Newport Biodiesel has been producing biodiesel in Newport, R.I., since 2006. Evolving from a small start-up company to the second largest biodiesel facility in New England, Newport Biodiesel produces over eight million gallons each year. Wholesalers and distributors in the supply chain throughout New England purchase the product for diesel engine or home heating furnace use.
"Biodiesel works! It is a drop-in fuel that works in any type of diesel vehicle, temperature dependent," states Robert Morton, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Newport Biodiesel. The Newport Biodiesel product is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.
The State of Rhode Island continues to “Lead by Example” by having switched to B20 biodiesel (20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel) in its diesel fleet vehicles. Richard Bremilst, State Fleet Administrator of the RI Department of Administration, notes that as of May 2020, “Each and every diesel vehicle is burning B20. We are working to repower the State of Rhode Island for the future."
Allison Archambault, Supervising Air Quality Specialist from the RI Department of Environmental Management, is enthusiastic about this development. "We are thrilled to support the Rhode Island State Fleet's commitment to using B20 in their fleet. Use of B20 in fleets will reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels, support local renewable resources, improve the air we breathe, and provide automatic environmental benefits. To use it really is a no-brainer!”
In 2019, three million gallons of used vegetable oil was collected by Newport Biodiesel from approximately 4,600 kitchens throughout New England. Newport Biodiesel supplements the collected vegetable oil with the purchase of refined used cooking oil. Approximately seventy-five percent of the waste collected is oil. The remaining twenty-five percent is water and particulate matter which is a waste product for Newport Biodiesel. However, that waste product is not disposed of but rather becomes feedstock for anaerobic digesters throughout the region. "What is waste for us is another renewable energy company’s feedstock. Everything we do is focused on the environmental impact," says Blake Banky President of Newport Biodiesel.
When the used vegetable oil arrives at Newport Biodiesel the process to change the molecular composition begins. The oil is combined with methanol in the presence of a catalyst. The combination of these steps modifies the molecular composition creating biodiesel and glycerin (nine parts of the former to one part of the latter). “That biodiesel is exactly what will be blended and sold out into the market for transportation,” says Banky. The process is highly regulated to ensure compliance with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Specification D6751. There are dozens of testing points along the process to ensure that the ultimate product meets the ASTM standard.
“Biodiesel is not a new concept. It was identified as a fuel long ago and tucked away. It is in the last decade that it became commercially available.” says Banky. Looking forward, Morton says, “We are looking for a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard, like California has. Renewable energy has got to happen. We see an expansion of biodiesel and other renewable fuels in the next decade.”
Newport Biodiesel is a Rhode Island success story. They have been an engaged partner with Ocean State Clean Cities Coalition for over ten years. The Coalition is fortunate to have such an invested stakeholder.
