City planning switch to bio-friendly fuel
Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006
Fayetteville has begun the process to run its diesel fleet on a blended fuel that includes 20 percent biodiesel.
Faced with the need to purchase fuel tanks for the city fleet, Mayor Dan Coody asked his staff to check into biodiesel. As it turns out, this is the right time to tool up for biodiesel, he said.
The City Council Equipment Committee approved going out to bid on new fuel tanks and pumps that will be installed at the city’s fleet yard, with the blended fuel being pumped into city vehicles within the next six months, said David Bragg, director of fleet operations.
The blended fuel is called B20, because it is 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petro-diesel. biodiesel is made from vegetable oils and has lower emissions and is cleaner burning.
Bragg said the bid includes a 15,000-gallon tank for petro-diesel, a 6,000-gallon tank for gasoline and a 10,000-gallon tank for biodiesel. In addition to the tanks, the bid includes pumps that will blend the two types of diesel at the nozzle, he said.
Of 500 city vehicles, about 300 are diesel, Bragg said, and will be converted to biodiesel. Running the blend will not require any modifications, he said. "One beauty of B20 blend is that it is totally seamless to operator and vehicle,"Bragg said. "It’s like changing from regular to premium."
Coody said that while biodiesel may eventually become less expensive to run, it will be about the same price as petro-diesel until there is a greater supply. There is a growing desire to use biodiesel and several companies are researching it, he said, so the supply should grow significantly in the near future.
Country music legend Willie Nelson has even joined the push for biodiesel and is a partner in the Willie Nelson Biodiesel Company. While Nelson’s company has yet to reach Arkansas, there are other companies selling the product in the eastern part of the state.
There are many other reasons to switch to biodiesel beyond potential cost savings, Coody said. Because biodiesel is made from crops that are grown in the United States, using the fuel will help reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil, he said.
Robert "Swifty"Reynolds, chairman of the Equipment Committee, the city has to purchase the fuel tanks because its supplier is selling the property where the tanks are located. Locating the tanks near the fleet will increase efficiency, which will in turn save money, he said.
The cost of the equipment will be spread among city divisions, which will pay an extra 5 cents per gallon, Reynolds said. Once the cost is recovered, which should take about three years, the 5 cent charge will drop off, he said. "It’s all about good management and saving money,"Reynolds said.
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