Representatives of Pacific Current, Hamakua Energy and Pacific Biodiesel were on hand for the milestone first delivery of biodiesel last month to the Hamakua Energy power generation facility on
Hawaii Island.
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After Signing of Fuel Supply Agreement, Hamakua Energy Takes First Delivery of Biodiesel
In October, Pacific Current and Pacific Biodiesel Technologies announced the signing of a biodiesel supply contract that will help increase the use of locally sourced renewable fuels and advance Hawaii Island’s energy independence and energy security. Under the agreement, Pacific Biodiesel, who owns and operates the biodiesel refinery on Hawaii Island, will supply biodiesel for Pacific Current’s Hamakua Energy power generation facility also on Hawaii Island. The liquid-fuel-fired combined cycle power generation facility sells power to Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO) under an existing power purchase agreement (PPA) and is able to
provide 22 percent of Hawaii Island’s generating capacity.
“We applaud Pacific Current for their decision to choose locally made biodiesel, another significant step as Hawaii works toward a 100% renewable future,” said Pacific Biodiesel Founder and President Bob King. “The biodiesel industry nationally continues to face significant financial hardship caused by sustained lack of federal renewable energy incentives. With this new contract, Pacific Biodiesel continues to sell its entire production to customers within Hawaii and furthers its ability to continue supporting the state with green jobs, energy security, consistent greenhouse gas reduction and direct displacement of imported fossil fuels.”
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In This Issue
- After Signing Agreement, Hamakua Energy Takes First Delivery of Biodiesel
- Maui Brewing Enhances Sustainability Efforts with Biodiesel
- Biodiesel Fuels Van's Triple Crown of Surfing for 7th Year
- B-99 Currently Unavailable at Nimitz 76 Fueling Station
- Striving for Customer Service Excellence
- KTA Features Pacific Biodiesel
- Hawaii Agriculture Conference features Pacific Biodiesel's Bob King
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On November 4, Pacific Biodiesel made its first delivery of the locally produced renewable fuel to the Hamakua Energy power generation facility, with a tanker containing 6,500 gallons of 100% biodiesel. Pacific Biodiesel is making daily deliveries to the Hamakua Energy facility, all transported in its biodiesel-fueled trucks.
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Pacific Biodiesel Operations Director Jenna Long, Pacific Current President Scott Valentino and Pacific Biodiesel President Bob King witnessed the first delivery of biodiesel to the Hamakua Energy Power Generation facility.
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“Being on Hawaii Island, it’s very exciting that we can use this locally made biodiesel to generate power here to serve customers on this island,” said Pacific Current President Scott Valentino. “That’s significant, especially as fuel and other supplies are shipped around the state and we always aim to reduce our environmental impact. We are focused on reducing the state of Hawaii’s dependence on imported fossil fuels and increasing local economic development opportunities.”
Valentino also described this biodiesel contract as an important way for the Hamakua Energy power generating facility to help advance energy independence and energy security for the state.
Several Pacific Biodiesel team members participated in the milestone first delivery of biodiesel to the Hamakua Energy plant.
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The first delivery of 6,500 gallons of biodiesel is offloaded at the Hamakua facility on November 4.
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“Today’s delivery is especially exciting for our employees because the fuel we produce on this island will help generate power for customers in this community, including our own families here,” said Pacific Biodiesel Director of Operations Jenna Long. “Sustainability happens locally and this is an important step as we continue to support the state’s expanding use of renewable energy.”
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Click
here to watch a video of this milestone fuel delivery.
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This biodiesel supply agreement was covered by local, national and international media. Click on the links below to read some of the coverage.
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Maui Brewing Company
Enhances Sustainability Efforts with Biodiesel
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Biodiesel is helping Maui Brewing Company, Hawaii's largest and most sustainable craft brewery, achieve its goal of becoming “grid independent” at its 85,000 square-foot brewery in Kihei, Maui.
The company employs solar photovoltaic and solar thermal systems along with biodiesel-fueled generators to provide electricity and hot water to brew the company’s beer and other high quality beverages while being mindful of the community and the environment. Maui Brewing’s 1.2 MW system was installed in 2017.
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Maui Brewing Company's restaurant and brewery in Kihei, Maui.
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The company recently added battery storage to help achieve their goal of becoming grid-independent by the end of 2019. Additional sustainability efforts to reduce energy consumption and produce more energy through renewable resources include capturing and reclaiming CO2. It is estimated the combined solar and CO2 recovery will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 2 million pounds per year.
Read more in the Maui Brewing Company press release
here
.
