Biodico to use $1.8m grant across new biodiesel projects

The California Energy Commission has awarded a grant of $1.8 million (€1.42 million) to the Biodiesel Industries of Ventura (BIV), a subsidiary of Biodico.

The money will be used to spearhead new technologies for the production of advanced biodiesels at the Biodico facility at the National Environmental Technology demonstration site in Port Hueneme, which BIV will operate. The plant will produce up to 10 million gallons of biodiesel a year.

‘We create subsidiaries for each of our facilities so that local investors can become involved in what we are doing in their communities,’ says Biodico’s board of directors chairman JJ Rothgery. ‘Currently we are working on two projects, with the other one at Red Rock Ranch in California’s Central Valley.  Both projects will benefit from the technology developed under this new Energy Commission grant.’

Some of the grant will also be used to focus on new non-food crops for producing biodiesel, while also helping to make Biodico facilities energy self-sufficient.

‘By using sustainable resources on-site we will be able to produce all of our own heat and power needs, and generate  non-petroleum oil for making biodiesel,’ adds Biodico president Russ Teall.  ‘Biodiesel at these facilities will be produced at unsubsidized prices competitive with petroleum diesel, and our biodiesel production technology will reduce greenhouse gases eight fold while providing local green collar jobs.’