BioDiesel, why cant I find it anymore?

[KrautBurner]

I'm borrowing my dad's 2003 GMC Sierra 2500HD Duramax 6.6 TurboDiesel right now,

last time I borrowed it was around 2008
I was able to fill it up with Bio-Diesel a few times (and it seemed to like it)

I cant find it anymore
I've done a little Google Searching, and its not showing anything near me
Retail Map - Biodiesel.org

I live in Sequim, Wa 98382
and commute to Silverdale, Wa 98315

both are on peninsulas west of Seattle
I'm trying to find something without having to drive an hour or take a ferry


any help would be appreciated

[KrautBurner]

I was wondering if it's just not cost effective anymore (since fuel prices are below $3/gal)?

[seifrob]

I live in Europe so it may be completely off, but pumpstation lady said that in current prices they don't earn enough on it (low rabate and low selling volumes. Only few people around here were buying biodiesel). Here they stopped about month or three ago.

[MJamson]

Maybe going off topic a little.

But here in Sweden much of the standard pump fuels are 'diluted' with other fuels to lower CO2 and in some cases increase economy. There are specialist fuel suppliers, but for general use it might not really be worthwhile as it is often mixed in.

Preem who are leading this have the following for regular customers:

Petrol - 90 % petrol with 5 % ethanol and 5 % bio ethanol.

Diesel - 70 % diesel and 23 % veg oil (from the wood industry) and 7 % RME (rape oil)

They have also just released a new diesel that is 50 % diesel, 7 % RME and 43 % veg oil.

The bio gas (CNG I think it is called) is 50 % bio gas and 50 % natural gas.

Company customers have the ability at most stations to purchase 100 % diesel and also 100% bio diesel.

New fuels take time to come into favour, VAG (VW, Auldi, Skoda) vehicles do not like bio diesel, at the previous company I worked at we had diesel fuel that was 40 % bio diesel and the two Crafters that we had needed alot of service on the fuel system and both had the fuel systems replaced between the tank and the engine.

Many of the city taxis are Bio CNG with the basis of the fuel being collected household food waste.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Nowadays due to the difficult to vaporize biodiesel correctly during DPF regeneration cycles it's been quite out-favored by many automakers. OTOH Scania certified some Euro-6 truck and bus engines to run on pure biodiesel...

[acparker]

Pricing is a good explanation. Demand from large consumers like government, institutions and corporations, to meet mandated carbon restrictions (regardless of cost) could also impact availability at the pump.

[RustyLugNut]

But the price is severely depressed. Regular diesel in San Diego currently averages about 2.70 USD. B20 goes for 1.99. My old 2005 Cummins is happy with it.

Also, the small Waste Vegetable Oil contracts are getting dumped as the WVO crowd is leaving the scene as their old Mercedes are dying off. I am getting a call every week it seems to take some small restaurants oil. I already have contracts that provide volumes of oil I can barely use. These small restaurants are caught in a hard place as many larger recyclers will not pick up sub 50 gallon loads. The owners don't want to drive to the recycler to drop off the oill and still have to pay for the disposal! We are seeing a lot of dumping around our shop. Gooey wet spots along the sandy access road. The authorities are thinking of putting up cameras. Really, all they need to do is have a free disposal site.

[101Volts]

That site you listed doesn't have every station listed; I know there's a station in Braddock, PA (near Pittsburgh) but when I checked on the site it wasn't listed there. Maybe there is or isn't a station near you.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by RustyLugNut

the small Waste Vegetable Oil contracts are getting dumped as the WVO crowd is leaving the scene as their old Mercedes are dying off. I am getting a call every week it seems to take some small restaurants oil. I already have contracts that provide volumes of oil I can barely use. These small restaurants are caught in a hard place as many larger recyclers will not pick up sub 50 gallon loads. The owners don't want to drive to the recycler to drop off the oill and still have to pay for the disposal!

With so many small businesses wanting to get rid of their WVO there, I might have been just born in the wrong country it seems. Anyway, many small restaurants and snackbars in my country send their waste cooking oils and greases to soap factories, mostly because the biodiesel market is quite limited here and the ethanol lobby is strong.

[Phantom]

I know a guy in Cincinnati OH that had a Bio-D operation he quit making it because the price to make it profitable went down when the diesel prices dropped back down about 2 yrs ago.

He still has the equipment last I talked to him I might see what it would cost to have him make a batch for me if I supply the oil I think a 50gal drum should be good and I will mix with D2 depending on the vehicle and weather.