ALBERTA, Canada - Alberta's first retail biodiesel fuel station has opened in Turner Valley, selling 4,500 litres during its first week of operation.
"It's a big deal. People want to use it," said Jaimey Farnese, the CEO of Green Way Fuels.
"I get e-mails all the time saying, 'it's about time.' "
Other provinces, such as Ontario and British Columbia, have a number of biodiesel stations open to public use, Farnese said, adding the United States and Europe are way ahead in biofuel use.
"We are behind as a nation, let alone as a province, in alternative fuel use," she said Friday.
Things may begin to change soon, however. Earlier this month, the Alberta government introduced a new energy strategy that puts a renewable fuels standard in place that requires five per cent ethanol content in gasoline and two per cent renewable content in diesel by 2010.
But change is not easy. Farnese said people are concerned about the fuel "gelling" and causing mechanical problems. Biofuels - which are made from vegetable oil or animal fats - "cloud" in cold weather.
But Farnese said with proper blending it is not a worry--even in these days of bone-chillingly cold temperatures.
The "winter blend" fuel is made up of five per cent biodiesel and 95 per cent regular diesel. "When you're dealing with the general public," she said, "you want an easy transition."
The cost for the biodiesel is a few cents cheaper than the going rate - which is just above 90 cents per litre, she said.
Farnese, who has a back-ground in real estate, said she and her businessman husband "pretty much cashed in the whole nest egg" to start their fuel station business.
Their main motivating factor, she said, is the environment. Researchers believe biodiesel produces fewer greenhouse gases and particulate matter than conventional diesels.
They picked Main Street in Turner Valley for the station because it is close to their home in Millarville, but also to bring attention to some of the cleanup issues that still exist in the community as a result of being the birthplace to Alberta's oil and gas industry.
"We are not finding any new sources of oil," Farnese said. "We have to start actually being responsible for our actions."
However, the biofuel movement is not without its critics. A major food-versus-fuel argument has development, with many people saying that using crops for fuel drives up demand and increases food prices - a particularly worrying issue for people living in the world's poorer countries.
Ethanol distilled from corn, in particular, has been singled out. Critics say the push for more supplies accelerates deforestation, which could lead to an increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
But Farnese said Friday that biodiesel is not made out of corn.
"Biofuels have been lumped together," she said. "Biodiesel is getting a rap that it really doesn't deserve."
Canola that doesn't make the grade for becoming food can used for biodiesel, she noted. Farnese said her company's biodiesel comes from tallow, or animal fat left over from meat processing.
"Tallow is so readily avail-able in southern Alberta."
© The Calgary Herald 2008
