See article below.
Last month I was at a conference where two General Motors engineers made a
presentation on their fuel cell vehicle. My jaw seem to be the only one in the
room to drop when one of the GM engineers nonchalantly mentioned that their
European subsidiaries produce and sell diesel autos that get 50-plus mpg.
So here we are with GM execs arguing that they need billions in taxpayer
funding to save themselves, and the nation too. Meanwhile they have
consciously refused to follow the lead of Volkswagen and other foreign
carmakers and invest a relatively small amount of capital to upgrade their
Europoean diesel engine technology to meet California air quality standards so
we can take advantage of the same fuel efficient vehicles available in Europe.
Meanwhile Erie, PA is exporting 80 percent of its biodiesel production to
Europe in order to survive due to lack of market here.
I say let them all (or the ****s if you like) go bankrupt and liquidate their
assets to the world's carmakers who can build the cars we need. We will be
better off as a nation without the Big Three.
George Frantz
*****
Erie Times News
Film crew on hand as biofuels plant readies large shipment
BY JIM CARROLL
[EMAIL PROTECTED] details]
Published: November 19. 2008 12:01AM
Lake Erie Biofuels is ready to ship another 600,000 gallons of biodiesel
overseas from the Port of Erie this week, and the local company also is getting
some new attention.
The biodiesel plant at 1670 East Lake Road made history earlier this month when
a jet used its fuel to complete the first biodiesel-powered flight across the
U.S.
This week, film crews from the National Broadcast Group are visiting the plant
to get material for Shades of Green, a documentary that is to be shown on the
Discovery Channel in February.
"They chose us because of the unique facility we have here," said Lake Erie
Biofuels laboratory manager Glenn Green.
The local plant has the ability to use not only soybean oil to make biodiesel,
but also other vegetable oils, discarded restaurant grease, chicken fat, beef
tallow and other materials, and get consistent quality results.
The biodiesel to be loaded in a freighter bound for Europe this week, for
example, was made from canola oil, said company Chief Financial Officer Chris
Peterson.
The company doesn't often use canola oil because it is more expensive than
soybean oil and is in more direct competition with uses for human food
products. But it has better properties for winter biodiesel use.
Its usual feed stock -- soybean oil -- on the other hand, is a byproduct of
crushing soybeans for the soymeal that goes into human and animal food
products, Peterson said. "Until the biodiesel industry came about, it was a
waste product for them to a certain extent."
Lake Erie Biofuels has a capacity to produce 45 million gallons of biodiesel a
year. It has been operating at 60 to 70 percent after running at 90 percent for
most of the summer, Peterson said.
Nationwide, the biodiesel industry operated at about 20 percent capacity in
2007, Peterson said.
European exports have pumped up the local plant's production, taking about 80
percent of the biodiesel it produces. But local officials hope that will change.
Federal requirements for petroleum companies to mix at least 500 million
gallons of renewable fuels into their diesel and heating oil are expected to
increase demand for biodiesel in 2009. Plus states, such as Pennsylvania, will
require a 2 percent blend of biodiesel into heating oil and diesel fuel once
infrastructure for the new fuel is in place.
Peterson said the goal of Lake Erie Biofuels has always been to supply
biodiesel for heating oil and diesel fuel for the Northeast part of the
country..
"That was our intended market from day one," he said.
"What we hope to do is wean off the European exports in the next 12 to 18
months. We project instead of exporting 80 percent, to maybe get that down to
50 percent over the next 12 to 18 months."
JIM CARROLL can be reached at (814) 724-1716, 870-1727 or by e-mail.
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