U.S. steps up biodiesel production

   U.S. producers ramped up biodiesel generation in February, finishing the month at 68 million gallons, a slight increase from January’s total of 66 million gallons, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
   Nearly 75 percent of the February production, which came from 110 plants that can generate up to 2.1 billion gallons per year, originated in the Midwest. Soybean oil was the most common feedstock, followed by corn oil, yellow grease and canola oil.  
   The January and February increases come after a poor end to 2012. November and December biodiesel finished at about 57 million gallons each month. Last year’s production high of 99.7 million gallons occurred in May. In the past three years, the highest production totals occurred in 2011, with December’s 109.4 million gallons topping the list. – Jon Ross