WASHINGTON,
June 12, 2013 - The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) announced Tuesday that it is opening its
membership to include qualified renewable diesel producers in a move that will
unite the advanced biofuels industry in the diesel sector.
The
decision, made unanimously by NBB's governing board, consolidates under one
tent the larger biodiesel industry and the younger, smaller renewable diesel
industry..
"We
are excited to expand our membership to include renewable diesel
producers," said Joe Jobe, CEO of NBB, which traditionally has represented
only biodiesel interests. "While produced with different technologies,
biodiesel and renewable diesel are close cousins with a lot of shared
interests, particularly in policy areas such as the RFS and the blender's tax
incentive. Joining forces puts us in a much stronger position as a coalition to
make our voice heard and spread the word that these policies are working and
that advanced biofuels are here today."
Jobe noted
that with the change, NBB will represent the entire biomass-based diesel
category under the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Representatives
of the renewable diesel producers echoed Jobe's statements.
"We
have long been impressed with the work NBB does to represent the biodiesel
industry and felt that joining forces was the next logical step," said
Randall C. Stuewe, President and Chairman of the Board of Darling
International, Inc. which is a 50% equity owner in Diamond Green Diesel, a
Louisiana-based Renewable Diesel plant with annual production capability of
over 136 million gallons coming on line shortly. "Many of the same
issues face both biodiesel and renewable diesel producers and we're glad to be
speaking with one voice on these issues."
For more
on this story, click here.
#30