ENERGY
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Winter Fuels
Quay Zander Petroleum Operations( 952) 466-3727
quayz @ midcountycoop. com
With proper storage and handling techniques, you can expect trouble free operation of your diesel engines this winter.
Without a proper winter fuel strategy diesel fuel will gel in cold temperatures. # 2 diesel typically has a cloud point anywhere from 0 ° F to 12 ° F. The cloud point is the temperature at which wax crystals can be seen in the fuel with the naked eye. # 1 diesel usually has a cloud point of-40 ° F. However, during winter months, # 1 can cost 20-50 cents more per gallon than # 2, and # 1 has a lower BTU content resulting in lower fuel economy. For these reasons we use cold-flow additives. The use of additives will not completely replace the need to use # 1 diesel, but can save you money by using less # 1.
There are different types of cold flow additives, including cold-flow improvers, deicers and WASA. Cold-flow improvers help improve low-temperature operability of fuel by a process called“ wax crystal modification” by inhibiting wax crystal growth and a term called agglomeration. De-icers help keep water in the fuel system from freezing. WASA( Wax Anti-Settling Agent) is an important component to a winter additive package. WASA keeps naturally occurring paraffin in diesel suspended in the fuel, preventing them from dropping to the bottom and plugging fuel filters.
A combination of these cold flow additives may give the best results for diesel and biodiesel blend winter operability. Biodiesel blends up to 5 % will behave the same as straight # 2 diesels and can be treated as such. In recent years, there were issues with blending bio diesel with # 1, which led the State of Minnesota to eliminate the requirement of blending bio diesel with the # 1 portion of the fuel during the winter months. So technically, many winter blends with # 1 fuel are actually below the 5 % bio that is mandated by the state.
Besides blending fuel for winter, the elimination of water is the key to avoiding fuel related problems. Water is caused by condensation of air in warm weather and hot engines. When temperatures are consistently below 32 ° F, the water droplets will cause filter plugging and can damage injectors. It is important to check for water in your storage and vehicle tanks before the cold weather sets in. Because the viscosity of fuel increases in the winter months, it is recommended to install a new dispenser filter on your storage tank at the beginning of winter.
Mid-County offers fuels that that can be customized to your specific needs. Our summer premium fuels will protect you from algae. Our winter fuels are proven to operate at-30 ° F.
If you are in need of tanks, pumps, filters or hoses and nozzles, or maybe you want to have a fuel sample taken, Mid-County is here to help. Even if you have a specific fuel question, give me a call at( 952) 466- 3727.
SPCC on the Farm- It’ s Time to Plan
SPCC is short for Oil Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure program. As a farm operation in Minnesota, the EPA is requiring each of you to take the time to prepare a plan if you meet the below criteria. If you are wondering if you need a plan, here is a quick guide to help you determine the need:
1. Do you store, transfer, use, or consume oil or oil products, such as diesel fuel, gasoline, lube oil, hydraulic oil, or other oil products?
2. Do you store more than 1,320 US gallons in above ground containers or more than 42,000 gallons in completely buried containers? Count only those containers of oil that have a storage capacity of 55 US gallons and above.
John Hendel Sales & Marketing Manager
( 952) 466-3731
johnh @ midcountycoop. com
3. If you have a spill, could the oil product end up discharging into waters of the US or adjoining shorelines, such as interstate waters, intrastate lakes, rivers, and streams?
If you have answered yes to the above questions and you do not have a current SPCC plan, it is time to prepare your operation’ s SPCC plan.
Depending on the type of storage you have and capacity of your storage, you will need to have your plan certified by a Professional Engineer. For those farms that store between 1,320 and 10,000 gallons and have a good spill history( described in the SPCC rule), they may
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Mid-County Coop in Cologne can assist landowners with the development of an SPCC plan. The goal of the SPCC program is to prevent oil spills into water. Oil spills can cause injuries to people and damage water resources needed for farming operations.
be able to self-certify their own plan. If the farm has more than 10,000 gallons, a Professional Engineer is needed. If you are looking for a good website, please check out: http:// www. epa. gov / emergencies / content / spcc / spcc _ ag. htm
It is time to prepare your farm’ s SPCC plan; the deadline for compliance is May 10, 2013. The staff at Mid-County has the resources to help you write and implement your SPCC Plan. Give us a call at( 952) 466-3720, we will come out and help you with your plan.