American Biodiesel news

by MALLORI MORRIS
Intern News Reporter


Appalachian State University and the Town of Boone will put biodiesel fuel to the test this winter when technology students convert work vehicles and some AppalCART buses to biodiesel.


Parker Sloan, a technology student working on the project, said winter will be a pilot run to test the biodiesel product on a few vehicles on campus and the town’s work vehicles. Sloan is also the director of Sustainability for the Student Government Association.


The plan is scheduled to take effect sometime in December, Sloan said.


In recent months Appalachian State has seen other biodiesel projects within the technology department.


In June, two students received a $10,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to be used to enter the EPA’s P3 Competition. The money from the grant will be used to design and build an 80-gallon processor that will produce biodiesel fuel.


Sloan said he hopes this test run proves biodiesel works and that in the future, all university and AppalCART vehicles can run on biodiesel fuel.


According to the Appalachian State Energy Web site, North Carolina Department of Transportation uses biodiesel fuel as its primary alternative fuel. NC DOT estimated NC DOT used 600,000 gallons of B20, 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent distillate diesel fuel, in 2002.


Sloan said the project is being spearheaded by the Renewable Energy Initiative, and recently bought a large tank for $30,000 to store the biodiesel for this winter’s test run.


The REI’s main goal is to switch all university and AppalCART vehicles to biodiesel fuel in the next few years.


By switching to biodiesel fuel, Sloan said the university will save thousands of dollars and reduce the amount of emissions in the air and pollution caused by buses and vehicles.


Sloan said one tractor would also be used in the biodiesel testing.


According to the ASU Energy Center Web site, biodiesel fuel is obtained from biomass

resources and is produced across the nation, but not as widely in North Carolina.


The site also says biodiesel fuel comes primarily from soybeans and recycled restaurant grease and is most often seen in agriculture-intensive states. The rise in the use of biodiesel fuel is growing in the states because of its substantial environmental benefits and the reduced amount of emissions.


Biodiesel fuel can be used in current diesel running vehicles with no modification or can be used in its pure form or blended at any ratio with petroleum diesel, according to Appalachian State’s technology department Web site.