BlackGold discovered in Florida!

This past month Emily Landsburg, CEO of BlackGold traveled to Orlando to represent the company at the annual WEFTEC and NAWT conferences.

Both drew considerable attention to BlackGold, particularly at NAWT, where Landsburg was a featured presenter.

Florida is just one of the Southeast states heavily afflicted by FOG. Adding a Fog-to-Fuel system to municipalities of the region would significantly cut back on SOS's, structural damage, and public health concerns. Landsburg's educational seminar was just the first stepping stone in cleaning out the Southeast.

San Francisco is Underway!

San Francisco commissioning is underway!

Just 10 months after BlackGold and the City of San Francisco signed a contract to implement a FOG-to-Fuel™ system in the City's water treatment facility, BlackGold delivered the skid-mounted unit on-time.




Over the next few months BlackGold's technical team will be commissioning the plant to produce ASTM grade biodiesel from the City's sewer grease. This will save the City millions in avoided costs and allow the City to produce a valuable asset (biodiesel) to sell on the market or use in their diesel fleets.

BlackGold attends MAC Conference

On Nov. 3 & 4, BlackGold was among 1,000 participants in the Mid Atlantic Capital Conference-- the oldest and most established venture conference in the Northeast!

Check out more:

http://www.macalliance.com/conference/index.asp

BlackGold Receives Diploma

Along with 9 other companies that were chosen to participate in the 2009 Business Incubator, BlackGold graduated from thee Good Company Venture's program on September 17th. The graduation was marked by an opportunity to pitch the company to a group of accredited investors.

Overall the program was a great success and paved invaluable networks for BlackGold's optimistic future.

http://www.goodcompanyventures.org/

Philadelphia Mayor Nutter Welcomes BlackGold to Sustainable Buisness Incubator

In a press conference Monday, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Ben & Jerry's former president Chuck Lacy unveiled Good Company Ventures 2009 Incubator Class at Good Company's headquarters in the Navy Yard.

This distinguished group consists of business located right here in Philadelphia and as far away as India. BlackGold is excited to be part of such an elite group of social entrepreneurs.

Above: Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and BlackGold CEO Emily Landsburg

Above: Mayor Nutter poses with 2009 Incubator Class

See the Philadelphia Inquirer article about the event here.

The 2009 Incubator Class:

BlackGold Accepted to Good Company Ventures Incubator Class of 2009

Good Company Ventures, a leading incubator in the social entrepreneurship sector, has chosen BlackGold Biofuels as part of their newly formed partnership with the Wharton School of Business. Through this partnership, Good Company Ventures will offer strategic advisement to the incubator class of 2009 with the fresh perspective of Wharton students.

BlackGold was accepted with two other businesses Math Foundations, LLC and Onion Flats. These businesses, along with BlackGold represent the clean-technology, education, and design industries.

Read the full article here.

Check out Onion Flats and Math Foundations, LLC.

BlackGold Presents at Puget Sound Brown Grease Symposium

BlackGold recently presented at the Puget Sound Brown Grease Symposium on April 15th.

Emily snapped the above shot of the Space Needle while on break from the Symposium.

Washington State is US's leading state in terms of biodiesel incentives and laws, the following map shows the official breakdown.

BlackGold Presenting at NAWT Waste Treatment Symposium

BlackGold will be presenting at the National Association of Wastewater Transporters (NAWT) Waste Treatment symposium this October 9-10 in Orlando, FL.

The NAWT Symposium immediately precedes WEFTEC's annual conference (where BlackGold will be present as well, details coming soon). BlackGold will be presenting on Day 2 at the Convert Grease Trap Waste to an Asset.

If you are interested in attending, you can register with NAWT by phone at 1-800-236-6298 or www.nawt.org

Intership Opportunities at BlackGold!

BlackGold is currently seeking summer and year-round interns. Please see the following description.

