Biodiesel User Profiles

Many of Oregon's businesses and government entities are choosing biodiesel for their day-to-day operations.

Argyle Winery

Award winning Argyle Winery of Dundee began fueling its twelve tractors and one utility vehicle with B20 in the spring of 2005. Vineyard manager Mark Sheridan cites reducing foreign oil dependency, cutting air pollution and increasing the company’s green image as major factors leading to the fuel switch. The company estimates that it will use about 2,000 gallons of biodiesel annually. The fuel comes to them pre-blended with petrodiesel via their supplier, R.D. Barker Petroleum Products in McMinnville. [1]

Sheridan reports that no problems have surfaced in their equipment as a result of biodiesel use. Argyle winemaker Rollin Soles is enthusiastic about the company’s switch to the renewable fuel and hopes others will follow: “It’s a great thing to do. I would encourage anyone with a diesel engine to use it. It not only supports farming, it will help release us from the shackles of foreign oil."  [2]

Green Energy Transportation & Tour, LLC

You can drive a bus and still be green. John Flannery's Green Energy Transportation & Tour provides Bend-area tour, shuttle and charter services in its 12-passenger biodiesel-powered bus. Flannery says he did some alternative fuels research prior to deciding to run his bus on biodiesel. Ultimately, he says, he chose biodiesel because it is based on a renewable resource, is domestically produced and, therefore, provides domestic jobs. Reducing harmful emissions was also a priority for Flannery.

Since December 2004, the Green Energy Transport bus has logged 16,000 miles on a B20 biodiesel blend. Despite being a member of the Bend Biodiesel Cooperative, Flannery fills up his bus at the Red Carpet Express retail pump in order to support the growing public market for biodiesel. Flannery reports that biodiesel has worked beautifully in his bus, despite factors such as the added weight of ADA wheelchair accessible components. The fuel filter has had to be replaced due to fuel tank cleansing by the biodiesel, once after the upgrade to B20, and again after a test run on B99.

Kettle Foods

Salem-based international potato chip giant Kettle Foods is supporting the growth of the biodiesel industry from both ends. The company supplies its used vegetable oil to a new biodiesel production plant in Salem for refinement into biodiesel fuels usable in unmodified diesel engines. Since the company uses sunflower and safflower oils to make its chips, Kettle calls the resulting biodiesel “Flower Power.” On the consumption end, Kettle has used such refined biodiesel to fuel three of its corporate vehicles – all Volkswagen New Beetles – since early 2004.

According to Kettle Foods, the Beetles, which run on neat biodiesel (B100) supplied by SeQuential Biofuels, are responsible for reducing the company’s annual CO2 emissions by as much as 13.5 tons.

Organically Grown Company

As the largest wholesaler of organic fruits, vegetables and herbs in the Pacific Northwest, the Organically Grown Company makes a lot of pick-ups and deliveries. In line with their commitment to the environment and local farming, OGC uses B20 in their delivery trucks, tractor trailers and refrigeration units. OGC’s Chris Petrick identified support for the transition to renewable fuels, lowering company emissions and encouraging production and use of domestic fuels as reasons why they chose to make the fuel switch.

Petrick reports that biodiesel has worked well in their vehicles and equipment and they have not had any problems associated with its use.

Tyree Oil, Inc.

As a distributor of petroleum products, Tyree Oil has joined the wave of the future by offering biodiesel to its customers. Since 2002, Tyree has used the fuel itself, filling up part of its fleet of company pickups with the B20 blend available through their on-site cardlock. Tyree Oil’s Tim Reed says the company decided to use the fuel in their own trucks to reduce emissions, have cleaner running engines and lessen their dependence on oil from the Middle East. Reed is enthusiastic about how biodiesel has performed in the trucks, remarking that “quite the contrary” to having problems, the vehicles “seem peppier.”

Mountain Measurement, Inc.

As a consulting firm, which aims to advance the theory and practice of scientifically sound measurement and alternative research methods, Mountain Measurement is “out to show that business can be a positive force for sustainability.” True to their mission, founder Brian Bontempo runs Mountain Measurement in an eco-conscious way. The firm has made a commitment to sustainability by purchasing 100% renewable energy – wind and geothermal power for their office’s electricity and B100 for their corporate car.

Bontempo began fueling his corporate sedan with pure biodiesel in the summer of 2003. He cites better engine performance, support of the company’s mission on sustainability and the social issues surrounding the war in Iraq as reasons behind his decision to make the fuel switch. Even though he uses B100 year round, Bontempo reports that he has not had a single problem with running his car on the veggie-fuel.

City of Portland – Fleet

Anything that fills up with diesel at the City of Portland's fueling station now partially runs on a renewable resource. Since 2004, the City has filled up its pumps with B20, meaning that all municipal equipment that runs on a diesel engine – from mowers and trucks to construction vehicles – runs on the biodiesel blend. "It all comes down to [biodiesel use being] the environmentally responsible thing to do," said Assistant Fleet Manager Don Taylor. Furthermore, the importance of reducing dependence on foreign oil and supporting an alternative that can be produced locally, were major factors in Portland's decision to switch. Once all the City Bureaus involved were in agreement, the switch was made.

Since then, due to the solvent effects of biodiesel, the City has had their biodiesel fuel tanks cleaned and has installed filters on the fuel dispensers. Taylor reports that there have been no significant negative effects of biodiesel use in City vehicles and equipment. Overall, it has been "a win-win situation" in terms of vehicle performance and the environment, said Taylor.

City of Eugene – Wastewater Division & Fleet Services

The city government of Eugene is setting an environmental example across its divisions – all diesel equipment with in the city are fueling up all of their diesel engines with B20. "The switch to biodiesel blend responds to the City's goals of sustainability and environmental stewardship," according to a report in the Eugene City Council Newsletter. [3]

City of Eugene Fleet Services initiated the City's switch to B20 after testing the fuel in 15 pieces of diesel equipment during the winter of 2002-2003. The pilot project revealed no problems in the tested equipment - vans, fire trucks, dump trucks and mowers – other than a need to replace the fuel filters due to biodiesel solvent effects. [4] Keith Nicolson, Fleet Supervisor, reports no additional problems since the test run.

The Wastewater Division has used biodiesel in its diesel engines – including pickup trucks, mowers, backhoes, dump trucks, generators and water pumps – since completion of a pilot test, similar to that conducted by Fleet Services, in April 2003. Wastewater Division's Todd Anderson cites reduction of fossil fuel consumption, lowering of undesirable emissions and the role of the government in setting an example and to provide direction as reasons for their adoption of biodiesel. As was the case for Fleet Services, Wastewater has had no problems running on biodiesel other than the initial need to replace fuel filters on their vehicles and fuel dispenser pumps.

[2] Ibid.