Integration of Biodiesel RIN Verification in the BQ-9000 Program

by Pete Moss (Biodiesel Magazine) BQ-9000 is the gold standard for quality control in the biodiesel industry. The accreditation program was developed by the National Biodiesel Board to ensure better quality in a rapidly growing market. A study completed in 2005-‘06 by the NBB and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that 50 percent of tested biodiesel samples failed at least one of the categories in ASTM D6751. At the time, very few biodiesel firms were BQ-9000-certified. Now, 44 biodiesel producers are BQ-9000-accredited, representing 80 percent of biodiesel production, according to the National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission. Quality issues are on the decline and BQ-9000 plants are generally held in higher regard.
RIN fraud is another area that has plagued the industry. Biodiesel RINs, created when biodiesel is produced from an approved pathway, have failed integrity trials at the national level. The U.S. EPA has determined that more than 140 million invalid RINs were generated in 2010 and 2011, costing obligated parties almost $200 million to replace the RINs and $3.6 million in settlements. Experts believe that more fraud has yet to be uncovered by authorities, and that fraudulent RINs only represent a portion of the total number of invalid RINs that have been generated. The biodiesel industry’s reputation, perhaps its very survival, is at risk. Certainly small producers have been disproportionally affected. READ MORE