National Biodiesel Board Issues Winter Weather Advisory

National Biodiesel Board ^ | Nov. 8, 2006 | Jenna Higgins

[Pete-R-Bilt]

Petroleum Outreach, Fuel Quality Enforcement Program and State-by-State Fuel Quality Index are all part of NBB’s Efforts to Enhance Biodiesel Quality

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.– Fleet managers, petroleum distributors and other consumers should consider a biodiesel “winter weather advisory” in effect for the nation. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) raised the advisory in response to fuel quality testing results that the trade association shared at an NBB-led industry meeting today.

“Ensuring that consumers have a high level of confidence in the biodiesel they purchase is a top priority for the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and a key element for the industry’s continued growth,” said Joe Jobe, NBB CEO. “As the industry ramps up to meet the vast increase in demand for biodiesel, this growth simply cannot occur at the expense of fuel quality.”

The biodiesel industry’s commitment to fuel quality and consumer confidence is exemplified by a six-fold increase in the number of biodiesel producers completing the BQ-9000 voluntary certification program in a single year. The industry has also asked government agencies to adopt fuel quality standards for biodiesel and enforce them.

A national fuel quality testing project, co-funded by NBB and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, found that one-third of biodiesel samples pulled between November 2005 and July 2006 were out of spec for incomplete processing. That’s the same issue that caused some filter clogging problems in Minnesota last year. Although fuel quality is always important, cold weather can amplify problems caused by out-of-spec fuel.

“NBB views these results as unacceptable,” Jobe said. “This underscores the need for enforcement agencies to take action against those who aren’t producing biodiesel that meets the existing standard, ASTM D-6751.”

As a result of issues in Minnesota last winter, NBB board members in June approved a comprehensive Fuel Quality Policy that directs NBB to work diligently with all state and federal agencies with authority to regulate fuel and enforce quality.

NBB’s Fuel Quality Outreach Program has made contact with all state Divisions of Weights and Measures, and encouraged them to adopt ASTM D-6751 into the laws that regulate fuel quality. Currently, half of the states have adopted the ASTM D-6751 specification as part of their fuel quality regulations, and an additional 13 states are planning to adopt the specification or are studying it. Ten states now proactively test biodiesel or biodiesel blends.

That list includes Minnesota, where all diesel fuel contains 2 percent biodiesel.

“All of the samples from the state’s biodiesel producers and terminals that we have collected and tested have met specifications,” said Mark Buccelli, director, Minnesota Department of Commerce Division of Weights and Measures. “We have set up a monthly schedule to collect samples at the biodiesel producers and terminals. We expect to see good results. Most of the terminals are testing every shipment of biodiesel that comes into their facilities.”

In addition, the biodiesel industry, through NBB, has done the following:

• Worked diligently with the Internal Revenue Service, Environmental Protection Agency, and state Weights and Measures bureaus on enforcing fuel quality
• Issued a bulletin to fuel suppliers advising them to take samples of fuel, ensure a certificate of analysis for every batch, and take other precautions
• Developed an online Fuel Quality Enforcement Guide that provides guidance on actions for anyone who has concerns that a company might not be producing spec fuel
• Built strong participation in BQ-9000, the industry’s voluntary quality control program

This winter, NBB has the following recommendations for fleet managers and other consumers:

• Work with a reputable supplier who will stand behind the product
• Report out-of-spec biodiesel to the proper authorities, which can be found in the State Fuel Quality Index
• Buy fuel from BQ-9000 accredited producers or certified marketers

The BQ-9000 program, launched in late 2005, requires certified and accredited companies to posses a Quality Manual and Quality Control System and employ best practices in fuel sampling, testing, blending, shipping, storage, and distribution. This helps assure quality from plant gate to consumer tank.

Last year at this time, three companies had BQ-9000 accreditation. Today there are 17 accredited producers and certified marketers, representing more than 40 percent of the biodiesel production capacity on the market. Seven more are expected to be accredited by the end of the year.

# # #
Additional information about biodiesel is available online at www.biodiesel.org.

[Pete-R-Bilt]

The word is, that 30 percent of the Bio out there now is not BQ 9000 accredited...

[Pete-R-Bilt]

cold weather diesel ping

[ConservativeMind]

Ping

[tubebender]

Thanks for the update PrB. I don't remember who chairs the Diesel ping list...

[NYTexan]

Have ya gotten any bad fuel?

[Pete-R-Bilt]

No.

I'm using B 30 in the Powerstroke, and buy exclusively from Sinclair.

I have always gotten good fuel from them, but ya never know, ya know?

[JSteff]

"National Biodiesel Board Issues Winter Weather Advisory"

Winter Weather is a certainty cause it is winter. These guys are so smart. Next summer I will get all my hurricane advisories from them too.

[SouthTexas]

We don't have cold weather. LOL

We do have freezes occasionally, but that's a good day for the engine to NOT start. NO one down here knows how to drive on ice!

[Paladin2]

My two 5-gal jugs of 99+% BioDiesel were solid after we had the recent cold snap. This was true even though it had been above 35F for a day or so before the discovery. Now I'm going to have to set up some sample jars at 0, 10, 20, ...., 90, 100% Bio/Dino and leave them outside to see what the temp effects on the different mixtures look like.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

Yeah. 46, vice 50+, on soy sauce from a Petro. Not again.