Biodiesel Production
The biodiesel industry is coming back stronger than ever in 2012 according to the LA Times article, “U.S. biodiesel production soars, but crude oil is still king“, June 22, 2012. Some of the major points made in the article are the following:
During the first quarter of 2012, which are the most recent statistics available, 241 million gallons of biodiesel was produced, the Energy Department said. That was a 78.5% increase over the same three months in 2011 and a whopping 169% increase over the same period in 2010, the year the industry was rocked by the temporary loss of federal tax credits.
92 million gallons of biodiesel were produced in the month of March, 2012 alone.
The article also reminds us how the biodiesel industry almost collapsed out of business when 52 of the total 170 plants shut down production. In addition, the article suggests that we still have a ways to go as reflected by these numbers for March 2012, (Total Petroleum consumption 23.6 billion gallons.
Laboratory Testing
In 2012, we at Midwest Laboratories are noticing a dramatic comeback in the number of samples being submitted for analysis. We are noticing a number of new plants that are coming aboard and others who are selling more product and obtaining certificates of analysis for their testing as a part of their transaction.This is a good sign. It also appears that the quality of biodiesel is also getting better each year. Many companies want to review the data supporting the product.
The Preliminary Profile Package is a very popular testing package. It is priced at $300.00 and includes the following analysis: Oxidation Stability, Cold Soak Filtration, Total & Free Glycerin – (Monoglycerides, Diglycerides, Triglycerides)* (1 Liter of Sample Required)
The Complete ASTM D 6751 Package retails for $900.00 ( 2 Liters of Sample Required)
*The nice part about this setup is that if a producer passes all analysis contained in the Preliminary Package, the $300.00 can be applied toward the $900.00 Package to see if it meets all the requirements of the ASTM D 6751 Package.
In addition, we are also seeing an increase with respect to the glycerin co-product. Several Producers are requesting the Glycerin Package which is listed at $250.00 per sample ( 1 Qt of sample required) and looks at the following analysis: (%Glycerin, Ash, Moisture, Specific Gravity, Methanol and Mong)
If you would like more information, please contact a representative at Midwest Laboratories.
What type of trends are you seeing in the biodiesel industry?
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