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Bio-Blend Fuels Inc. is a company producing
The company was founded in 2005 by husband and wife Dan and Tracy Kaderabek. It was originally launched merely to supply the Kaderabek's boat business with cheap fuel. However, in May 2009, a new plant was opened with a capacity of per year which provides biodiesel direct to the pump for sale to the public.Josh Morby
"Manitowoc Facility Produces Biodiesel from Pig Fat"
, ''Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance'', posted May 21st, 2009.Elina Shatkin
''Los Angeles Times'', May 13, 2009. The company is a very small player even in terms of just the U.S market, but in terms of Wisconsin they have a significant share of the market for biodiesel. However, they are a long way behind the leading Wisconsin producer, Sanimax, who produce per year."Plant list"
, ''Biodiesel Magazine'', last modified October 6, 2009.
"Local couple convinced time is right for biodiesel fuel"
, ''Herald Times Reporter'', September 12, 2006.Charlie Mathews
"Couple helps bacon fat fuel diesel engines"
, ''Herald Times Reporter'', May 12, 2009. For this reason, Bio-Blend Fuels have installed a patented blending system at the new facility. This is able to deliver a blend at the pump to the individual needs of the customer. Sales direct to the public are made through a separate company, ''American Fuel Blending Systems'' which also carries out the on-site blending.Susanne Retka Schill
"Bio Blend Fuels begins Wisconsin operations"
''Biodiesel Magazine'', May 12, 2009.
A number of sources are used in the production of biodiesel, including the more traditional vegetable oils. However, much publicity surrounded Bio-Blend's decision to source its main ingredient from pig fat. This is largely obtained from meat rendering plants who are producing cooked bacon from pork in microwave ovens. The fat is an unwanted by-product of this process.
Amongst the claimed advantages of Bio-Blends biodiesel is that it has a sweeter smell than regular biodiesel. The product smells of bacon, unlike regular biodiesel, described by one reviewer, as smelling of "rancid popcorn"."Bio-Blend Fuels use pig fat for biodiesel"
''Biodiesel and Ethanol Investing'', written May 26, 2009. The company has stated that it is researching the possibility of using algae as a raw material.
Bio-Blend Fuels Inc. official site
Biodiesel producers Oil companies of the United States Companies based in Wisconsin Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
bio-diesel
Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat (tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil with ...
from various materials including beef tallow and vegetable oil. They are based in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and have an annual capacity of 2.6 million US gallons. The company is notable for producing bio-diesel from pig fat recovered from commercial bacon production facilities.
History
The company was founded in 2005 by husband and wife Dan and Tracy Kaderabek. It was originally launched merely to supply the Kaderabek's boat business with cheap fuel. However, in May 2009, a new plant was opened with a capacity of per year which provides biodiesel direct to the pump for sale to the public.Josh Morby"Manitowoc Facility Produces Biodiesel from Pig Fat"
, ''Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance'', posted May 21st, 2009.Elina Shatkin
''Los Angeles Times'', May 13, 2009. The company is a very small player even in terms of just the U.S market, but in terms of Wisconsin they have a significant share of the market for biodiesel. However, they are a long way behind the leading Wisconsin producer, Sanimax, who produce per year.
, ''Biodiesel Magazine'', last modified October 6, 2009.
Blends
Bio-Blend Fuels produce and sell 100% biodiesel (B100) manufactured from the raw materials by a process called transesterification. However, unblended biodiesel is problematic in that it tends to gel at a temperature of 32 °F or below. For this reason biodiesel sold for use in private vehicles is usually blended withpetrodiesel
Diesel fuel , also called diesel oil, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a result of compression of the inlet air an ...
, a common blend being 20% biodiesel to 80% petrodiesel (B20). A B20 blend gels at around 17 °F, a full 15 degrees below freezing and hence is much more reliable. Commercial users on the other hand, such as operators of farm vehicles, are better able to deal with the shortcomings of B100 with appropriate planning and may still wish to take advantage of the price difference. Bio-Blend Fuels are selling B100 at significantly below the national average cost of diesel. Other groups of users may wish to reach a different compromise with a different blend.Charlie Mathews"Local couple convinced time is right for biodiesel fuel"
, ''Herald Times Reporter'', September 12, 2006.Charlie Mathews
"Couple helps bacon fat fuel diesel engines"
, ''Herald Times Reporter'', May 12, 2009. For this reason, Bio-Blend Fuels have installed a patented blending system at the new facility. This is able to deliver a blend at the pump to the individual needs of the customer. Sales direct to the public are made through a separate company, ''American Fuel Blending Systems'' which also carries out the on-site blending.Susanne Retka Schill
"Bio Blend Fuels begins Wisconsin operations"
''Biodiesel Magazine'', May 12, 2009.
Raw materials
A number of sources are used in the production of biodiesel, including the more traditional vegetable oils. However, much publicity surrounded Bio-Blend's decision to source its main ingredient from pig fat. This is largely obtained from meat rendering plants who are producing cooked bacon from pork in microwave ovens. The fat is an unwanted by-product of this process.
Amongst the claimed advantages of Bio-Blends biodiesel is that it has a sweeter smell than regular biodiesel. The product smells of bacon, unlike regular biodiesel, described by one reviewer, as smelling of "rancid popcorn"."Bio-Blend Fuels use pig fat for biodiesel"''Biodiesel and Ethanol Investing'', written May 26, 2009. The company has stated that it is researching the possibility of using algae as a raw material.
References
{{reflistExternal links
Bio-Blend Fuels Inc. official site
Biodiesel producers Oil companies of the United States Companies based in Wisconsin Manitowoc County, Wisconsin