Michigan's first biodiesel plant set for Bangor
The cover of today's Kalamazoo Gazette is dominated by a story on Michigan's first large-scale biodiesel plant, which will be opened in Bangor later this year and produce 10 million gallons a year. The article contains a lot of the same pro-alternative memes as recent articles we've pointed to recently – energy independence through biofuels, farmers produce and use the fuels, and the national production of biodiesel and, of course, ethanol will grow dramatically in the next few years. One statistic I've not seen elsewhere is that domestic biodiesel production nationwide by the end of the year could be 1.1 billion gallons. The Bangor plant will be the 12th-largest in America, according to the article and will employ about 26 people. One of the sweet possibilities is that the Bangor plant will be a "zero-producer of industrial waste" as the production process is refined over the coming months and years, and the article also spend some time talking about the way the plant may use the expected 1.2 million gallons of glycerin it will produce each year in cosmetics and other products.
[Source: Kalamazoo Gazette]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
andrew mercado 9:06PM (5/21/2006)
When Ethanol first came out about 20 some years ago, it was pushed as cheaper than gas as corn was cheaper than oil. Same with bio diesel..made out of vegetable matter, it should be cheaper than gas. However, there is one station in my locality selling biodiesel for the last year and they have it priced at $3.39 a gal. This is before gas was really jacked up.
So the only benefit we will get from these new fuels will be that they will be easier on the environment and not necessarily on our pocketbook.
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andrew mercado 9:10PM (5/21/2006)
When ethanol was first introduced 20 some years ago, it was supposed to be cheaper than gas as its derived from corn. Same with biodiesel. extracted from vegetable matter it should be cheaper than gas. However, for the last year a station in my locality has been selling biodiesel and have it priced at $3.39 a gallon. This was before gas prices skyrocketed.
Although these alternative fuels are relatively easy to obtain the only benefit derived from it will be to the environment and not our pocketbooks..
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Justin Reyes 1:51AM (5/22/2006)
Biodiesel and ethanol are not cheaper than gas right now because these alternative fuels are not being produced in great quantities. This plant opening in Michigan is the next step in widening the distribution of biodiesel. With more biodiesel plants will come greater production and distribution of the alternative fuel. In time, as production and distribution increases, the price will ultimately go down. Hopefully, within the next decade, production and distribution of biodiesel and ethanol will increase dramatically, and as oil prices continue to increase over time, alternative fuel prices will go down. When that happens, hopefully the average American consumer will purchase alternative fuels not only because it does not hurt the environment, but it also won't hurt their pocketbooks.
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Razib Ahmed 5:28AM (5/22/2006)
"The Bangor plant will be the 12th-largest in America, according to the article and will employ about 26 people. "
This shows why Biodesel is not still popular. What is needed at this moment is that some large comapnies or NGOs should come forward and take a joint initiative to produce biodesel in huge quantity. Then the price will fall substantially.
Reply
Razib Ahmed 5:28AM (5/22/2006)
"The Bangor plant will be the 12th-largest in America, according to the article and will employ about 26 people. "
This shows why Biodesel is not still popular. What is needed at this moment is that some large comapnies or NGOs should come forward and take a joint initiative to produce biodesel in huge quantity. Then the price will fall substantially.
Reply
Nguyen Van Thoc 9:25AM (5/22/2006)
I don't believe that the cost of alternative fuels will ever drop to the levels that fossil fuels were at 5 years ago, or even last year. What will spur their increased use is when the skyrocketing price of oil gives us no other option. The bottom line is that if you're waiting for cheap gas to return, you'd be wise to consider a bicycle.
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