Seattle’s Essential Baking Company Shifts Delivery Fleet to B99 Biodiesel
28 December 2005
Seattle’s Essential Baking Company has shifted its entire delivery fleet to B99 (99% biodiesel).
The organic bakery sold off its old fleet of trucks and leased 13 newer diesels: nine Dodge Sprinters, three Ford Cargo E250s and one Isuzu NPR Box Truck. All run on the B99 fuel.
Peter Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer of the 200-employee Essential Baking Company, said that aside from the rising costs of traditional fossil fuels, switching to a biodiesel delivery fleet stemmed primarily from the company’s socially responsible and ecologically friendly philosophies: “going biodiesel” was better aligned with the brand’s core values.
The Essential Baking Company currently uses Dr. Dan’s (Freeman) Alternative Fuel Werks of Ballard for biodiesel fueling, and International Truck Leasing for trucks and service of the fleet, among others.
B99?!? This is the first time I've heard of that blend. I know that petro and bio can be mixed in any proportion but that's an odd one. Why not B100? Is there some significance to the 1% petro diesel that I'm missing?
Posted by: Tripp | 28 December 2005 at 08:07 PM
Apparently the B99 blend is to secure a rebate that wouldn't be given for a pure B100 blend. Here is a thread on the topic.
Posted by: DHofmann | 28 December 2005 at 09:31 PM
The B99 blend is because of weirdness with the federal tax code. Biodiesel is classified as an 'additive' so you must add it to some amount of diesel fuel. The tax break is worth $0.99/gallon. Nothing to sneeze at.
Posted by: eric | 28 December 2005 at 09:33 PM
Thanks guys. I shoulda figured that. I'm surprised I havn't seen that blend mentioned before.
Posted by: Tripp | 28 December 2005 at 10:12 PM
Really nothing technical here, only federal tax code. Does this applies to E99 and E100?
Posted by: rexis | 29 December 2005 at 12:52 AM
Really nothing technical here, only federal tax code. Does this applies to E99 and E100?
I'd guess it does. But E85 is used due to technical reasons; gasoline is blended to increase RVP so that the fuel will vapourize sufficiently when injected.
Posted by: joib | 29 December 2005 at 02:46 AM
Perhaps the 1% dinodiesel is for prevention of bacterial contamination which hit a school bus fleet recently.
Posted by: tom deplume | 29 December 2005 at 09:00 AM
I haven't seen anyone suggest we support the company. If you're near them, buy their bread!
Posted by: dave | 29 December 2005 at 10:59 AM
I buy their products at my local QFC supermarket -- the crackers and biscotti are really good. It costs more but i want to reward them!
Posted by: TDI_bio_dvr | 29 December 2005 at 03:51 PM