B20 Club of Indiana Launched

Four diesel fleets in Indiana were recently inducted as inaugural members of the newly-formed B20 Club of Indiana, a collaboration between the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the American Lung Association that showcases exceptional green fleets with experience using B20 – a cleaner-burning blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel—and higher blends of biodiesel.

“We are thrilled to launch this innovative collaboration between ISA and the American Lung Association,” said Helena Jette, biofuels director for the Indiana Soybean Alliance. “The B20 Club is a great way to tell the stories of fleets in diverse applications that are protecting the health of residents and the environment by reducing diesel emissions through the use of biodiesel. Biodiesel provides an important market for Indiana soybean farmers, so we are thrilled to welcome the inaugural members and our new relationship with the Lung Association. We look forward to working with them to expand the use of biodiesel in Indiana.”

The first of the four fleets includes The City of Fort Wayne. The City of Fort Wayne operates its award-winning municipal fleet of more than 300 unique diesel vehicles – from fire engines to street sweepers to plow trucks – on B20. The City began using a B20 blend of biodiesel in 2004, making it the oldest municipal B20 program in the state.

Ball State University is the first university fleet to join the B20 Club of Indiana with its 31 transit buses using B20 since 2009. Ball State has a long-standing commitment to protecting and enhancing the environment through all aspects of its operations, including the use of low-carbon biofuels like biodiesel.

Al Warren Oil Company is a family-owned specialized petroleum marketer based in Hammond, IN, that not only sells B20 but uses it in its 42 fuel delivery vehicles, consuming more than 500,000 gallons each year. Al Warren Oil was founded in 1948 with one truck and one mission, to provide the highest quality service and products while fostering and building personal relationships.

Altom Transport, a specialized transporter of liquid fuels and chemicals operating in the United States and Canada, and a sister company to Al Warren Oil, also uses B20 to power its fleet of more than 215 diesel vehicles. The family-owned company is committed to providing high-quality and reliable logistics services while protecting the environment by using the latest clean diesel technologies and high-quality biodiesel blends, like B20.

According to member data quantified by the American Lung Association, B20 Club fleets use nearly 1.3 million gallons of B20 every year, eliminating an estimated 394 pounds of unburned hydrocarbons (HC) and 148 pounds of particulate matter (PM), providing an annual health cost savings of nearly $60,000. In addition, member fleets reduce 4.9 million pounds of carbon dioxide and equivalents (CO2e) annually, reducing emissions equal to planting 37,000 trees or eliminating 2.5 million pounds of coal burned each year.

“The American Lung Association has proudly recognized biodiesel as a Clean Air Choice© alternative fuel for its ability to reduce harmful lifecycle and tailpipe emissions since 2005,” said Bailey Arnold, senior manager of clean air initiatives for the American Lung Association. “Choosing a B20 or higher blend of biodiesel instead of petroleum-based diesel fuel is a simple and cost-effective way for fleets and diesel vehicle owners to reduce their emissions overnight. Biodiesel is readily available today, and we encourage any diesel vehicle operator to consider using biodiesel as a cleaner-burning, renewable alternative to petroleum-based diesel fuel.”

Made from an increasingly diverse mix of resources such as recycled cooking oil, soybean oil and animal fats, biodiesel is a renewable, clean-burning diesel replacement that can be used in existing diesel engines without modification. It is the nation’s first domestically produced, commercially available advanced biofuel.

Greater Indiana is an affiliated partner of the B20 Club of Indiana. To learn more about the B20 Club of Indiana, visit www.b20clubindiana.org