Office Home And Business 2010 regulators ok biodie

state environmental regulators have accepted an additive for biodiesel that addresses a nagging emissions problem with the vegetable oil-based fuel.,Buy Windows 7

the texas commission on environmental top quality stated the additive cuts nitrogen oxide, or nox, emissions to a stage that is certainly acceptable for biodiesel to satisfy state air-quality standards.

but biodiesel producers are nevertheless waiting to listen to whether state officials will allow biodiesel blends to get marketed with out the will need of additives, which might add to their production expenses.

last year, the agency almost banned the sale of biodiesel in a few of texas' most populous regions, which includes houston,Office 2007 Standard Key, as a result of studies displaying biodiesel blends developed higher ranges of ozone-polluting nox emissions than standard diesel.

biodiesel backers, nonetheless, say recent study reveals the fuel produces the same or much less nox emissions than petroleum diesel. even more, they say biodiesel tremendously cuts other smog-forming emissions, provides organization to american farmers and may support wean the u.s. from foreign oil.


a deadlineacknowledging there's conflicting investigation, state regulators gave the biodiesel business until finally the conclude of 2007 to prove the fuel can meet texas low-emission diesel specifications.

the criteria, typically named txled,Office 2007, ended up passed in november 2005 as a part of an effort to chop pollutants from the state's smoggiest 110 counties — roughly, those along and to the east of interstate 35. this area includes dallas, san antonio, houston and austin.

this month, the fuel additive developed by irvine, calif.-based oryxe energy international became the first product of its kind to get clearance by the state to address the biodiesel nox problem.

but in a march 5 letter to oryxe, the texas commission on environmental good quality warned that the approval is nevertheless "subject to the actual emissions performance" of diesel engines using a b20 or significantly less fuel blend treated with the additive. b20 is a blend of 20 percent pure biodiesel with 80 percent petroleum diesel.

james cleary, ceo of oryxe,Office Home And Business 2010, stated the additive is already being used in texas in petroleum diesel. but it will will need to get used in greater doses to achieve lower nox emissions from biodiesel blends, he explained.

the additive — which includes both hydrocarbon compounds and renewable-based materials — will be produced at a chemical plant in pasadena, cleary said.


increasing costsbut biodiesel producers may have issues with additives due to the fact they can increase expenses of making the fuel.

"our position is we support additives if it is proven they are effective," said jenna higgins, a spokeswoman for the national biodiesel board in jefferson city, mo. but she explained additives do take away a competitive advantage of petroleum diesel.

cleary declined to give an exact cost of the additive but stated "it's pennies per gallon treated."

tom paquin,Microsoft Office Standard 2010, who is building a biodiesel plant in fort worth, said he likes the sound of the additive if it means he will be able to sell fuel in texas.

but, he mentioned, "the reality is, it's whatever the customer wants."

u.s. biodiesel manufacturing more than doubled very last year to an estimated 225 million gallons. the marketplace has set a goal to replace 5 percent of the country's petroleum diesel for on-road uses by 2015 — about 2 billion gallons.

with 15 existing commercial plants and several more under construction, texas is expected to double its production capacity in 2007 to 250 million gallons.

brett.clanton@chron.com