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“Leading by example in sustainable manufacturing has been a pursuit of ours for many years. We are showing that you can truly make an authentic local Hawaiian craft beer, in Hawaii, and do it with sustainable practices,” said Maui Brewing Company CEO and Co-Founder Garrett Marrero. He continued, “I think having a locally made fuel source also is part of energy independence. We ship in virtually all of our fuel sources now to Hawaii so having something locally made gives us that energy independence. We can promote that our local biodiesel is made from spent restaurant cooking oil or other sustainably grown agricultural resources like sunflowers.” Hear more from Marrero and CFO Russell Adkins in this
video
interview.
“For every gallon of used cooking oil we recycle from restaurants statewide, like Maui Brewing Company, we’re able to produce nearly one gallon of biodiesel," said Marketing Director Joy Galatro. "And now Maui Brewing Company is using our biodiesel to power generators at their restaurant – that’s full circle sustainability!”
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Biodiesel Fuels Van’s Triple Crown of Surfing for 7th Consecutive Year
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Biodiesel-fueled generators have become an integral component of the environmental practices at World Surf League (WSL) events. Oahu's premier surfing trifecta, the Van's Triple Crown is continuing its sustainable practices by fueling its generators with B80, using biodiesel produced by Pacific Biodiesel. The WSL generators provide all power for the events, which take place November 13 through December 20.
The Triple Crown includes the Hawaiian Pro at Alii Beach Park in Haleiwa, the World Cup of Surfing held at Sunset Beach and, the final event of the WSL Men’s World Tour, the Pipe Masters at the Bonzai Pipeline. This is the seventh consecutive year WSL has used biodiesel locally produced by Pacific Biodiesel.
In addition, this year WSL will be expanding its sustainability efforts by sourcing local products for staff and volunteer menus. Oahu's Ke Nui Kitchen will be using our Maiden Hawaii Naturals culinary oils to incorporate in their salad dressings as well as in some of the preparations of the seared fish entrees.
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B-99 Currently Unavailable at Oahu's 76 Nimitz Fueling Station
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New Hawaii Department of Health regulations that took effect in July 2019 regarding underground storage tanks include a technicality that restricts Par Hawaii from selling 99.9% renewable biodiesel at the Carl’s Jr 76 station on Nimitz Highway. That location has switched to a 20% blend instead (20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel). If you would like to share your opinion about this change,
please take this survey
.
Other 76 stations offering B20 biodiesel on Oahu are:
- Union 76 Station (B20) - 565 Halemaumau St., Niu Valley
- Union 76 Station (B20) - 1206 S. King St., Honolulu
- Kaneohe Bay 76 (B20) - 46-047 Kamehameha Highway, Kaneohe (808) 235-5254
To find out where to buy biodiesel in Hawaii and across the nation, click
here
.
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Oahu Team Maximizes Feedstock from Grease Trap Waste
With improvements to the centrifuge system at Pacific Biodieselʻs facility at Sand Island on Oahu, the team is now extracting quantities of usable feedstock previously not possible while increasing the amount of water extracted for disposal at the local waste water treatment plant.
Plant Manager Brian Leighton explained, "We've been proactive about maintenance and dialing in the settings to maximize the output from the centrifuge. Water goes through our DAF system for final treatment to remove the final contaminants, allowing us to double the amount of waste water we can treat on island."
The oil extracted on Oahu is shipped in containers to Pacific Biodieselʻs refinery on Hawaii Island, increasing the available supply of locally-sourced feedstock required to meet production goals.
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Oahu Plant Manager Brian Leighton, at right, directs CDL Driver Liva Aulalo as he offloads grease trap waste into the centrifuge system to separate waste water from usable feedstock.
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Striving for Customer Service Excellence
This quarter, Pacific Biodiesel conducted employee workshops at its offices statewide to discuss ways to improve communications and service based on customer feedback. Participating employees included representatives from all departments to allow for a cohesive company focus on customer service.
Prior to the workshops, customer satisfaction interviews were conducted with a wide range of customers from each island. Marketing Director Joy Galatro compiled the customer input and conducted the interactive workshops with Operations Director Jenna Long. While areas for improvement were identified, overall customer feedback was positive. Pacific Biodiesel plans to hold similar workshops on a quarterly basis as it continues its focus on excellence in service.
“We were pleasantly surprised with the amount of great feedback we got from our customers,” said Long, “especially about the value they place on our renewable energy efforts. “These workshops gave us an effective way to pass on customer feedback to our employees and remind us of the importance of high-quality communications with our customers, not only as they relate to our services, but also about our mission.”
If you’re a Pacific Biodiesel customer, share your feedback, suggestions or questions anytime to
info@biodiesel.com
.
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What do you want to know?
Submit story ideas for our quarterly newsletter to
info@biodiesel.com
. If we pick your story suggestion, you’ll receive a complimentary set of our 12oz premium Hawaiian Macadamia and Maui Sunflower culinary oils.
