The home heating oil industry has a long and proud history, and Fuel Oil News has been there supporting it since 1935. It is an industry that has faced many challenges during that time. In its 77th year, Fuel Oil News is doing more than just holding
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editor's note E D I T O R I A L S T A F F Editorial Office EPG Media/Specialty Information Media 3300 Fernbrook Lane N, Suite 200, Plymouth, MN 55447 Publisher John Prusak 763/383-4402 jprusak@snowgoer.com Editor Keith Reid 847/720-5615 kreid@specialtyim.com Managing Editor Nicholas Upton 763/383-4466 nupton@epgmediaLLC.com Columnists Charles Bursey, Sr. Shane Sweet George Lanthier List Rentals MeritDirect, Jim Scova jscova@MeritDirect.com 914/368-1012 Reprints Robin Cooper rcooper@specialtyim.com P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager – Karen Kalinyak Art Director – Brian Snook A D v E R T I S I N g S A L E S East – Dave Campbell, Associate Publisher 413/528-8835 Cell: 413/717-1007 dcampbell@specialtyim.com Central & South Rich Alden 603/899-3010 Fax: 603/899-2343 ralden@specialtyim.com Barbara Reynolds 603/588-2086 breynolds@specialtyim.com West – Ken Jordan 972/540-2122 Fax: 972/540-2127 kjordan@specialtyim.com M A I N O F F I C E EPG Media/Specialty Information Media 3300 Fernbrook Lane N, Suite 200, Plymouth, MN 55447 C U S T O M E R S E R v I C E 847/763-9565 • Fax: 847/763-9569 Fuel Oil News PO Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076-7823 t here has always been an issue with heating oil (and diesel) and the winter. And yet, there no shortage of oil furnaces in northern climates. In fact, our industry would never have developed if the issues and handling requirements were extraordi- nary. Adding biofuel to the mix does change things, but how much? Several articles and columns in recent issues of the magazine have addressed winter additives and blending relative to Bioheat®. The issue, frankly, is not really the current blend in service, since 2% (B2) or 5% (B5) have cold-weather properties fairly compa- rable to unblended heating oil or diesel. However, for a variety of market-enhancing reasons there is a strong push to take the fuel to the next level which would be 20%, or B20. So, what are the ramifications? It might be helpful at this point to note that B20 motor fuel has been used successfully, in some cases for several decades, in very cold environments. As the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association notes, B20 has been used through winter in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana since 1996. It has been used in Glacier National Park year-round since 2001. It has similarly been used for years by fleet and resort operators in Colorado, and first responders in Brooklyn Park, Minn. and Boise, Idaho. Harvard University uses it in the winter as well. Biodiesel does have higher cloud and pour points with typically a narrower (perhaps even much narrower) margin between the two. Results will also vary by feedstock. However, at a B20 blend the difference is not all that great. For example, the difference in pour point between No. 2 fuel oil and B20 is 3-10 degrees Fahrenheit—hardly exotic. As with conventional heating oil or diesel, this challenge can be addressed in some fairly traditional ways. First, it is strongly suggested that the fuel meet standard ASTM D6751 and that the supplier be BQ9000 certified. The National Biodiesel Board notes that fuel quality is absolutely critical to successful cold flow operation, and that includes the petroleum component as well. After that, blending with kerosene is an option; blending a more sensitive feedstock such as tarrow with soybean oil-based feedstock helps; and finally adjusting the concentration of winter additives to meet the requirements of the specific blended fuel should take care of any concerns. For those that blend the fuel themselves, and/or operate bulk plants where a higher- concentration Bioheat or pure B100 might be stored, some additional steps are likely required such as the use of tank heaters. For example, NBB notes that B100 stored in cold temperatures must be heated to at least 15 degrees higher than the biodiesel feedstock being used prior to distribution or blending into middle distillates of any grade. The good news, is that while a significant amount of data has already been developed on how to handle B20 biodiesel blends in colder climates, there is no doubt that the orga- nizations that are actively working to bring this fuel to the heating side—such as NBB and the National Oilheat Research Alliance—will be fine-tuning that established experience for our industry. It appears that a major research focus for NORA after its recent reautho- rization is B20, and that would hardly make sense if that fuel could not be used effectively and efficiently in the standard climate in which our industry operates. l F o n Keith Reid 8 SEPTEMBER 2014 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com Membership applied for January 2014 B20 in the freeze