State-Journal.com - Trucks switch to biodiesel

Photo By SubmittalGayle Cammack from FPB’s Water Division refuels his work truck with FPBs new biodiesel fuel. The cost is equal to diesel fuel.

On its quest to go green, the Frankfort Plant Board has converted its 55 diesel trucks and equipment to use biodiesel fuel.

"Biodiesel is better for the environment, decreases our dependence on foreign oil and contributes to the USA economy," said Herbbie Bannister, assistant general manager of the Plant Board. "Biodiesel is a clean-burning fuel manufactured from vegetable oils and animal fats. Soybeans are a main source.

It contains no petroleum, but can be mixed at any level with diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It is the only alternative fuel to have completed the health-effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act and is registered as a fuel and fuel additive with the Environmental Protection Agency.

The decision to convert to biodiesel was fueled by positive feedback from auto manufacturers, fuel distributors and other utilities currently using biodiesel, Bannister said.

After a two-month test on three trucks, the Plant Board decided there were no negative impacts and made the switch.

Biodiesel and diesel are within fractions of a penny of each other so the switch has added no extra cost.

Bannister said the switch was definitely an easy one.

"We're using the same supplier," Bannister said. "We just changed the blend."
The Plant Board is also looking into other green options, Bannister said. A few Plant Board vehicles are testing an ethanol-blended, unleaded gasoline to check for negative impacts such as lower mileage. Also, a hybrid vehicle is scheduled to be purchased this year.

The Plant Board is also in discussion with state government to conduct a pilot test using LED streetlights. If approved, these streetlights could save 75 percent or more on energy usage compared with conventional street lighting.
This project is in its very early stages, Bannister said. The plant board is looking to find vendors that sell the wattages that would be needed.

"The LED lights are more expensive but will last longer," he said.

Andy McDonald, Kentucky Solar Partnership coordinator, wasn't aware the Plant Board was switching to biodiesel but said it will help raise awareness about alternative sources of energy.

"It's important for people to realize there are alternatives to petroleum and that we can produce them here in Kentucky," he said.

The Plant Board's decision to adopt biodiesel fuels could also encourage local governments and schools to make the same decision, he said.

"I think it sets a good example for the entire community," McDonald said.

Although biodiesel fuels are not yet available at local service stations, it might become widespread if demand for alternative fuels grows, McDonald said.

Staff Writer Paul Glasser contributed to this story.

4.	Posted by Clean_Burning April 18, 2008
	Was biodiesel really "the only alternative fuel to have completed the health-effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act?" Although biodiesel offers some advantages, natural gas is more domestically available, cleaner, and cheaper than than any blend of biodiesel. Many medium and heavy-duty fleet managers are exploring the cost-effective benefits of natural gas. As the cleanest-burning and safest fuel, compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) offer a number of advantages that include fewer ozone-forming pollutants. Stating that biodiesel is clean-burning is not entirely true. What blend of biodiesel did the Frankfurt Plant Board approve. When compared to gasoline, B20 biodiesel actually increases Nox emissions while natural gas vehicles emit up to 95% less pollution than gasoline or diesel vehicles. Federal tax incentives and private funding, make natural gas for fleets a viable and environmentally-friendly alternative fuel. The facts speak for themselves and natural gas sets a better example for communities everywhere.

2.	Posted by 40601 April 14, 2008
	State government has been utilizing E-85 and E-10 Ethanol and Biodiesel for years. The Division of Fleet Management has a 15,000 gallon Ethanol tank located on Warsaw Street. It has two pumps, one for E-10, the other has E-85. Fleet Management has been dispensing approximately 50,000 gallons of E-85 and approximately 200,000 gallons of E-10 each year. City and county government use the same fuel provider as state government; during the last few years, Frankfort City police and the Franklin County Sheriffs Office have been purchasing fuel at this facility. They purchase E-10 for their cruisers. The Transporation Cabinet purchases several hundred thousand gallons of biodiesel for its fleet of diesel vehicles each year. They are installing a biodiesel tank at their facility located off Wilkinson Blvd. These folks would be a great resource for bio-fuel information if any other city or county agency wanted to find out the benefits of using these types of fuels.