Sprague Celebrates 10 years of Biodiesel in Albany, N. Y.

In March, Sprague Operating Resources LLC celebrated 10 years of offering biodiesel in Albany, N.Y. The company’s biodiesel storage and injection system was inaugurated at Sprague’s Albany terminal on March 30, 2006, and represented Sprague’s first major capital investment designed to increase the availability and distribution of biodiesel blended fuels in the Northeast.

Sprague began supplying biodiesel to customers in 2000, and was the first National Biodiesel Board Certified BQ-9000 terminal marketer in the United States. The storage and injection system in Albany six years later strengthened Sprague’s ability to supply the fuels, and extended the range of availability to customers in upstate New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts. The investment provided a more consistent supply of high-quality biodiesel to customers and afforded a solution to difficulties customers faced when transferring biodiesel from railcars and transport trucks into their delivery fleet. In addition, Sprague’s facility enabled customers to adjust biodiesel blend percentages to meet their unique needs.

Speaking at the opening event in 2006, New York Governor George E. Pataki said, “We recognize the need to reduce our dependence on imported energy, and this new facility shows that this vital energy transition is not only possible, but already underway.”

Since that time, Sprague has expanded availability to other locations in its network and remaining one of the leading suppliers of biodiesel in the region. Sprague recently completed an investment in its Bronx terminal that gives its customers access to dozens of varieties of biodiesel blends.

“It’s as exciting today as it was 10 years ago when we invested in and opened the biodiesel storage and electronic rack injection blending system at our Albany terminal,” said David Glendon, president and chief executive officer. “The Albany project illustrated our belief in offering customers a variety of biodiesel blends, and our $3 million investment in the Bronx terminal last year highlights our continued commitment to offering customers these fuels.”