B100 Biodiesel for Construction Fleet

23 November 2004

The Snohomish County Business Journal (WA) profiles a small, local heavy-equipment construction company that has switched completely to B100 (except for use of blends in cold weather).

Earthwise Excavation, formed  in 1987, specializes in grading,  septic systems, storm systems, water mains, street improvements and erosion control. It started using B100 last year in all 18 of its vehicles: bulldozers, backhoes and the trucks that haul them to work sites.

“The best way to teach is by example, and that is exactly what we intend to do,” [Albert] Postema said. “We started by looking, with an environmental frame of mind, at where we were contributing the most pollution to our environment. We realized early on that diesel was a big factor, so we switched from off-road diesel  fuel (often used on construction sites) to lower-sulfur on-road diesel  Then, in 2000, we became aware of the availability of  biodiesel and started looking for reliable sources. That’s how it started.”

Finding the fuel was part of the challenge. Earthwise hooked up with Alternative Fuel Works (Ballard, WA) as a supplier, and is now looking to set up a 120-gallon-per-day processor for making its own biodiesel fuel from restaurants’ waste frying oils.

It’s a good read.