In the times of rising fuel prices attributed to factors like plateaued refinery outputs, increasing demand from developing countries and a weakening US dollar, Biofuel manufacturing companies,like SeQuential provide a ray of hope toward resolution of the crisis and achieving sustainability. This is a company that is truly riding the wave of next generationefuels by choosing to manufacture and market Biodiesel as an alternative to the regular fuel. Biodiesel, a cleaner burning, renewable fuel is manufactured from vegetable oil or animal fats and lives up to all that SeQuential promises as its mission - local, cleaner, better.
Innovation
Biodiesel, as manufactured by SeQuential, uses oil feedstocks that come from the waste cooking oil produced by restaurants and food processing plants. Vegetable crops are also grown exclusively as a raw material for the production of this fuel. The beauty of the product lies in its versatility – it can be mixed with petroleum and diesel in any ratio and the consumer can readily switch between the two without any problem thus decreasing the overall consumption of petroleum and diesel. Additionally, it can be used for multiple purposes such as passenger vehicles, industrial vehicles, off-road machinery, marine engines, power generation, and even as a home heating oil.
The processing plant of the organization, first of its kind in the state of Oregon, is a technological innovation in and of itself. The advanced production techniques employ both used cooking oils and yellow grease, as well as unrefined virgin feedstock such as cold pressed canola oil with a maximum yield. The expanded facility produces no process waste water or fugitive emissions, while recycling 100% of the excess methanol used in the process. The primary products out of the manufacturing facility are biodiesel which meets ASTM D6751-07a standards for fuel quality, as well as glycerin with a purity of over 80%, devoid of methanol and ready for use in the cattle feed market or for further refining.
In response to the controversy linking biofuels to rising food prices, the organization has created innovative ways to manufacture the fuel by minimizing the use of food crops. SeQuential is committed to finding ways to avoid competing with food crops, such as using Used Cooking Oil or Canola and Camelina grown regionally in rotation with grass seed and other crops. The company has also found novel ways to procure waste cooking oil destined for landfills. It proactively reaches out to other companies encouraging them to have their waste oil picked up by a third party waste grease collection company which has a vacuum truck division dedicated to Biodiesel feedstock procurement. Already companies like Kettle Foods and Burgerville have taken advantage of this opportunity saving huge costs involved in grease disposal.
The company actively engages in knowledge dissemination and awareness building toward biofuels through creative initiatives. Partnering with the local governments, it recently launched ‘Carbon Challenge’ asking the city of Eugene to reduce its carbon dioxide emission. The newsletter as well as the blog on the company website is a rich source of information providing answers to the ambiguity revolving around biofuels. Another innovative idea on similar lines is what is called the ‘Sunflower Project’. This is an educational program in partnership with Eugene schools and community gardens. The goal is to educate children on the lifecycle of plants and how they can create fuel in their own backyard. The program begins with an initial planting of the sunflowers. When the plants are grown and create seeds, SeQuential helps the children harvest, crush the seeds for oil and convert the oil into cleaner burning fuel.
Impact
The sustainability and proliferation of SeQuential’s manufacturing and marketing enterprises is a testimony to the organization’s business success based on a belief in ‘cleaner and greener’ future for the world. The inputs for the manufacturing of Biodiesel have a tangible and positive impact on the environment. By virtue of diverting the cooking oil from the landfills the company is preventing increased disposal and land contamination. Furthermore, by creating a local market for biofuel crops the local area farmers are supported. Biodiesel is non-toxic as well as biodegradable use of which significantly reduces the emission of CO2 and other harmful gases. The use of this fuel is another step forward in reducing America’s dependence on imported petroleum ushering the country toward sustainability.
As an added benefit to the consumer, this fuel increases the performance of the engine by cleaning the fuel system, increasing engine lubricity, and reducing harmful emissions, all contributing toward an extended life of the engine.
Inspiration
SeQuential Biofuels operates from a simple but powerful motivation – that of ensuring cleaner air, contributing toward the country’s energy independence, and most importantly providing a choice to people when they fuel their vehicles. As the name of the company suggests, there is no single answer to the current fuel crisis, but diversity of solutions that need to be pursued simultaneously; biofuel is just one, albeit very important, answer to the challenge.
The World Inquiry editorial team edited this profile from the original submission of the interviewer or other source. The views expressed do not necessarily represent Case Western Reserve University, the Weatherhead School of Management or the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit. More >>
