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."
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