Press Release

Customers Invited to Biodiesel Grand Opening Event on Friday

The South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council (SDSRPC) is pleased to announce that Ken’s Shell Express in Aberdeen now has biodiesel available to customers. Through a partnership with SDSRPC, Ken’s Shell Express recently installed a biodiesel blender pump and will offer biodiesel blends of B10, B20 and B50. To celebrate, the organizations are hosting a grand opening event on Friday at Ken’s Shell Express in Aberdeen.

The grand opening promotion will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday. The first 100 customers who fill up with biodiesel during the promotion will each receive a $50 gift certificate to Ken’s Shell Express for their next biodiesel purchase. Representatives from MEG Corp, a leading fuel consulting company, will also be available to provide technical expertise and assistance to users who may have questions about biodiesel.

“We are excited for the opportunity to offer our customers biodiesel and look forward to our continued partnership with the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council,” said Cory Apple, C-Store Manager at Ken’s Shell Express in Aberdeen. “We invite folks to come out to our grand opening, fill up and learn more about premium fuel.”

Biodiesel is a renewable, clean-burning diesel replacement used in existing diesel engines. It is the first and only commercial-scale fuel produced across the U.S. to meet the EPA’s definition as an Advanced Biofuel – meaning the EPA has determined that it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50 percent when compared with petroleum diesel. In 2015, 52% of biodiesel produced in the U.S. was made from soybean oil.

“Brown County is one of the top soybean producing areas in South Dakota. Having a locally-grown, renewable biofuel available not only adds value to biodiesel users, but also to soybean farmers and our rural communities,” said Todd Hanten, farmer from Goodwin and SDSRPC board member.

Demand for biodiesel increases demand for U.S. soybean oil, which has helped boost the value of soybean oil. This processing adds 63 cents per bushel in value to the bottom line for soybean farmers. Biodiesel also works for the U.S. soybean industry’s No. 1 customer – poultry and livestock farmers – by lowering the price of soybean meal. As more soybean oil is processed for biodiesel production, more soybean meal is available for animal feed.

Contact: Sarah Tveidt, Communications Director, 605.330.9942