Freedom Fuels

Source: Energy Digital

Date :2/18/2008 2:16:21 AM

Is biodiesel the answer to our energy needs? Jim Blair, whose company is assisting in the management of the Freedom Fuels LLC plant, certainly thinks so

Written by Ian Armitage and produced by Melissa Abbott

There is no question that we have a very strong reliance on petroleum products such as gasoline or diesel. Some commentators believe that our reliance is so strong that a lack of it could literally send us back to the Stone Age. Our lust for energy is so strong that supply is fast running out. Some believe we are just years away from a completely depleted petroleum stock.

The question, it seems, is not if or when it will run out, but what will we do when we use the last of the supply? It seems almost everybody has an opinion on this.

Jim Blair, President of Core Venture Renewable Fuels, believes that biofuels, particularly biodiesel, may hold the key. “Biodiesel has a number of pluses: for one, it is the most common biofuel, but it also has numerous other benefits particularly with respect to the environment,” he says.

There is a growing market for biodiesel in Europe, Asia and the Americas, where the market is growing at a staggering rate. Why is this? Well, biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine when mixed with mineral diesel – a major plus point, admits Jim.

New plants, huge potential

Freedom Fuels, LLC, of which Mr. Blair is a director, is an Iowa Limited Liability Company that has recently constructed a biodiesel plant. The plant, located at Mason City, IA., is a new addition to Iowa’s thriving biodiesel industry and has the capability of producing 30 million gallons of biodiesel per year along with other co-products such as glycerin, fatty acids and soap stock.

Jim’s company, Core Ventures Renewable Fuels, assisted the project during construction and provides a management team after start-up.

Why Iowa?

While there are currently other plants of this size either in production, or in the development stages, across the US, Freedom Fuels believes its plant has a distinct advantage: it is located in the number one soybean producing state in the country – Iowa. The state is currently home to an amazing 24 bean processing facilities, making it a prime location in terms of oil procurement.

There are other advantages though, which Blair was very keen to mention: “The plant is also located along the I.C.E. railroad and has access to the Union Pacific railroad via the Iowa Traction railroad. This makes the location favorable from a logistical standpoint.”

NEWmech

In building the plant, Freedom Fuels has implemented technology that will allow it to utilize both soybean and yellow grease feedstocks. There are also five meat processing facilities in North Central, IA that have the ability to supply a large portion of the animal fat needs when using such feedstock.

The project’s developers considered several design/build teams before settling with NewMech Companies Inc, a relative newcomer to the industry, as general contractor. Minneapolis-based Crown Iron Works built the plant’s equipment. And SSOE Inc., an architectural engineering firm in Toledo, Ohio, was the engineering firm.

“The facility is able to use soy oil and animal fats as feedstock, which is truly unique,” says Jim. “We would like to think it is one of the most efficient plants in the country. We have been able to put out some extremely high quality fuel since day one and have hit our targets with respect to the strict ASTM D6751 industry specifications.

“The plant is a little bit different to everything else in the market,” continues Blair. “We have a highly motivated team that believes in biodiesel, which gives us added strength. Our folks go above and beyond the call of duty, never hesitate and are proud of what they do. This sort of human asset is fundamental to the success of any business, and is instrumental in ours.”

Quality biodiesel

The fact that the plant is turning out ASTM D6751 grade product means the quality is very high. This means it will be able to export a tremendous amount of biodiesel to the EU in the coming years. “That’s the one thing that is going to allow the biodiesel industry to become an industry in itself. If we don’t require that producers of biodiesel produce high quality product then it is going to create a problem in the market place and will create fear amongst consumers. We don’t need that fear. We need people to embrace biodiesel; it is a great product and we can’t afford any hiccups at this point in time.”

The biodiesel industry, according to Jim, is very much in its infancy: it has peaks and valleys. Unfortunately, it is currently in a valley. “Our ability to weather the current waves of the industry will define us as a business,” explains Blair. “Our challenge is one which you get with any new concept or proposed paradigm shift: people oppose it; they don’t like anything different. I think therefore that education is probably the number one thing that the industry needs to do. We need to educate people on the value of biodiesel.”

Biodiesel: simply the best?

Biodiesel, it seems, is truly remarkable: for instance, it is 100 percent biodegradable, which makes environmental restrictions significantly less than fossil fuel products. The use of biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine results in substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter compared to emissions from diesel fuel. This makes the product extremely popular and the market is expected to boom in the coming years.

“That is very true,” says Jim. “In addition, it is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar. And, since it is made in the USA from renewable resources such as soybeans, its use decreases our dependence on foreign oil and contributes to our own economy.”

It is also, perhaps most importantly, more efficient in return for energy, which according to Blair will be the major selling point in the coming years: “The return on each BTU unit for biodiesel from soy oil is currently 3.24. In the ethanol industry the return is only 1.6, which means biodiesel had a much more efficient return for energy.”

Finally, Blair was keen to mention the benefits over biodiesel once again, as if to reinforce its potential: “We already have a petrochemical distribution infrastructure, we rely on diesel-powered trucks to transport almost everything and most consumer vehicles are designed to run off gasoline or diesel, which could be switched to biofuel blends with ease.

“Ethanol led the charge in renewable fuels,” he adds. “But while ethanol was out blazing trails and creating inlets in biodegradable fuels, biodiesel has been building its portfolio, becoming an extremely convincing and popular option. I think there is a lot of data that will support the use of biodiesel and that it will be of tremendous benefit to our country, and the world for that matter, in the long-run.”

Click to view the corporate brochure on freedom fuels