Overview
 
The biodiesel industry is growing and changing at a rapid pace, which makes determinations of current and future capacity and future demand for the product virtually impossible. However, significant trends in fuel usage and price, as well as trends in supply and price of input materials allow for reliable estimates. New energy legislation passed in December 2007 will also encourage further investment in biofuels production and handling.

Biodiesel that is predominantly derived from soybean oil is not a unique concept; in fact, the first diesel engines by Rudolph Diesel in the 1890s were designed to run on refined vegetable oils. Inexpensive petroleum-based fuels prevented biodiesel fuels from receiving much consideration until fuel shortages occurred in the 1970s and again during the Gulf War in the 1990s. Both of these interruptions to cheap oil supplies sparked renewed interest and research in using domestically grown and renewable sources for fuel production. Biodiesel did not experience general acceptance in the United States until the late 1990s even though it has been used extensively in Europe for nearly a quarter century.  December 2007 . . . Biodiesel

Listen/watch an informational update on the biodiesel industry presented by Iowa State University Extension Value-Added Agriculture Program. (Note: You must have a high-speed Internet connection to view and hear this Breeze presentation.) . . . Breeze Presentation . . . Presentation PowerPoint only

Marketing

• Alternative Fuels Data Center. 
• Biodiesel - Distillate Usage Patterns in Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, 2005.
• Biodiesel, Market to Market, Iowa Public Television, 2002 - Explore biodiesel's future and West Central Cooperative in Iowa and their biodiesel efforts.
• Biodiesel: The Sustainability Dimensions, ATTRA, 2006.
• Biodiesel Marine Biodiesel In Recreational Boats - Technical Handbook, CytoCulture International, Inc., 1999.
• Biodiesel Marine Marketing Opportunities: Successes and Challenges in the Chesapeake Bay, MARC IV Consulting.
• Canadian Renewable Fuels Association.
• End-User Survey: Implications for Industry Growth, Prepared by ASG Renaissance, Dearborn, Michigan, 2004. 
• Evaluating Biodiesel as a Value-added Opportunity, Department of Economics, Iowa State University, 2004 - This paper looks at the current interest and growth in the industry and examines considerations for investing.
• The Growth and Direction of the Biodiesel Industry in the United States, Nick D. Paulson and Roger G. Ginder, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), Iowa State University, May 2007.
• The National Biodiesel Board - National trade association representing the biodiesel industry.
• Renewable Fuels Association.
• Soybeans, Briefing Room, Economic Research Service, USDA.

Processing/Manufacturing

• National Ag-Based Lubricants Center, University of Northern Iowa - Research program dedicated to industrial lubricants made from oil.
• Biodiesel Attributes and Consideration for Use, Ag Environmental Products, L.L.C.
• Co-generation Using Wind and Biodiesel-Powered Generators, Department of Applied Economics, College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, 2005. 
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory- An overview of biodiesel and petroleum diesel lifecycles.
• SOYA and Oilseed Bluebook - World-wide soy industry directory.
• U.S. Department of Energy Office of Biomass Programs - Numerous research reports on alternative fuels and new technologies.

Production

• A Slicker Soybean, Farm Journal, September 2006 - Researchers are attempting to increase the oil content of soybeans for biodiesel production.
• BERA (Biomass Energy Research Association) - Association of biofuel researchers, companies and advocates.
• Integrated Pest Management Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education (IPMPIPE) - An online warning system to help soybean farmers protect their crop from devastating Asian Soybean Rust (ASR).  Farmers can use maps of nationwide sentinel planting results to assess likelihood of disease and whether there is need for preventative fungicide applications. Other management tools and information available on this site.

Businesses/Case Studies

• Ag Environmental Products, L.L.C. - An AGP subsidiary doing research and market development of soy oil.
• Agricultural Cooperatives and Marketing Bioenergy Crops, Cooperative Development for Agriculture and Energy, 1998. 
• American Soybean Association - Membership organization promoting soybean production and consumption.
• Economic Feasibility Review for Community-Scale Farmer Cooperatives for Biodiesel, The Land Institute, Salina, Kansas, 1999.
• Office of Transportation Technology- Regional biomass energy program success stories.
• Renewable Energy Group  - Turnkey biodiesel plants.
• Value-Added Corner: Farmers Co-Op Elevator, Value-Added Producer Grant Success Stories, Rural Cooperatives, 2004 - Biodiesel project looks promising for Iowa co-op.
• West Central Soy - A leading manufacturer of soy fuels, lubricants and cleaners.

 Links checked February 2008.