Biodiesel lives up to ‘Better. Cleaner. Now.’ mantra

RISE 2021 conference applauds biodiesel industry’s steadfast position as energy leader

One year ago, the National Biodiesel Board unveiled its Vision 2020 plan, one that aimed to grow production to over six billion gallons by 2030 and follow that with advancements in feedstocks that would boost production to 15 billion gallons by 2050.

Not even a pandemic could slow the biodiesel industry’s efforts to produce strong volumes of biodiesel.

NBB CEO Donnell Rehagen stated in the conference opening message, “historically, our producers have continuously beaten expectations year after year. And after doing so again in 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, we are ready to rise once more in 2021.”

RISE was the theme for the 2021 conference, chosen to illustrate NBB’s vision to grow biodiesel volumes and overcome challenges along the way. The event took place Jan. 18-21 virtually and featured a number of sessions that confirmed biodiesel’s place in the climate and energy conversations of the coming years.

Soybean growers are a key part of the solution. Soybean oil represents half of the feedstock base used for biodiesel production. In 2019, eight billion pounds of soybean oil, or about one-third of the domestic crush in the U.S., were used to make biodiesel. To accomplish the vision by 2030, that number becomes 18 billion pounds of oil.

“With our vision in mind, we depend on today’s and tomorrow’s farmers and oilseed processors,” Rehagen says.

Such growth is possible through checkoff-supported programs that drive soybean meal demand – that in turn lead to increased fats and oils as a feedstock – and promote management practices that increase available oil crops.

Data shows that biodiesel and renewable fuels aid in carbon reduction and cleaner air initiatives, and that role continues to gain importance as states and companies implement sustainability goals. NBB’s mantra, “Better. Cleaner. Now.,” also launched in 2020, reflects how biodiesel provides an immediate solution to those initiatives without needing to develop new technology or establish new infrastructure.

The 2021 conference also unveiled the newly-renamed Kenlon Johannes Pioneer Award, named after the current Kansas Soybean Commission administrator who was instrumental in the early days of biodiesel.