February 15, 2005

NCSU Applauded for Using Biodiesel

NC State University was praised for its use of biodiesel in all its vehicles at the recent Alternative Fuel and Advanced Technologies for University Fleets video conference, which had more than 70 participants from 17 state university and school campuses.

Every NCSU diesel vehicle, as well as a handful of Wolfline buses, operated by Connex, a leading private operator of passenger transit services, fill up with B20 biodiesel - a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel.

NCSU Transportation Planner Claire Kane says the idea to use biodiesel came about in 2001 shortly after the university joined the Clean Cities Coalition, which had just formed in the Triangle area. Kane attended the Coalition’s meetings on behalf of NCSU and learned a great deal about biodiesel - a domestically produced, biodegradable renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases, that can generally be used in unmodified diesel engines.

NCSU’s Transportation Department and Motor Fleet decided to make a joint application when a grant opportunity for biodiesel projects through the Clean Cities Coalition came up in 2003. Connex South also agreed to apply jointly with Motor Fleet.

“We were excited to be able to use the biodiesel, and it was extremely easy to implement,” said NCSU Motor Fleet Manager Scott Jennings. “It was a very smooth transition. The vehicles accepted the biodiesel without any problems at all.”

NCSU installed a 6,000 gallon tank, which Jennings said is sufficient for the size of the university’s fleet. Shortly thereafter, all NCSU fleet diesel vehicles were on the road, outfitted with stickers announcing: “This vehicle is fueled with biodiesel made in part from cleaner burning, non-petroleum sources.”

Anne Tazewell, Solar Center Alternative Fuels Program Manager, went one step further, organizing the installation of a sign at the biodiesel pump as the Solar Center’s contribution to increase biodiesel awareness to the campus community. Although biodiesel can be made from many organic feed sources, like restaurant oil and animal fats, the sign portrays a soybean field because biodiesel in North Carolina is primarily made from soybean oil.

“It is very important that NCSU is using a B20 blend of biodiesel in campus vehicles and letting the campus community know about it through pump signage and vehicle bumper stickers,” Tazewell said. “Demonstrating that renewable fuels, which are better for the environment, are available now is essential to creating a more sustainable future.”

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Media Contact:
Colleen Starkes, North Carolina Solar Center, (919) 513-0775, colleen_starkes@ncsu.edu

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