BioFuels Journal

Fort Worth, TX — This week at the 2015 National Biodiesel Conference and Expo, the National Biodiesel Board announced the addition of a major new component to its BQ-9000 fuel quality program that will help to ensure the highest biodiesel fuel quality for consumers, all the way from the production plant to the retail fuel pump.

The new BQ-9000 Retailer Program is the latest enhancement to the program that had previously provided quality certification for biodiesel producers, marketers, and testing laboratories.

The National Biodiesel Accreditation Program (NBAC), called BQ-9000®, is a cooperative and voluntary program for the accreditation of companies that produce, test, and supply biodiesel fuel.

The program is a unique combination of the ASTM standard for biodiesel, ASTM D6751, and a rigorous quality systems program that includes storage, sampling, testing, blending, shipping, distribution, and fuel management practices.

BQ-9000® is open to any biodiesel manufacturer, marketer or distributor and now retailer of biodiesel and biodiesel blends, as well as third party labs who test the fuel, in the United States and Canada.

Scott Fenwick, Technical Director for the National Biodiesel Board, stated, “The National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission is pleased to release this latest program in the efforts to promote quality assurance for the biodiesel industry.

"This Retail program for stores selling biodiesel and biodiesel blends to end users fills the gap on our quality management system.

"Previously, the program has provided quality management for Producers, Marketers, Blenders and independent Laboratories.

"This will now help to ensure fuel quality through the entire supply chain, down to the final consumer.”

Fenwick continued, “Other than the current NBAC Commissioners, the group is pleased to have worked with several large fuel retailers across the country along with engine and automobile manufacturers to help ensure that this program will help meet the needs of the industry.”

The newly announced BQ-9000 Retailer Program will now enter a 30-day comment period for National Biodiesel Board members and current BQ-9000 certified companies to review and provide comments for the betterment of the program, and then the final program will be officially released later in March for development within the industry.

Currently there are 54 Biodiesel Producers, nearly 40 Marketers and 13 Laboratories certified under the robust BQ-9000 program, with more certifications in progress.

As of the end of 2014, 92 percent of the biodiesel produced in the U.S. by National Biodiesel Board member companies came from a BQ-9000 Certified Producers.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Weaver at 734-904-3822.

See Related Websites/Articles:

• National Biodiesel Board
• 2015 National Biodiesel Conference and Expo

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