Soy diesel fuel now in Ida
C. Barron & Sons Amoco in Ida held a formal ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, April 8, to celebrate the availability of the new B-20 Soy Diesel fuel at the fuel pump.
The fuel contains 20% soybean oil and 80% diesel fuel. The Ida station is the only one in this area to carry the fuel; a Manchester company also offers it.
“We have been dealing with it for two years now,” said Tom Barron. “We provide the fuel to three sites for Detroit Edison. Now it’s available for any cars, pickups or trucks that use diesel fuel. It is a lot cleaner, is high in cetane— which gives diesel its power like octane does gas— and lowers emissions.”
He added, “And it kind of makes the exhaust smell like French fries.”
“Or like popcorn,” added Paul Barron. “This is is a great way to help our farmers, and to keep some the dollars here in the U.S.
That morning, it was announced that Iraq was not selling any oil to the United States for the next 30 days.
“We’re not pleased about that,” said Dan Secord, “But it’s just a timely reminder that we need to be less reliant on foreign oil.”
Tom Barron explained that after the Persian Gulf War, the federal government mandated that certain size fleets start using alternative fuels by 2002, with the percentage of alternative fuel increasing each year. That’s why Detroit Edison started using the B-20 Soy Diesel.
Biodiesel is a diesel replacement fuel made from virgin vegetable oils such as soybeans. It is all natural, renewable, and dissolves in water faster than sugar. It requires no engine modification and does not affect engine performance. Pure biodiesel is completely biodegradable and non-toxic.
“The cost is about 15 cents per gallon higher than premium, but if crude oil continues to go up in price, the price difference will be less,” said Tom Barron.
The B-20 Soy Diesel fuel is stable and safe. The Barrons have the proper facility to mix it. It is a specialized product that has to be handled properly, isolated, and mixed warm. Once it’s blended the soy oil stays properly suspended in the diesel fuel.
“If we get a lot of people using it, it will be a big help to everybody— especially the farmers,” said Paul Barron. “It’s better for the economy.”
Mr. Secord said Detroit Edison wants to expand its use of the biodiesel fuel. He said the company wants to add more fleets and is thinking about using it to power the peakers, which provide extra electricity for consumers on heavy-use days. Using the biodiesel fuel would lower the emissions of the peakers.
Two of the C. Barron and Sons trucks use the B-20 Soy Diesel fuel, and some of the large area farms are using it.
“We’ve heard interest in this product all the way from western Michigan to mid-Michigan,” said Mr. Secord. “It’s amazing. It’s like a snowball rolling down hill and getting bigger and bigger.”
Also on hand at the ribbon cutting were Tom Davis, Art Rodriguez and Kiro Trendov of Detroit Edison, and representatives from the Ida Farmers Co-Op, including Richard Kamprath, Steve Stotz and Eric Weiler.
Mr. Weiler filled an Ida Farmers Co-Op truck with the new fuel at the ceremony.
“It’s great that the Barrons are doing this,” said Mr. Stotz. He said he understood if some farmers were hesitant to spend extra money on the soy diesel fuel right now, because “margins are tight.” But, he added, “it’s great that Ida Farmers Co-Op is using the fuel.”