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KTA Super Stores Features Pacific Biodiesel on Local TV Show
"People Living in Paradise" and "Seniors Living in Paradise" are shows about the people of Hawai‘i Island produced by KTA's very own, Derek Kurisu.
KTA Super Stores across the island recycle their used cooking oil and grease trap waste with Pacific Biodiesel. In the December edition of Seniors Living in Paradise, Kurisu visits the Pacific Biodiesel team at the facility in Keaau to learn about the company, its renewable fuel and recycling practices. Click on the image below to watch this show. The Pacific Biodiesel segment can be found at 20:42 on the timeline. The show also airs daily through December 31st on Spectrum Channel 129.
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Hawaii Ag Conference Features Pacific Biodiesel's Bob King
Pacific Biodiesel President Bob King was a featured speaker at October’s Hawaii Agriculture Conference on Oahu.
More than 500 farmers, ranchers, landowners and other stakeholders attended the October Conference at the Hawaii Convention Center themed, “Agdapatation: Hawaii’s Growing Opportunity”.
In explaining the purpose of the conference, Taylor Kellerman, President of the Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawaii, told Pacific Business News in a September 27 article, “I think that we as an industry have not put as much focus as we really should have in the last 20 years or so on making sure that farming and ranching is an economical business that can actually create a decent living,” he said. “We want to make this is an industry that is not only going to attract new people, but also keep them here by enabling them to support their family.”
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Bob King hosted a booth at the expo and was invited to participate as a panelist in two of the 30 break-out sessions offered during the conference.
The first session,
Moving to Clean Energy: Agriculture Seizing the Advantage,
focused on the transition to clean energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while offering significant financial gain. King addressed how Hawaii’s macadamia and sunflower crops are playing an active role in crop-to-oil options, producing viable co-products in an operation that runs on 100% renewable biodiesel.
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In between speaker appearances, Pacific Biodiesel President Bob King hosted an Expo Booth at AG2019, seen here with Carl Campagna of the Hawaii Bioeconomy Trade Organization.
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The second panel in which King participated was titled,
“Options and Opportunities for Agricultural Waste”,
a forum where farmers, agri-processors, cooperatives and fuel/energy practitioners took a look at farming activity across the state to provide an understanding of the type and volume of ag waste and the possible options and opportunities it presents.
During the conference, Marketing Director Joy Galatro participated in a “Grower-Buyer Meet-up”, a unique opportunity that connected growers and producers with buyers in pre-scheduled, one-on-one meetings.
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Clean Energy panel participants from left to right, Caroline Carl, Hawaii Energy; Denise Salmeron, USDA Rural Development; Anu Hittle, DLNR; Jeff Mikulina, Blue Planet Foundation; Bob King, Pacific Biodiesel; moderator, Sydney Keliipuleole, Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawaii.
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Pacific Biodiesel Marketing Director Joy Galatro meets with a prospective customer at the Grower-Buyer meet-up, an added opportunity at the AG2019 conference.
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New report demonstrates importance of biodiesel tax credit
With federal support for the biodiesel industry still in limbo, the National Biodiesel Board released a report in November that shows how the industry relies on the combined values of the federal biodiesel tax credit and the Renewable Fuel Standard program to compete with heavily subsidized petroleum diesel in the current market. Read the details as reported in Biodiesel Magazine and download the full report
here
.
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Government proposes increased use of renewable fuels in Québec, Canada
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In an October article, Biofuels International outlines the draft resolution for incentivizing low-carbon biofuels. With this proposal, Québec continues to address its largest single greenhouse gas emissions source: transportation, at 41%,” commented Ian Thomson, president of Advanced Biofuels Canada. “It also continues the transition to a circular bioeconomy by using Québec's sustainable agricultural crops, agricultural and forestry residues, as well as urban and industrial waste streams.” Find the complete article
here
.
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Innovation, Excellence, Ingenuity and the Environment
Ho’oula, the student newspaper at University of Hawaii Maui College published this artlcle about Pacific Biodiesel written by Heather Poole, a regular contributor to the publication. Find it
here
.
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Fact Sheet: Fossil Fuel Subsidies: A Closer Look at Tax Breaks and Societal Costs
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The Washington, D.C. based Environmental and Energy Study Institute published an in-depth report on the impacts of fossil fuel subsidies. The report concludes in part, “Reducing the subsidies fossil fuel stakeholders receive can help correct inefficient economic interventions into energy markets, save billions of taxpayer dollars, and reduce negative social and environmental impacts.” Read the full report
here
.
