_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Interview
▲ Soybean Harvesting
“ With oil and gas refiners , those projects are on a massive scale compared to our biodiesel plants . When those transformations happen it brings on a significant amount of new fuel immediately , and that has been a great transformation for our industry .”
Fuel for a cleaner future
Over the course of his career , Donnell has witnessed this steep change in attitudes firsthand – from producers and consumers . “ I started in 2004 and at that time , we had about 75 million gallons of biodiesel production across this entire country . We ’ re now at about four and a half billion gallons ! I ’ ve seen huge growth and a lot of that has been because consumers ’ minds have been changed about the need for cleaner fuels . It ’ s a great story that ’ s finally catching on , helped by folks like Donnie who are reaching those broader audiences .”
Another of the benefits that Donnie highlighted in his interview was that Bioheat ® fuel can be bought and used immediately in most systems and doesn ’ t require investment in new technology , modifications , or infrastructure . “ Our fuels are available today in the marketplace ,” confirms Donnell . “ If a corporation wants to make an immediate change that reduces emissions and helps reach decarbonization goals , a simple change is buying our fuels versus the fuels that they were using before . We use the tagline ‘ Better . Cleaner . Now !’ and I think that speaks volumes to what opportunities our fuels offer .”
Of course , this easy transition is only possible thanks to the years of work that Clean Fuels has put into ensuring these fuels are compatible with existing systems . “ We ’ ve made multiple changes to the fuel quality specifications over the last 20 or 30 years ; always with the mindset of ensuring compatibility and eliminating any concerns with end users that the fuel isn ’ t going to be fit for purpose . They don ’ t have to worry about our fuels . That ’ s just how good and how high quality they are .”
As Clean Fuels continues to ensure its fuels meet quality and compatibility standards , form strong relationships with industry players , and help advance its members ’ interests , it has come a long way since being founded . With a new audience on board thanks to Donnie Wahlberg , and decarbonization finally having made its way to boardrooms across the US , the association is ideally placed to help deliver better , cleaner fuels now for people and the planet . ■
www . cleanfuels . org
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