12/10/02
By CAROL KINSLEY
If every farmer and rancher in the United States would blend in as little as 2 percent biodiesel when he fills his equipment with diesel fuel, that would burn an additional 63.4 million gallons of biodiesel, according to Susanne Hammond, biodiesel coordinator for the Maryland Soybean Board.
“That’s the equivalent of 42.2 million bushels of soybeans per year — almost the amount of beans grown in Delaware (8 million bushels), Maryland (20 million bushels), and Virginia (17 million bushels) combined, according to 2001 production figures,” Hammond said.
Biodiesel can be blended in any ratio from B2 to B100 (2 percent to 100 percent biodiesel), Hammond said, “but in terms of emissions reductions vs. price, B20 is the blend of choice.”
Low blends are B2 and B5 — commonly used to enhance cetane (which is similar to octane ratings in gasoline) and to improve lubricity, which improves performance.
“When you are talking about B2 and B5 and even up to B20, there are no compatibility and performance concerns at all,” Hammond continued. “The fuel does cloud and gel at higher temperatures than regular petroleum diesel, but ordinary winterizing precautions taken by fuel distributors automatically at this time of year will take care of those.
“Higher blends of biodiesel may bring in some compatibility issues, depending on the type of equipment, age of equipment, condition of the equipment and storage tanks. Essentially, people either use low blends, B20, or leap up to B100 — and the B100 people are “purists” and very zealous about it.
“Anyone using B100 should be aware that there can be compatibility issues with natural rubbers and even some soft metals such as brass, zinc and copper,” Hammond said. “There may also be ‘clogging’ issues with injectors, since B100 fuel’s solvent action can clean tanks and lines and injectors of carbon deposits, varnishes and other residues.”
One of those zealots using B100 is Ron Cascio of Ocean City, Md. A builder and developer, Cascio purchased two used Volkswagon Passat TDIs so that he could use biodiesel in them.
“I’ve put 28,000 miles on one, and 20,000 miles on the other — all on biodiesel.”
Cascio added a lot of people own Volkswagens simply because they want to use biodiesel, although the car manufacturer is not marketing the cars that way. “Honda and Toyota market their hybrids. It would be better if we could get the same mileage on homegrown fuel,” he declared. He gets between 35 to 47 miles per gallon on biodiesel.
Cascio also has a Ford three-quarter ton pickup that runs on biodiesel. He buys biodiesel in bulk, sharing access to the tank with five other TDI owners.
When he builds a new home, he said, he’ll have in-floor heating that will burn B100, and he hopes to get a micro-turbine generator that will run on a variety of fuels, in which he’ll burn biodiesel to produce electricity.
“I want to buy my food from American farmers, and preferably close to home. I want to support the farming community, that’s why I buy biodiesel.
“Another reason is because biodiesel runs better and the emissions are greatly reduced,” he continued.
“I don’t want to support the petroleum system any more. It’s not being good to us, and I’m done with it.
“Americans have the worst diesel fuel in the world, which is why diesel has a bad name. It’s not the engine; it’s the fuel, the sulphur. The rest of the world reduced the sulphur in their diesel fuel. If we did, we’d have less problems with infrastructure.”
Cascio said he’s just tired of participating in the system — he called it “petroleum madness.” He has experienced “an amazing feeling of liberation from a system that’s doing us all in,” he said. “So we don’t touch the stuff, except in cold weather.”
The last two winters, he has used B70 in his cars to avoid gelling in cold weather. This year he’ll try B80 with an anti-gel additive he found in Michigan.
Biodiesel is a much better fuel than diesel, Cascio said. He can’t understand why more farmers aren’t using it.
“Farmers need to burn biodiesel in their own machinery!” he insisted. “I wouldn’t ask anyone else to do something until I do it myself. I know it’s costly, but farmers have to put their money where their mouths are. They need to really step up to the plate. Don’t ask me to do something they’re not.”
Cascio noted that Virgil Shockley, a local farmer, has worked to get the county to burn B5 in its buses — “but he’s not doing it himself.”
Actually, Shockley said, he would use biodiesel if there were a distributor close by. It takes a large tank, and his only holds 500 gallons. He does use SoyShield, a soybean-derived additive that makes his combine engine run smoother. Shockley said it cuts down on the amount of smoke emissions, too.
A county commissioner — the only farmer in the lower four counties of Maryland’s Eastern Shore who is still an elected official — Shockley did get Worcester County to test biodiesel in its transit buses last year, with good results. “In the spring we’re going to get our hands on a tank, buy it in bulk, and run the buses and the county trucks on biodiesel.” Any trucks purchased in the future will specify the use of soydiesel in the engine, he added.