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Around Town
Some of the other places we've been
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Hawaii Transportation Association Annual Meeting
–
September 11 & 12, Oahu
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osted at the Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel this year, the event was attended by Pacific Biodiesel Director of Operations Jenna Long and Marketing Director Joy Galatro. The gathering gave the pair an opportunity to meet with fleet managers and others currently using or considering biodiesel for their transportation needs.
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The Maui Fair
– October 4-6, Maui
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Pacific Biodiesel was proud to support the 97th Annual Maui Fair. Prior to the fair opening the Pacific Biodiesel team provided containers to the food booth and vendors then collected all the used cooking oil from the concessionaires to recycle into biodiesel.
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Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association Annual Meeting
–
October 18 & 19, Hawaii Island
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Representing Pacific Biodiesel at this event was Supply Chain Manager Tony Baduria. The general membership meeting was held at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort on Hawaii Island. In addition to attending keynote addresses by Lieutenant Governor Josh Green and HTA CEO Mufi Hanneman, Baduria networked with key representatives of the hospitality industry to highlight Pacific Biodiesel’s role in Hawaii’s recycling and renewable energy initiatives.
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Made in Maui County Festival
– November 1 & 2, Maui
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Kuleana Beauty and Maiden Hawaii Naturals culinary oils were featured at this year’s Made in Maui County Festival as the Pacific Biodiesel team attended for the third consecutive year. The 2-day event, held at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, featured over 140 vendors offering a wide variety of locally made products and attracted more than 9,000 residents and visitors. At the company’s booth, guests were able to sample both the culinary oils and beauty oils, take selfies with the popular sunflower photo backdrop and take advantage of special show pricing.
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Pacific Edge Hospitality Issue Launch Party
– November 12, Oahu
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Haus Supper Club at Ala Moana Center was the site of Pacific Edge Magazine’s Hospitality Issue Launch Party, a celebration recognizing leaders in Hawaii’s hospitality industry. Pacific Biodiesel was a sponsor of the event, in part by providing culinary oils for the chefs to feature in the evening’s menu items.
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Maui Hotel and Lodging Association Mixers
– October/November
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Representatives of Pacific Biodiesel attended both the Fall and Holiday Mixers sponsored by the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association. The October event was held at Gannon’s in Wailea, followed by the November 21
,
Holiday mixer at UHMC’s The Class Act.
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Hawaii Aviation and Climate Action Summit
– December 3, Oahu
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Representatives of the major airlines serving Hawaii joined local environmental and transportation industry officials in Honolulu for the first-of-its-kind summit to discuss actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Pacific Biodiesel President Bob King and Marketing Director Joy Galatro attended the summit at the Hawaii State Capitol earlier this month.
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Upcoming Events
Some of the places you'll find us in the coming months
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- March 11 & 12 – Hawaii Buildings, Facilities and Property Management Expo - Pacific Biodiesel team members will be on site at the Neal Blaisdell Center in Honolulu for the 2020 Hawaii Buildings, Facilities and Property Management Expo in March. The event attracts Hawaii’s property managers, engineers and general managers from across the state.
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- April 15-16 – Hawaii Hotel and Restaurant Show The Hawaii Convention Center is the location for this 2nd annual event bringing hoteliers, chefs, food and product buyers and other stakeholders together under one roof. It's the perfect place to showcase Pacific Biodiesel's full range of products and services: from fuel to waste recycling services to the company's cosmetic and culinary oils. We hope to see you there!
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Founded in 1995, Pacific Biodiesel is the nation's longest operating and most experienced biodiesel producer, and the only commercial liquid biofuel producer in the state. A Maui-based company with nearly 100 employees statewide, we established the first retail biodiesel pump in America and for more than two decades we've been an innovative leader in the renewable energy industry. With a nameplate production capacity of 5.5 million gallons annually, our refinery on Hawaii Island utilizes advanced distillation technology to produce the highest-quality biodiesel in the country and in 2016 became the first facility in the world to be certified by the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance. Our company has always focused on recycling with a zero waste philosophy that incorporates development of value-added co-products. Today, our collaborative, community-based "agriculture and energy" production model demonstrates a full-circle sustainability system designed to fight climate change and help Hawaii achieve a clean, sustainable energy future.
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Our Mission:
To promote a clean, sustainable energy future through the community-based production of renewable fuels
On Earth Day 2016, the Pacific Biodiesel plant on Hawaii Island became the first biodiesel facility in the United States to earn certification by the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance for showcasing sustainable biodiesel production and distribution practices.
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Pacific Biodiesel
40 Hobron Avenue, Kahului Hi 96753
Editor:
Joy Galatro, Marketing Director
Staff Writer & Layout:
Beth Mathias, Marketing Associate
For more information visit our website
or contact Beth Mathias at
STAY CONNECTED
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