Summer and Year-round Internship Opportunities at Renewable Energy/Alternative Fuel Company

BlackGold Biofuels (formerly known as Philadelphia Fry-o-Diesel) is a Philadelphia start-up that has developed patent-pending technology to convert sewer greases into biodiesel, a low-carbon renewable diesel fuel. After 4 years of R&D at its North Philadelphia pilot plant, BlackGold is now licensing its technology for integration at waste water treatment plants and biodiesel production facilities. These low-value waste greases, often contaminated by sewage and trash, are too rancid for conventional biodiesel processing technology. BlackGold’s novel chemical process enables these to be cost-effectively converted to high-quality biodiesel – opening the door to a vast array of low cost raw materials (and thus more profitable biodiesel), providing beneficial reuses for many wastes and pollutants, and providing a feedstock for biodiesel production that does not compete with food sources. This winter BlackGold sold its first license and processing unit to the City of San Francisco and is poised for rapid growth. More information is available at www.BlackGoldBiofuels.com.

This next year BlackGold will conduct a funding round (targeting angels and small investment firms with interest in sustainable, triple bottom line businesses), building and commissioning our first commercial scale plant, shifting gears from an R&D focused company to an aggressive national product roll-out. We are seeking top-caliber interns to assist in preparing materials for fundraising, navigating the funding/deal-making landscape, improving marketing collateral, determining optimal product/license structures and roll-outs, and developing and formalizing relationships with strategic vendors/partners. We’re a small, hands-on, progressive company that values team members’ ideas – we’re happy to customize an internship work plan at the intersection of your interests/skill set and our needs.

Schedule and duration of internships are flexible – open to anything from 5 hours/week to full-time/seasonal. We have a small office in Center City Philadelphia – interns can work here, independently from their own location, or a combination of the two. BlackGold is an equal opportunity employer.

Position Openings at BlackGold Biofuels

BlackGold has openings for a Vice President of Business Development and PE Chemical Engineer Consultant.

Vice President of Business Development

BlackGold Biofuels developed patent-pending technology to convert fats, oils, and greases from the sewers (trap grease) into biodiesel, a low-carbon diesel fuel that can be used in unmodified diesel engines. BlackGold sells the technology license and processing equipment to wastewater treatment plants and large grease pumpers so that they can convert this grease liability into a revenue stream. The prefabricated, skid-mounted processing units easily integrate into treatment plants, with small footprints and continuous, fully-automated operations. The technology simultaneously addresses urgent needs in the wastewater and biofuels sectors: a best-value disposal pathway for rancid greases and a profitable means to meet the growing demand for biodiesel. With a high-visibility sale to the City of San Francisco, increasing legislation motivating buyers, growing cultural and political attention to related environmental issues, and first-mover advantage, BlackGold is poised for rapid growth and long-term success. After 5 years of R&D, BlackGold is now in commercialization phase and filling out its management team to launch the product nationally, then globally.

The Vice President, Business Development will be an integral member of the executive management team, overseeing and implementing business development for the high-growth start-up. VP of Business Development will:

• Qualify existing and develop future sales leads, convert them into signed sales, negotiate sales contracts, and oversee smooth hand-off to project manager;
• Set and meet sales and marketing objectives/budgets;
• Develop, continuously improve, and implement sales and marketing plans;
• Build internal and external sales network (identify, contract with, and manage manufacturer's reps, etc);
• Work with CEO to develop strategic vendor and partner relationships; and
• Collaborate with Marketing Manager to optimize marketing channels and campaigns once that role is filled; Collaborate with R&D Manager on market trends, customer needs and new products/improvements to determine R&D priorities.

In the short-term, this position will need to leverage a small staff and limited budget...and then effectively manage a much larger budget and staff as the company grows. The right candidate will thrive with the autonomy, agility, and upside potential of a start-up as well as the unique demands and constraints also characteristic of this environment. As a small company, management plays a key role in implementation as well as oversight, and thus it is important to be able to both think strategically and execute in the trenches.

Ideal candidates will have broad contacts within the waste water sector, an understanding of the industry landscape, and a personal reputation for integrity and follow-through. Demonstrated entrepreneurial performance, general creativity and resourcefulness, and genuine interest in sustainability are musts. Experience in project finance, media relations, public-private partnerships, project development, operations management, public speaking are each plusses.

The position will be based out of BlackGold’s Philadelphia office and involve significant travel. Compensation package will be a combination of a base salary, equity, and commission, weighted heavily toward the latter two. This is an excellent opportunity for an entrepreneurial person to get onboard a clean-tech business positioned to take advantage of growing opportunities in both the water infrastructure and renewable energy spaces. BlackGold is an equal opportunity employer. Send cover letter and resume to: info@BlackGoldBiofuels.com.

