San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has announced a proposed agreement between the Port of San Francisco and Darling International to build a biodiesel production facility near Pier 92 in the port’s Southern Waterfront.
By Paul Duclos
Published: October, 2008
The facility, which could produce between 7.5 million to 10 million gallons annually, would allow for the nation’s first local processing of recycled fats, greases and tallow to biodiesel in an urban setting. The fuel will be used by vehicles.
Darling International has operated a rendering facility on port property since 1966 and is the port’s largest maritime exporter. Rendering involves processing food industry by-products into fat (tallow) and solids (meat and bone meal). Subject to Port Commission approval, Darling plans to upgrade its port facilities to convert fats already produced at the facility into high-quality biodiesel for use in vehicles. In addition, Darling plans to make site beautification and other environmental improvements.
The City and County of San Francisco’s entire diesel fleet currently operates on biodiesel fuel. This transfer to biodiesel was achieved through a Mayoral Executive Order, which required 100 percent of fleets to use B20 biodiesel, a blend of 80 percent petroleum diesel and 20 percent biodiesel for the City’s 1,500 diesel vehicles. It also calls for the using biodiesel with higher biocontent as technology evolves.
Matson Recognized as IT Leader
Matson Navigation Company has been recognized as a Laureate by the Computerworld Honors Program in the transportation category for its Integrated Document Management (IDM) initiative. IDM has successfully streamlined operations and eliminated paper-based processes across Matson’s business units, while simultaneously reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction. For two decades, Computerworld Honors has acknowledged those individuals and organizations that have used information technology to benefit society.
In vessel engineering, Matson now manages all engineering drawings and repair manuals electronically, thereby improving productivity, saving physical space and reducing costs. Finance now handles the flow of invoices through the accounts payable system using IDM. The company’s logistics unit, Matson Integrated Logistics, has incorporated IDM into its custom-developed operating platform.
The Computerworld Honors Program unites Chairmen and CEOs of the world’s foremost information technology companies to recognize the most outstanding user achievements in technology each year. The technology achievements honored by this program are preserved and protected in national archives, and in over 350 universities, museums, and research institutions throughout the world.
Oakland Shipper Constructs Container Art
APL, the Oakland-based container shipping business of Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), has recently helped create an innovative connection between the humble cargo container and the world of art.
The Containart Pavilion is a temporary building constructed from 150 of APL’s 20-foot containers and 34 10-meter recyclable paper tubes. It is the brainchild of renowned Japanese architectural artist Shigeru Ban. By employing marine containers and giant paper columns to form its walls, he has created a recyclable structure that will house some major artworks as part of the second Singapore Biennale.
The Biennale is the city-state’s premier contemporary visual arts festival, and was first held in Singapore in 2006. The event is organized by the National Arts Council and features the works of more than 50 artists and art collectives from around 36 countries located at sites all over Singapore.
The Containart Pavilion, which is located at Marina Bay near Singapore’s central business district, will house an exhibition of contemporary art through November. Once the project ends, the containers will return to service in the world’s shipping lanes.
The NOL Group previously supported a Shigeru Ban architectural installation in 2006, when APL containers formed a vital part of a museum constructed on the New York City waterfront. For more information on the Containart Pavilion and Singapore Biennale 2008, go to www.singaporebiennale.org.
