Moving Biodiesel in the Pipeline: Sequencing Matters

Business News/Analysis, Infrastructure, Terminals Transport Pipelines

February 6, 2015

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by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The ability to move biodiesel in pipelines versus truck or rail is considered essential to lower costs and advance biodiesel into the mainstream, but contamination of jet fuel with fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) shipped in the same line has impeded progress. The ASTM jet fuel spec has traditionally been unforgiving, only allowing 5 parts per million FAME concentration. Years of work testing higher limits is paying off though, as ASTM recently approved increasing the allowable concentration of trace FAME in jet fuel from 5 to 50 ppm—an action that awaits official publication in the updated jet fuel standard.

Rod Woodford, manager of shipper relations and product quality for Explorer Pipeline, spoke in January at the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Fort Worth, Texas, about testing his company conducted in its pipeline, which extends from Houston to Chicago in 10- to 28-inch diameter lines.

Woodford said the company tested movement of 5 percent biodiesel in the 10-inch portion of the pipe that runs from Houston to Dallas with various batch sequencing to better understand the trailback issue. READ MORE and MORE (Biofuels International)

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