| WASHINGTON,
DC, December 2, 2004 (ENS): To cut down on
home heating costs and polluting emissions, a growing
number of customers are turning to biodiesel to power
oil furnaces and boilers. Blends of biodiesel and heating
oil, known as bioheat, offer a cost-competitive alternative
to regular heating oil. Bioheat is becoming increasingly
available, particularly in the Northeast, according
to the National Biodiesel Board.
Two Northeast companies have recently joined the small
number of energy retailers that provide bioheat to their
customers.
MASS BIOFUEL, the sister company of Fisher Churchill
Oil Co. in Dedham, Massachusetts, began offering a blend
of soy biodiesel and low sulfur heating oil on November
1.
Bob Warren, MASS BIOFUEL president, says that although
marketing has just begun the initial response from his
customers has been positive.
“Bioheat's time has come,” said Warren.
“Customers are looking for alternatives. They
are fed up with OPEC. Bioheat will reduce our dependency
on foreign oil, help clean up the environment and increase
income for our American farmers.”
In Manheim, Pennsylvania, Worley & Obetz, Inc.
began providing bioheat to its customers this year.
Company officials estimate that, on average, there are
five gallons of renewable fuel in each home heating
oil delivery.
Testing conducted by the Massachusetts Oilheat Council
and the National Oilheat Research Alliance found that
a blend of 80 percent low sulfur heating oil and 20
percent biodiesel (B20) reduced sulfur oxide emissions
by at least 80 percent.
Nitrogen oxide emissions were lowered by about 20 percent.
In addition, carbon dioxide emissions can be lowered
by 20 percent.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2004/2004-12-02-09.asp#anchor6 |
