黑料社区

Each year around this time, when temperatures are at their lowest, is when the number of questions I receive about biodiesel Cloud Point seem to hit their peak.

Cloud Point is the temperature at which wax crystals cause fuel to appear cloudy 鈥� and it鈥檚 commonly used to determine biodiesel鈥檚 cold performance properties.

When I get those questions 鈥� or when I hear concerns about a higher Cloud Point product 鈥� I use it as an opportunity to share with that person the advantages of biodiesel that has been purified using distillation.

You may think the cold weather so many of us are experiencing would make me reluctant to boast about biodiesel.

You鈥檇 be wrong.

Questions about cold weather operability are common for those of us in the biodiesel industry, and I鈥檓 happy to answer them 鈥� because biodiesel blends are used by fleets and truckers problem-free throughout North America, including during the depths of winter.

Yet biodiesel鈥檚 alleged cold weather issues is one of the most persistent myths related to biodiesel. So in my last blog post of the year, I鈥檓 going to give you the facts on this and a few other myths.

Myth: Biodiesel doesn鈥檛 work in cold weather.

Fact: Just like with petroleum diesel, proper additive use and storage and blending methods allow biodiesel to be used even when the temperature drops below freezing. And keep in mind that 90 percent of a B10 blend is petroleum diesel, which impacts its cold weather properties much more than the biodiesel.

You don鈥檛 have to take my word on biodiesel鈥檚 cold weather capabilities, though. Click here for a short video on G&D Integrated, an Illinois-based for-hire carrier that has seen engine performance stay strong since switching its large diesel fleet to a B20 blend year-round.

If you could pick an ideal location for a truck stop, you鈥檇 have a hard time doing better than Fontana, California’s Fontana Truck Stop Center.

It鈥檚 in an industrial area full of distribution centers, manufacturers and equipment dealerships. And it鈥檚 near the intersection of two interstates that funnel traffic to and from Los Angeles, which is about 40 miles to the west.

鈥淔ontana is a major hub for trucking,鈥� says truck stop co-owner Lonnie Tabbaa. 鈥淵ou have all the big industries here. And we service all the major fleets and the smaller ones, both local and out-of-state drivers.鈥�

That it鈥檚 a great location is not a secret, however, and the fierce competition for drivers means success is not guaranteed for Fontana Truck Stop Center.

So how does it differentiate itself? One way is by offering renewable fuels, including biodiesel blends and a blend of biodiesel and renewable hydrocarbon diesel (RHD).

鈥淭he sustainability trend is very important to us,鈥� Tabbaa says. 鈥淎 lot of fleets are sending their trucks to places that have cleaner-burning fuels. Also, we see better margins with renewable fuels than regular diesel fuel. They鈥檙e good for business.鈥�

This summer, the 黑料社区Foundation brought truck stop operators from across the country to Illinois to learn how biodiesel can help their businesses and to see the latest food service innovations during NATSO’s Food and Fuel Study Tour.

Along with sponsoring the event, REG hosted attendees at our biorefinery in Seneca, Illinois.

They toured the facility and learned about biodiesel production, the financial and performance benefits of biodiesel and blending systems. Then they were off to two travel centers to see firsthand how the locations had successfully incorporated biodiesel blends into their fuel lineups.

If you couldn鈥檛 attend, don鈥檛 worry. You can watch the highlights in our video of the tour.

To blend or not to blend? That is the question many fuel retailers, including travel center operators, ask themselves when they make the decision to add biodiesel to their fuel offerings.

There鈥檚 no one-size-fits-all answer. Each location needs to weigh its individual circumstances. But there is information that can help you make that decision.

Let鈥檚 take these one at a time.

What do I need to do to offer biodiesel blends at my location?

That鈥檚 a common question among travel plaza and truck stop owners and managers interested in adding biodiesel to their fuel lineup but unsure of the first steps.

There are several things that should be considered. For example, what blend level are you interested in providing your customers to maximize your profitability? Blend level is how much biodiesel is in the diesel fuel 鈥� B20 means it has 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel. If you are going to purchase B100 and blend yourself, then you should review your storage tank options and look into blending systems.

What are the benefits of distillation?

Distilled biodiesel has advanced cold flow properties because distillation does a superior job of removing minor components, such as steryl glucosides, that can contribute to filter plugging. Even with a higher cloud point, distilled biodiesel can outperform undistilled low cloud biodiesel in cold weather.

Distilled biodiesel has a lower carbon intensity score than undistilled biodiesel made from vegetable oils, such as soy. That鈥檚 especially important in regions with air quality standards, like California and some Canadian provinces, as well as with the growing number of fleets that have sustainability goals.

Distilled biodiesel is the purist type of biodiesel. This helps it blend more easily with petroleum diesel because there are fewer minor components to hinder blending.

The minor components found in biodiesel depend in part on the feedstock, and because distillation does such a good job removing those, the producer has more freedom with feedstock. This feedstock flexibility can be a benefit when there are price and supply fluctuations in commodity markets.

No matter where you are in the transportation fuel supply chain, you need to be aware of one of the fastest-growing trends in the industry: sustainability.

Check out this cold weather fuel plan from Renewable Energy Group.

For the past several years, biodiesel production and how engines respond to the fuel have been part of the curriculum.

John Cook started his own business with one gas station in southern Oklahoma four decades ago. Today, Petroleum Wholesale, based in The Woodlands, Texas, distributes fuel in nine states to more than 150 branded locations, plus unbranded sites and governmental entities. It also operates 40 c-stores or travel centers and leases space to another 80.