PE Chemical Engineer Consultant

BlackGold Biofuels developed patent-pending technology to convert fats, oils, and greases from the sewers (trap grease) into biodiesel, a low-carbon diesel fuel that can be used in unmodified diesel engines. BlackGold sells the technology license and processing equipment to wastewater treatment plants and large grease pumpers so that they can convert this grease liability into a revenue stream. The prefabricated, skid-mounted processing units easily integrate into treatment plants, with small footprints and continuous, fully-automated operations. The technology simultaneously addresses urgent needs in the wastewater and biofuels sectors: a best-value disposal pathway for rancid greases and a profitable means to meet the growing demand for biodiesel. With a high-visibility sale to the City of San Francisco, increasing legislation motivating buyers, growing cultural and political attention to related environmental issues, and first-mover advantage, BlackGold is poised for rapid growth and long-term success. After 5 years of R&D, BlackGold is now in commercialization phase.

This is an excellent opportunity to work with a very creative team conducting cutting-edge clean-tech research, development, and commercialization. The Engineering Consultant will join the existing technical team (www.blackgoldbiofuels.com/Team.html) and provide general, as-needed support related to process scale up and optimization, pilot plant upgrades and operations, process troubleshooting, design review, safety and HazOps review, procurement of new and used equipment, creative design solutions on a budget, mentoring Engineers in Training, and occasional CAD work. At times, work may be hands-on and may require stamping drawings. This position can be largely home-based, though will require visits to the North Philadelphia pilot plant at least every two weeks. Participation on a standing hour-long weekly conference call is required, as is execution of a nondisclosure agreement. Position will require occasional (~2x/yr) travel to San Francisco (for project installation and commissioning) and St. Louis (to review progress of fabricator).

Candidate should be a PE Chemical Engineer with at least 10 years work experience and access to CAD. Experience in a pilot plant, process development, and/or operations, a resourceful and creative nature, and enjoying working with your hands are all plusses. This position is nonexclusive, meaning there is no prohibition against contracting for other nonconflicting companies. Time commitment is estimated to be 4 hours/week, though may vary from 1-40 hours per week. Higher volume weeks will be predictable in advance and fairly flexible.

Please send cover letter and resume to info@BlackGoldBiofuels.com. We look forward to hearing from you. BlackGold is an equal opportunity employer.

BlackGold Featured on CBS3!

BlackGold Biofuels was featured this morning in CBS3's EnergyWatch Segment.

Watch the segment here.

Read the story here.

Lots of Interest for BlackGold at Pumpershow!

BlackGold Biofuels has generated lots of interest this week at Booth 13033n at the Pumpershow in Louisville, KY. BlackGold staff is available to answer questions about integrating its technology into public and private wastewater treatment plants as well as dewatering sites.

Visit us at the Pumpershow! Booth 13033

Visit BlackGold Biofuels at Booth 13033 at the Pumpershow in Louiseville, KY from February 26-28. BlackGold staff will be available to answer questions about integrating its technology into public and private wastewater treatment plants as well as dewatering sites.

Gavin Newsom Introduces BlackGold's San Fancisco Plant

In a press conference held Feb. 4, 2009, San Francisco Mayor, Gavin Newsom, talked about the benefits that BlackGold's technology will have, both for the city and for the environment as a whole. Mayor Newsom can be seen holding 2 of BlackGold's most recognizable props-- the before-an-after jars of trap grease!

Check out the youtube video of Mayor Newsom on our channel to the right.

Oceanside Sewage Treatment Plant Site Visit

Members of the BlackGold Biofuels team met today with San Francisco Public Utilities Commission project engineers at Oceanside Treatment Plant in San Francisco. The team surveyed the site, reviewed key layout parameters, and discussed various site-specific optimization opportunities. The equipment installation will be extremely simple, by design; essentially only requiring connection to utilities at a single location on the skid. Since the skid-mounted processing equipment will be fabricated offsite, the team will likely not return to the treatment plant until installation in the fall. After hundreds of hours on the phone, everyone was excited to finally meet in person.

