ISA sharpens focus on growing biodiesel market

LOMBARD, Ill. — One of the duties that the new Illinois Soybean Association office in Lombard will have is to serve as a conduit for ISA staff and board members as they work to boost the use of soy biodiesel in Illinois and around the country and even globally.

Increasing the market for B20 and for soy biodiesel has long been a task, but has shifted into a top priority of the organization.

“When we are talking about our B20 success that happened in Springfield, none of that would have happened if we hadn’t had the network that we’ve built up here. Market development and our policy work will be two areas that really shine in this office,” said Rachel Peabody, ISA director of communications.

The ISA’s B20 Club is a partnership between the ISA and the American Lung Association. The B20 Club recognizes organizations and entities that use, distribute and promote B20 biodiesel.

The bill sponsored by state Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, and state Rep. Eva Dina Delgado, D-Chicago, that passed earlier this spring was highlighted as a big step toward increasing the market for B20 biodiesel in Illinois.

The bill extends the existing sales tax exemption for B10 through 2023 and then raises the biodiesel blend threshold eligible for the sales tax exemption to B13 in 2024, B15 in 2025 and B19 in 2026.

“It’s a bill that is good for Illinois soybeans, it’s good for the 43,000 Illinois soybean growers, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for the industry,” said Joyce as he accepted the ISA’s Legislative Champion award at the open house for the new Lombard location.

The newest member of the B20 Club is the American River Transportation Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Archer Daniels Midland Company.

ARTCO operates line-haul vessels, harbor boats, covered hopper barges, tank barges, harbor and fleeting services, and a full-service shipyard.

The company said 29 vessels in its fleet are powered by B20 to B30 biodiesel, consuming 22 million gallons of biodiesel on an annual basis.

In 2021, Illinois produced 174 million gallons of biodiesel.