THE COMPANY
Renewable Energy Group (REG) is the largest biodiesel producer in the US, operating 13 biorefineries across the country. A world leader in biofuel advocacy, this innovative Fortune 1000 company has worked to create a more sustainable future for fuel since 1996.
THE CHALLENGE
The REG Seneca Biorefinery in Northern Illinois produces 60 million gallons of biodiesel every year. Located an hour’s drive from Chicago off Interstate 80, the busy refinery sees more than 100 trucks come through the facility on a daily basis—with thousands more passing by on their way to the city.
To capitalize on their traffic and location, they decided to build their first ever REG-branded biodiesel fueling station right outside the refinery. The station is open to visiting trucks, as well as drivers off Interstate 80.
THE SOLUTION
Acterra built the state-of-the-art Seneca Diesel Fueling Station complete with fast-fill nozzles and a secondary dispenser to make it quick and convenient for trucks leaving the refinery to fuel up on their way out. The fueling station is open 24/7, 365 days a year, and offers drivers both diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) and biodiesel.
Acterra built and installed three underground storage tanks (UST) for the project: a 5,000-gallon DEF tank, a 20,000-gallon tank for diesel, and a 15,000-gallon tank for bio. The diesel and bio are blended on-site via a wireless biocontroller, which determines the percentage of the blend based on the weather. Since Chicago regularly plunges below freezing in the winter, the tanks are heated to maintain a steady temperature, no matter the season. Like other fuel management systems Acterra has created, the Seneca Diesel Fueling Station can be monitored remotely, with operators able to adjust to the blend ratio without stepping foot on the facility.
THE MATERIALS
At the heart of the fueling station are three STI Permatank underground storage tanks with heaters from Process Heating and a tank monitoring system from Veeder Root. The submersible pumping system was manufactured by Franklin Fueling.
A fuel management system from Fuelmaster acts as the brains of the operation and is supported with additional fuel blending equipment from All-Line Bio.
To create a seamless, easy fueling experience for customers, we chose a dispensing system from Wayne Fueling with dispensing accessories from Husky.
Other equipment and supplies critical to the project:
- Tank accessories from Morrison Bros.
- Underground piping from OPW
- Submersible pumps for Red Jacket
- Fiberglass pipelines from Source North America
THE RESULTS
The Seneca Diesel Fueling Station has been in continuous operation since opening July 17, 2019, and has been a proven success for REG. Thanks to this easy access to biodiesel, truck drivers along Interstate 80 have a more convenient place to fill up on cleaner fuel.
