel made from other sources than rape. Biodiesel quality is a key issue for the market development. The average size of production units is getting larger. The CEN 14214 standard is the cornerstone for the biodiesel develop-ment; certainly it is the most restrictive specification – thanks to that it is unanimously ac-cepted by OEMs and the mineral oil industry. Stability and Iodine number are handled differ-ently in Europe and North America, a uniform solution has not been found yet. Raffaello Garofalo contradicts John Campbell as for the glycerine market: in the last 10 years the European market absorbed relatively easily the glycerine surplus coming from biodiesel (until last year…). But he agrees that new outlets for glycerine need to be found, and he con-siders the dialogue with the oleo chemical industry to be important. An international Biofuels CO2 certification is not aimed at by the European biodiesel industry but lobbyists of “2nd generation biofuels” are deeply interested. As biodiesel is already a world-wide reality, and many of the challenges are global challenges, Raffaello Garofalo


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wishes to level international trade issues and to head for a coordination of the biodiesel indus-try world-wide, e.g. by a strong common approach of NBB and EBB Christine Paquette, Biodiesel Association Canada (BAC), described the development of biodiesel in Canada. Research work was started about 10 years ago; Canada´s Climate Change Action Plan, released in 2002, targets the production of biodiesel by 2010 to be 500 million litres per year. The actual biodiesel use amounts to 5 million litres; the total on-road diesel use is 25 billion litres per year. Federal Government initiatives include a federal tax exemption, the Biodiesel Initiative, an-nounced in 2003, and the National Fleet Challenge (Fall 2004). At the moment the Canadian biodiesel market is not well established: there is a lack of successful industrial demonstrations and commercial production facilities, established industry and infrastructure and appropriate government policy; biodiesel costs about 15-20% more than conventional diesel. In order to address these challenges the BAC aims for public biodiesel education, technical and economic assessments, biodiesel use demonstrations, development of fuel specifications and regional and international collaboration. Luiz Pereira Ramos, Federal University of Parana, outlined the Brazilian Biodiesel Program. Efforts in Brazil were officially started under the former government in October 2002 and aimed for the use of B5 throughout the country in 2005. The new government started a new approach in July 2003, installing a working group that involves 12 ministries, and with par-ticipants of the scientific community, the industry, agriculture and federal personnel. Targets are the overall use of B2 in 2005, B5 in 2008, and a mandatory revision in 2013. Due to the climate in Brazil there is a broad range of possible raw materials for biodiesel pro-duction available: soybean, canola, sunflower, cotton, castor, palm, coconut, babacu, jatro-pha,… These feedstocks are to be checked for their suitability for biodiesel production, and the performance of the resulting biodiesel has to be evaluated in field tests. The program aims for the development of small scale production units in rural settlements. One of the questions still open is, who will produce the biodiesel in these small scale units, and how will the qual-ity of the biodiesel be assured. A provisional biodiesel specification (ANP) was released in September 2003; it is based upon ASTM D 6751 and EN 14214. The blend fuel quality is ensured by specifying B100, and pri-vate fleets are restricted to the use of B20 or less. The Brazilian Biodiesel Program will make the use of B2 mandatory, producers must sign in for ANP authorization, B2 must comply to the national specification for diesel oil (ANP 310); there will be a quality control beyond dis-tribution, which is based on aspect, color, specific gravity and flash point. The final law was published in January 2005. Session 36: Biodiesel Production Technology Panel

As the industry evolves, so does the technology. This session was intended to help producers and potential producers make informed choices when evaluating biodiesel production equip-ment. Following a description of the manufacturing processes, technology providers pre-sented information on the most cutting-edge technology available, as well as new ideas cur-rently in development, such as modular turnkey production units and new options for glycerin processing


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Michael Haas from the Eastern Regional Research center introduced the direct alkaline transesterification of lipid bearing materials. Triglycerides in flaked oilseed or meat and bone meal are transesterified with methanol and NaOH in situ. Optimum yields of transesterifica-tion depend on the water content of the flakes. Promising results were obtained but further work is necessary (cost reduction, continuous processes, meal as animal feed). Session 37: EPA Registration Process

This session unravelled the mysteries of becoming registered with the Environmental Protec-tion Agency, a necessary step for all biodiesel production. It walked through the in’s and out’s of the registration process. Session 38: Fueled by Legislation: How State Laws Help Sell Biodiesel

Getting states to approve legislation that helps sell biodiesel takes hard work and dedication, but the results can be rewarding. In this session the attendees were instructed about how key states have passed bills that encourage biodiesel production, development and use, and how these pieces of legislation move biodiesel on a daily basis. Attendees learned how to replicate legislation in their own states. Session 39: Biodiesel – Where Does It Fit in the Looming 2006 Fuel Mandate and the 2007 EPA Diesel Emission Standards?

The 2006 Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) mandate is fast approaching. In this session ex-perts explained how biodiesel could be a major boost to this lubricity-deficient fuel. In addi-tion, an expert panel discussed how engine manufacturers will meet the new standards and what technologies they are relying on to meet your fleet's "movin' down the road" demand. Expo Summary Besides the National Biodiesel Conference, an exhibition took place, which was open to the conference participants during the conference sessions and during all conference breaks. There were about 60 exhibitors, most of them being companies selling biodiesel, or fuel addi-tives or other production related items (catalysts, analytics,…). Other exhibitors were USDA, USDOE, NREL, NBB. IEA Bioenergy Task 39 was represented by Manfred Wörgetter and Dina Bacovsky, Austria. We took part in the exhibition, outlining Task 39 by means of two posters and printouts of the reports that were made on biodiesel in the past period of Task 39. Take-away material was copies of the posters in a smaller format, cards with the web-address of our Task-homepage and our e-mail addresses, and a few copies of the Task 39-CD that we prepared recently.


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We were rushed by visitors keen to know what IEA Bioenergy was all about. About 100 visi-tors took information material with them, and we received about 30 calling cards. Everybody was most interested in the reports that were made during the last working period, and we quickly ran out of CDs, so we promised to make the reports available online. Visitors could be grouped as follows:

• Private persons, aiming for small scale biodiesel production • Established biodiesel production companies • Biodiesel-related companies • Governmental staff from different states within the US • Academic Personnel • Stake-holders from Canada, Brazil and Europe

Manfred discussed the task working programme for the ongoing period with Ed Hogan (Na-tional Resources Canada), Jim Duffield (USDA), and Don Erbach (USDA); we also met with Christine Paquette (BAC), Raffaello Garofalo (EBB), Luiz Pereira Ramos (University of Parana) and Bob McCormick (NREL). The new contacts made will be used to enlarge the Biodiesel Subtask Community; this is very important to the subtask, for up to now North American Biodiesel stake holders were highly underrepresented in Task 39. We consider our presentation of Task 39 at the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo a great success. We met many important stake holders and could raise the interest in Task 39 and the published reports. We are thinking about returning to the conference next year, in-cluding giving a presentation in a conference session and, maybe, hosting a workshop for stake holders as an IEA Bioenergy Task 39 side event. The National Biodiesel Conference and Expo 2005 in Fort Lauderdale was a valuable and inspiring experience to us.

report on the national biodiesel conference and expo 2005

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