First Retail Biodiesel Pump in Denver Area Opens
Biodiesel production could boost Colorado’s rural economy

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. –Trucking fleets, school districts and diesel vehicle owners in the metro Denver area now have a convenient local source of biodiesel, a renewable vegetable oil-based fuel that could produce significant new revenues for regional farmers. Blue Sun Biodiesel and Shoco Oil, Inc., held the grand opening of Denver’s first retail biodiesel fueling station on Friday, November 14 at Shoco Oil, 5135 E. 74th Avenue in Commerce City.

Explaining the decision to begin offering biodiesel at Shoco Oil, third-generation oil company co-owner Becky Hohnstein said, “This is going to be the way of the future. We see this as a chance to give back to the agricultural community that has been our customer base for over fifty years. We want to support the local economy, and the environmental benefits are very important to us as well.” Hohnstein added that Colorado burns more than two million gallons of diesel every day.

Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine with few or no modifications. The fuel can be burned in its pure form (B100), or blended with petroleum diesel at any level—most commonly 20% (B20). The Commerce City pump will offer B20, with B100 available for purchase in bulk. Blue Sun Biodiesel, which will be supplying Shoco Oil, is developing regional farmer cooperatives to produce biodiesel feedstock from crops adapted to arid high plains growing conditions.

“Planted in rotation with winter wheat, oilseed crops for biodiesel can provide additional revenue streams for local farmers and keep energy dollars here in our local communities where they belong,” said Blue Sun Biodiesel president and CEO Jeff Probst. According to Probst, there are 5.6 million acres of dryland winter wheat in the region, and if oilseed crops were added to the rotation, it could bring farmers an additional $280 million in revenues per year. Blue Sun Biodiesel is currently recruiting growers for commercial cultivation of biodiesel feedstock on up to 60,000 acres for the spring of 2004.

“As a domestic source of energy that reduces harmful emissions and greenhouse gases, biodiesel will help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil while at the same time improving our health and environment,” said Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO), co-chair of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus. “Blue Sun's biodiesel brings more benefits to us here in Colorado, as Blue Sun uses oilseed crops grown in our state to make the vegetable oil. Helping our rural economy even as we increase domestic energy production makes good sense to me. I'm excited about Blue Sun's new outlet in Denver - it will help increase awareness about biodiesel's benefits, help improve Colorado's air quality, and strengthen Colorado's economy.”

Tom Potter, a consultant for the Colorado Office of Energy Management and the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, said that renewable energy production has the potential to revitalize the rural economy in Colorado because of its “community economic multiplier” effect. “One thousand small Colorado farms disappeared because of economic losses last year, and 80% of our ten billion dollar state energy bill goes to out-of-state vendors. We want to see if we can get a piece of that eight billion dollar pie for ourselves,” he said.

Biodiesel is a cleaner-burning alternative fuel that can be made from any fat or oil, such as soybean oil. It can be used in any diesel engine with few or no modifications. Biodiesel can be used in its pure form (B100), or blended with petroleum diesel at any level—most commonly 20% (B20). It significantly reduces emissions such as carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons and particulate matter. It is nontoxic, biodegradable and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Biodiesel offers similar fuel economy, horsepower and torque to petroleum diesel while providing superior lubricity. More than 350 major fleets use biodiesel nationwide.

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