Pepsi converts 27-truck fleet in Oregon to biodiesel

In Oregon, Pepsi’s bottling plant in Eugene has converted its 27-truck fleet to biodiesel. The specific blend ratio was not disclosed, but the company said it was spending up to 5 percent more on diesel costs per year as a result of the conversion, suggesting that it was converting at least at a B20 ration. The company said that its maintenance costs had increased as a result of the conversion.

The conversion would add to a lengthy list of recent conversions to B5 and B20.

• In Florida, the Central Florida bus system, Lynx, will convert its 290 buses and four support vehicles to B20 biodiesel, which it will blend at its own facility in Orange County.
• In Washington State, Tri-City & Olympia Railroad has established a subsidiary, Green Diesel, to make biodiesel for the railroad. The subsidiary has established a 1 Mgy research plant in Richland that will produce fuels for use on the 127-mile railroad that uses 500 gallons of fuel per week for the 100 cars it runs on the line.
• In Nevada, Q&D Construction will convert its heavy equipment to B20, following the conclusion of a successful pilot test which commenced in 2004.
• The University of Washington is converting its fleet from B5 to B20 effective February 2008. The University indicated that it plans to ultimately convert to B90.
• In Colorado, Blue Sun will supply its Fusion 20 biodiesel to the 45-truck Corporate Express fleet in Colorado and Kansas.
• In Arizona, Dole Fresh Vegetables has converted its harvesting equipment in B20 biodiesel. The company had been testing B20 since August in both farm equipment and its off-road vehicles.
• Safeway Stores announced last week that it is converting its entire nationwide fleet to B20 biodiesel, following a successful conversion of the company’s 79-truck Arizona fleet to B20 last August.
• In North Carolina, Chapel Hill converted 60 percent of its vehicles to alternative fuels with a goal of 100 percent conversion by 2012. The town most recently converted biodiesel trucks and E85-ready police cars.
• Burlington, NC converted to B10 biodiesel for its city vehicles after concluding a successful test of B5 which began in July. Burlington hopes to convert eventually to B20, but cited the need for a slow transition due to the cleaning effect of biodiesel which can clog fuel filters. The city saw fuel cost increases of 20 cents per gallon when the pilot program commenced, but prices have subsequently dropped and now provide a one-cent savings.
• In Oregon, the city of Cottage Grove is converting its city vehicle fleet to biodiesel, while earlier in the month five Pennsylvania school districts announced a switch to B20 biodiesel.
• New York’s Oneonta Public Transit siwtched to B20 for buses on all five of its bus routes.
• Fresh Direct will convert its fleet of 150 delivery trucks to B5 in February 2008.
• Montclair, NJ switched its 70-plus diesel-powered fleet and off-road equipment to B20 biodiesel late last year.
• In New Hampshire, Cranmore Mountain Resort has reported that its fleet of trucks, which operate on B20, have experienced no problems relating to the effect of cold on biodiesel, at temperatures as low as minus 20 Fahrenheit. Cranmore is one of two New Hampshire ski resports that have converted to biodiessel.
• Mount Sunapee Resort, converted its snow grooming and snow removal equipment to B20 biodiesel, and converted its hearing systems to B5.
• In Maryland, state highway officials said that they have converted snowplows to a B5 blend this season, and expect to convert their equipment to B20 in 2008-09.
• Monterey-Salinas Transport will commence making its own biodiesel, and will convert to B20. MST will use mustard seed, grown as a cover crop, as a feedstock, and will test production from a 30-acre plot where two varieties of mustard seed will be tested with barley as a control crop, on lands donated for the study by San Bernabe Vineyards.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

Dominick’s converts 428 grocery truck fleet to B20 biodiesel

In Illinois, Dominick's grocery stores will convert its 428 truck fleet to B20 biodiesel. The company, which operates 99 stores across the Midwest, said that it expects to reduce its greenhouse gas em...

400-truck fleet in Thailand converts to B5

In Thailand, Tesco Lotus converted its 400-truck fleet to B5 biodiesel, reducing carbon emissions by 3 metric tonnes per year and reducing fuel costs by 5%. B5 conversions are typically followed by...

California waste removal company to convert 225-truck fleet to biodiesel

In California, Allied Waste will convert its 225 diesel garbage truck fleet to run on B20. The company had been testing B20 in 16 trucks since mid-August and received no complaints, and will convert t...

Art Van Furniture commences conversion of 400-truck fleet to B20 biodiesel

In Michigan, Art Van Furniture has commenced conversion of its its 400-truck fleet to B20 biodiesel....

McDonalds to convert UK truck fleet to B100 biodiesel

McDonald’s will convert its 155-truck UK fleet to B100 biodiesel.  85% of the biodiesel is produced from cooking oil collected from 900 McDonald's in the UK. The company tested B5 for a year...

Ohio’s Portage County converts recycling fleet to biodiesel

In Ohio, Portage County will convert its 18-truck recycling fleet to biodiesel fuel, using the trucks to collects recyclables at 800 commercial locations and 15 consumer drop-off points. The county no...