USEPA Selects Great Lakes Biodiesel Partner for Biodiesel Audits

DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EcoEngineers, the engineering firm with which Great Lakes Biodiesel has partnered for its registration with the US Environmental Protection Agency, has received approval from the EPA to offer a quality assurance program designed to prevent fraud in the renewable fuel industry while bringing stability and fairness to biofuel marketing.

“We’re pleased to be associated with EcoEngineers”

The partnership with EcoEngineers, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, is yet another example of the bold steps Great Lakes Biodiesel has taken to ensure that it remains Canada’s largest biodiesel producer, and one of Niagara’s most valuable assets. By associating with reputable firms, strategic organizations and the most effective business leaders in the US and Canada, Great Lakes Biodiesel has shown that sustainability makes good business sense.

“We’re pleased to be associated with EcoEngineers,” said Great Lakes Biodiesel CEO Barry Kramble, “And share in the pride of their accomplishments. They did a thorough review of our plant and prepared the report and filings to the EPA which resulted in Great Lakes Biodiesel successfully receiving its registration number with the EPA."

EPA approval of EcoEngineers to offer its RIN Quality Assurance Program (QAP) to biofuel producers in the US and exporters like Great Lakes Biodiesel is based on the agency’s use of credits called Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) in its push to promote renewable fuels.

The RINs help verify that traditional oil companies are complying with requirements that they blend an amount of renewable fuel with traditional petroleum product as specified in the US Renewable Fuel Standards program. The blending mandate stands currently at 7.5 billion gallons nationally, and rises to 36 billion gallons by 2022.

RINs correspond to gallons of biofuel, ethanol or biodiesel. Once a producer has generated RINs, petroleum refiners and importers can use them to demonstrate compliance with their obligation. Because they can be bought and sold in the marketplace, they gain value according to how many have been produced, how much fuel is being consumed, and other variables.

RINs correspond to gallons of biofuel, ethanol or biodiesel. Once a producer has generated RINs, petroleum refiners and importers can use them to demonstrate compliance with their obligation. Because they can be bought and sold in the marketplace, they gain value according to how many have been produced, how much fuel is being consumed, and other variables.

To combat fraudulent creation of RIN credits, EPA created standards and requirements for those companies intent on providing the service divided into two options designed to provide flexibility in how producers and obligated parties choose to manage the risk of transferring or using invalid RINs.

Both options-QAP A and B-will provide assurance that Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) are properly generated and offer affirmative defense for the transfer or use of invalid RINs. QAP A is more stringent, requiring ongoing monitoring of many program components and offers both civil liabilities waiver and RIN replacement; QAP B requires less frequent monitoring and only offers a waiver form civil liabilities.

The two-tiered plan will help reduce the number of incorrectly generated RINs in distribution and provide smaller producers the same access to RIN markets that the bigger players have by making validated RINs a fungible commodity.

"By working with producers to verify their RINs, we relieve petroleum producers, blenders and marketers of worries related to the quality of those RINs," said EcoEngineers' RIN QA Program Manager, Karyn Jones. "We make it safer and easier for everyone involved in RIN creation and exchange." With the EPA now asking for comments on the NPRM, EcoEngineers is looking into alternatives for several requirements in order to make the final rules easier on budget-conscious producers.

Shashi Menon, Managing Partner at EcoEngineers, advises producers and obligated parties to closely review new QAP A and B plans as they become available to avoid high fees, unnecessary equipment, restrictive long-term contracts and vague promises. "There's a good reason why we have so many producers in our program," adds Menon.

EcoEngineers is an independent engineering & software firm headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. EcoEngineers provides a broad range of services in the renewable fuels sector. The firm currently has 35 producers in its RIN QA program, representing more than 350 million gallons of biodiesel and 250 million gallons of ethanol plate capacity. Other benefits include reporting and RIN management, engineering reviews, attest engagements, feedstock and pathway consulting and relationships with over 130 blenders and marketers. Producers are not subject to long-term contracts, and there are no fees to obligated parties. For more information, please call 515-309-1279.