“It costs a little more, initially, because of the diesel engine, but we have to make a statement. We have to do our part as a county. It has to start somewhere. This is our way of saying we support the farmers in our county.”
Shockley suggested setting a five-year goal to increase the use of biodiesel 5 percent a year. “Start with all the military bases. Use biodiesel in their equipment. On the federal level, use it in all transit buses. It would help the farmers and the environment.”
A spot check with Southern States Cooperative stores in the area verified Cascio’s complaint: there aren’t many farmers who are using biodiesel.
Southern States in Elkton delivers biodiesel to about 10 farmers for off-road usage. The Sudlersville location has been having a little better luck.
“It’s more expensive,” said Elkton’s Brian DeWitt. “We mainly sell 5 percent biodiesel, which runs about 7 cents more a gallon than regular diesel.
“It’s absolutely okay to use (wherever diesel is used),” he said. “We’ve been pushing it, but it’s been the cost factor.”
Dee Watson is one of the farmers who gets deliveries from Southern States in Smyrna, Del. He uses it in his tractors and combines, also in the furnace at his shop. “It’s just a regular oil furnace, nothing special,” he said. “I use biodiesel instead of regular fuel. I was curious whether it would work, but it didn’t hurt a thing.
“We’ve had good luck in the tractors and combines. It seems to work fine. I’ve heard at meetings that with the low blends, there is no problem.”
He uses biodiesel, he said, “because I grow soybeans. I love to support the market, that’s the main reason. Somebody’s got to start it. Who better than farmers to support our own product?”
Seth Powell of Tri-Gas & Oil in Federalsburg, Md., noted some farmers are using biodiesel for on-the-road vehicles such as grain transportation trucks that run from the field to the mills. The majority of it is used in equipment, he said. Tri-Gas makes bulk deliveries and has arranged with the Amoco gas station on Route 50 in Easton to provide pure biodiesel at the pump. Consumers can create their own blend, choosing the percentage, or can stock up on B100 by filling their own containers for later.
B100 also is available at the Taylorsville Shell in New Windsor, Md., at the intersection of Routes 26 and 27, and at the Bare Truck Center on Route 140 near the intersection with Route 97 in Westminster. Tevis Oil Co. there is available for bulk deliveries in the Westminster area.
Powell noted that Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner and Delaware Ag Secretary Michael Scuse are big proponents of biodiesel and have been made commercials advertising it. “In the coming months they’ll really put Delaware on the map with the amount of biodiesel the state is going to use.”
Powell agreed that cost is a concern with biodiesel. “Farmers unfortunately have taken a hit on the cost of their commodities. They have to save wherever they can. Hopefully, they’ll look to use it in the future.
“They could use it at a low blend and the cost would increase only 2 to 5 cents per gallon. The majority of my farmers, that’s what they use.”
The Maryland Soybean Board recently received a $100,000 grant to promote biodiesel in the Mid-Atlantic.
MSB has a rebate program that returns half the incremental cost of biodiesel blends for first-time users. The incremental cost is the extra cost over the price of regular diesel that the checkoff board pays for using biodiesel blends. The program began Oct. 1 and covers all blends. The program is “first come, first serve” until funds are gone, or until the end of September 2003, said Sandy Davis, MSB executive director.
The minimum rebate check MSB will issue is $100, meaning the user needs to purchase $200 worth of biodiesel to qualify. The maximum is either $1,000 for individuals or $2,500 for fleets.
The rebate application is online at www.mdsoy.org and is available at the Taylorsville Shell and Easton Amoco. Farmers getting farm delivery of biodiesel should ask their distributor to monitor their volume and price paid and to call Davis at (410) 742-9500) about sending the appropriate information.
“People just need to ask,” said Hammond.
She cited new figures from the United Soybean Board showing that USDA analysts and Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute analysts agree that widespread use of biodiesel can increase soybean prices by anywhere from 7 to 17 cents per bushel, depending the study and the assumed demand.
“There is a clear connection between farmers using biodiesel and benefits coming back to farmers using it,” Hammond said. “That’s why the Maryland Soybean Board has been encouraging farmers to use the fuel, whether they choose B2 or B5 or B20. Increasing the demand for the fuel, and getting more fuel distributors educated about the product, are sure ways to build the biodiesel infrastructure nationwide.”