In The Media - Buses bank on biodiesel to cut costs

Location: Blogs

Posted by: Community Fuels

9/22/2005

The Grand Rapids Press GREENVILLE -- Greenville Public Schools is taking an environmentally conscious approach to powering its buses that could save the district money down the road.

The Grand Rapids Press
GREENVILLE -- Greenville Public Schools is taking an environmentally conscious approach to powering its buses that could save the district money down the road.

By Susie Fair
Thursday, September 22, 2005
http://biobased.org/list2.php?storyid=8294

At the end of last school year, the district was paying $1.86 a gallon for diesel fuel. At the beginning of this school year, the price had jumped to $2.45, an increase of more than 30 percent.

"We had budgeted for an 8 percent increase, but we weren't expecting to pay that much. If prices continue to climb, we could be looking at spending an extra $40,000 for fuel," said district Transportation Director Joe Knight.

Knight hopes to recoup some of the money spent on conventional diesel by gradually switching to a B-20 soybean blend that should reduce vehicle maintenance.

B-20 "biodiesel," a mixture of 20 percent soybean oil and 80 percent diesel fuel, not only burns cleaner but provides protection against engine wear, according to the district's Greenville-based supplier, Petersen Oil &Propane.

"We're one of the first distributors in the area to make this product available, and Greenville will be our first school customer to try it," said Jill Blair, the company's bulk facilities manager.

Just last week, Petersen Oil began offering biodiesel and ethanol (made from corn) at its new "renewable" fuel center on M-91, just north of the city.

"We started looking into these fuels a few years ago as a means to support farmers and promote a cleaner environment," said Petersen Oil owner Mike Petersen.

"I can easily foresee that they will be the way to go in the not-so-distant future."

Greenville transports about 2,200 of the district's 4,000 students, who are spread over 144 square miles. Its 18 bus drivers logged 376,000 miles in 2004.

"When you figure it costs $3.20 per mile to operate a bus, you look to save money wherever you can," Knight said.

St. Johns Public Schools was the first district in the state to begin using soy biodiesel in 2002. Since then, it has reaped an annual savings of $3,000, St. Johns head mechanic Wayne Hettler said.

"We have experienced very positive results using a B-20 blend in our fleet," he said, citing reduced repair costs. "Our buses don't have the exhaust soot on the back that has to be scrubbed off, and the fleet average fuel mileage has increased from 8.1 to 8.8 miles per gallon."

Soy diesel is it can be burned in about any diesel engine with no modifications. The only drawback is that it now costs slightly more than regular diesel. But that, Petersen predicts, will start leveling off in the next year or two as demand increases.

By Susie Fair

Permalink | Trackback