***NBB ADDS THREE MEMBERS TO BQ-9000 FUEL QUALITY PROGRAM

The U.S. biodiesel industry's voluntary fuel quality program has three new members, including Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), the National Biodiesel Board(NBB) announced this week.

According to the NBB's website, the BQ-9000 program was established to "promote the commercial success and public acceptance of biodiesel," and helps companies adhere to the B100 ASTM standard through quality control systems that include storage, sampling, testing, blending, shipping, distribution and fuel management practices.

BQ-9000 separates its members in two categories -- certified marketers and accredited producers.  Certified BQ-9000 producers now include ADM's 85-million gal/yr biodiesel plant in Velva, N.D., adjacent to its existing canola seed crushing facility, as well as Freedom Fuels' 30-million gal/yr plant in Mason City, Iowa, NBB announced. "Quality is our ultimate goal," said Freedom Fuels laboratory Manager Stacy Staudt. "Everyone works toward that goal from ensuring we receive quality raw materials to performing truck inspections before loading operations begin.  Our reputation is based on the quality product we produce and on our commitment to meeting and exceeding the BQ-9000 requirements," Staudt added.

Additionally, Phoenix-based Caljet of America has joined BQ-9000 as a certified marketer. According to NBB, the company is expanding its terminal in Phoenix to 1 million bbls of storage capacity, including 25,000 bbls of biodiesel storage capacity, allowing for blending a wide variety of biodiesel blends across nine loading racks. "We are extremely proud of our BQ-9000 certification," said Caljet Business Development and Quality Control Manager Mark Ellery. "We take ensuring the quality of our fuels very seriously, and we wouldn't have it any other way," he added.

There are now 28 biodiesel producers certified under the BQ-9000 program and 13 marketers. With these three additional members, the voluntary program now accounts for approximately 33% of the U.S. biodiesel production capacity.

--Rachel Gantz, rgantz@opisnet.com