Biodiesel back in Ukiah

[Tom Reed]

Looks like we can by B100 again!
----------------------------------------------------
Biodiesel back in Ukiah
Simple Fuels Biodiesel is located in the old Yokayo Biofuels location at 150 Perry Street in Ukiah. Chris Pugh-Ukiah Daily Journal

By Adam Randall, udjar@ukiahdj.com, @theadamrandall on Twitter

Posted: 10/29/15, 10:24 PM PDT | Updated: 6 hrs ago

Biodiesel is a fuel made from vegetable-based oils, such as soybean oil, canola oil or recycled restaurant fryer grease. Chris Pugh-Ukiah Daily Journal

The biodiesel phenomenon is still alive and well in Ukiah, says one company, which is hoping to revitalize the old Yokayo Biofuel facility on Talmage Road and Perry Street that shut its doors last year after an unsuccessful nearly two-year run.

Simple Fuels Biodiesel reopened in place of Yokayo in June, although it's not currently manufacturing the product locally and says it has no future intention to do so.

The 1,000 gallons of biodiesel for local use is produced at Simple Fuels' Chillcoot plant in the Sierra Valley, according to Marissa Jones, manager of the Ukiah Simple Fuels location.

But, the company, which operates in other locations throughout the state, has taken over every other aspect of what Yokayo previously offered by providing a fuel pump for customer use in Ukiah and at the Solar Living Institute in Hopland, trucks for delivery and a safe-drop off point for used cooking oils.

A fuel alternative, the National Biodiesel Board states that the biodiesel product is produced from the old cooking oil, in which glycerin is removed and becomes a by-product of the biodiesel production. Biodiesel fuel itself can be used as a pure fuel or a blend type with petroleum in diesel engines with little or no modification, according to the National Biodiesel Board.

The National Biodiesel Board estimates that since 2011, biodiesel production volume has eclipsed over 1 billion gallons in the United States.

"A lot of people are using it in their vehicles," Jones said.

The product retails for as high as $4.70 per gallon for vehicle uses, and runs slightly lower for uses in ATVs, generators or for agricultural purposes, said Jones.

"It's hard to tell why Yokayo didn't work," Jones said. "We're just happy to be here and selling biodiesel in the community."

Jones said the Ukiah facility is expected to be "officially" rebranded with the Simple Fuels logo by Monday afternoon.

Simple Fuels in Ukiah is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, contact Jones at 400-7409, or by email, mjonesnce@gmail.com.

[BruceM]

Nice!  I miss running biodiesel in my Listeroid.  Still no suppliers here in the White Mountains of AZ.

[Thob]

Looks like we can by B100 again!
[snip]


The product retails for as high as $4.70 per gallon for vehicle uses, and runs slightly lower for uses in ATVs, generators or for agricultural purposes, said Jones.

"It's hard to tell why Yokayo didn't work," Jones said. "We're just happy to be here and selling biodiesel in the community."

[snip]

Perhaps someone isn't very good at economics.  The pump just a couple of miles from me is selling diesel for $2.19 a gallon.  And your competing product is selling for $4.70 a gallon?  I like biodiesel, considered making some myself (didn't - too many projects), and I *might* pay $4.70 a gallon to use a little bit for solvent, hand cleaner, system cleaner, etc.  But I don't think I'm going to  pay over twice the price for fuel for general use.

YMMV

[Tom Reed]

Yokayo used to sell for just a bit above current retail and with the off road discount it was a bit below. So perhaps simple fuels is successful because they are profiteering on the "green" cachet of boidiesel. I'll be buying some to add to some K1 to lubricate the IP.

[mike90045]

Thanks for the heads up Tom.  I guess I'll be making the trips down there to get BD again.

[vdubnut62]

Where the heck is Ukiah?  I guess some of us are uneducated.
Ron.

[Tom Reed]

In the emerald triangle, Mendocino County, California.

[LowGear]

Yes Ron,

They certainly are!

I just read it as Utah so that shows just how good I read.  Then came mike90045 and I thought now that would be quite a hike for a few gallons of bio diesel.  And then your post brought everything into focus.  Thank God I wasn't blinded by the light.  Edjumacation shall save the planet.

Casey

[vdubnut62]

At first blush, I read it as Utah also. Blame it on presbyopia.   I did.  I also googled the Emerald Triangle.
 Now you have something to google, in case you're bored.

Hey! wonder what the lubricity of  cannabis oil......never mind.
Ron.

[mike90045]

Yokayo used to sell for just a bit above current retail and with the off road discount it was a bit below. So perhaps simple fuels is successful because they are profiteering on the "green" cachet of boidiesel. I'll be buying some to add to some K1 to lubricate the IP.

All the "organic" Farms and Winery's in the neighborhood, like to boast they use green Bio-Diesel in their farm gear (tractors and harvesters and such) So they just tack on the extra cost to a case of wine.

[LowGear]

I use the bio diesel that Atto makes on the other side of the island.  I trade him very nice used cooking oil.  I then mix the two so that I've got up to maybe 40% filtered cooking oil.  My NPR (Isuzu) seems to love it.  I wash it almost totally out every few months with Dino.  My Kubota tractor does not like cooking oil at any level of mix.  And it takes 20 seconds of heater to start him on 100% bio diesel - Kona, Hawaii - but jumps to life with a single crank, no heater, on Dino.

Casey

[Tom Reed]

The Lister can be a bit tough to start on B100 when it's cold, on Dino it usually fires on the first compression stroke.