San Francisco Mayor, EPA Announce Partnership with BlackGold Biofuels

Members of the BlackGold Biofuels Team pose with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, members of the Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission, and other project partners at the press conference.

On Feb 4th, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, EPA, and California Energy Commission held a press conference announcing the first commercial-scale brown grease to biodiesel facility in the country. After an international search, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission selected BlackGold Biofuels’ conversion technology for the project. The City has purchased a technology license and associated processing equipment from BlackGold that will be utilized at its award-winning Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant.

By November 2009, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SF PUC) will produce biodiesel at a rate of 100,000 gallons per year exclusively from this sewer trap grease (a rancid grease generically referred to as “brown grease”). The SF PUC is pioneering this small installation as a model for public and private sewage treatment plants, and through a grant from EPA will develop a toolkit to facilitate implementation of this technology at cities across the nation. BlackGold is poised for rapid growth as San Francisco markets this technology to other municipalities as part of their grant.

San Francisco estimates that grease blockages in San Francisco sewers account for 50% of all sewer emergencies and annually costs the City $3.5 million in cleanings. Creating an incentive to keep grease out of the sewers should greatly reduce that figure. But even this massive savings is dwarfed by cost savings related to reducing wear and tear on the sewer infrastructure. Grease blockages are removed by jetting, chipping, even jackhammering, abrasive actions that reduce sewer line lifespan. According to SF Public Utilities Commission consultant Biofuel Recycling, the sewer system is the City’s largest linear asset, worth approximately $9.5 Billion. Biofuel Recycling estimates that conservatively, clearing blockages reduces infrastructure lifespan by 0.5%. Therefore grease blockages are costing the City approximately $24 Million a year in reduced infrastructure lifespan.

Converting this grease into biodiesel not only solves a pollution problem and reduces operations and maintenance costs, it provides fuel for the PUC. The conversion by-products can be utilized in other processes at the treatment plant.

Read the full Press Release on MSNBC.

BlackGold Biofuels Presents at National Biodiesel Board Conference

BlackGold Biofuels presented in the National Biodiesel Conference technical track session 33, “Sustainable Production Technologies.” Black Gold was selected for its pioneering work with brown grease.

The National Biodiesel Board defines sustainability as “meeting today’s needs in terms of environmental stewardship, economic prosperity, and quality of life without compromising future generations’ ability of to meet these needs for themselves.” Using BlackGold’s model for converting brown grease to biodiesel provides multiple sustainability advantages in terms of this triple bottom line (planet, profit, people).

Grease is a leading cause of sewer overflows, which cost municipalities millions in fines, damage public and private property, and release untreated contaminants into the watershed. Beneficial reuse for this grease creates incentives to keep grease traps properly maintained, reducing overflows. For biodiesel producers, raw materials comprise about 75% of production costs; starting with a low or negative-value, material translates into an ability to make fuel for a much lower cost. Reducing municipal costs and making renewable fuel production more profitable and affordable is always in favor, creating jobs and value to ratepayers. Using a local resource to help meet local energy needs increases energy security and strengthens the local economy, creating green collar jobs. And of course, biodiesel is a low-carbon, renewable alternative to conventional diesel fuel; addition to reducing dangerous emissions, it reduces our reliance on foreign petroleum.

Landsburg in NBB General Session

As part of the Tuesday General Session of the National Biodiesel Conference, Emily Landsburg spoke to a crowd of over 2,000 conference attendees about the National Biodiesel Board Sustainability Task Force’s accomplishments since its formation last February. In addition to her role as CEO of BlackGold Biofuels, Emily serves as Chairman of the Task Force. She unveiled a set of Sustainability Principles developed by the Task Force and adopted by the NBB Governing Board that will serve as guideposts as the US biodiesel industry grows. The principles cover issues such as food security, climate change mitigation, safe working conditions, and natural resource management. The full text of the Principles is available here: Guiding Principles for Biodiesel Sustainability.

In addition to the Principles, Emily discussed measuring a business’ impact with respect to a triple bottom line: people, profit, and planet. “Not only is this for ethical reasons,” Landsburg explained, “but for business reasons as well. What you’re actually doing when you ask yourself about the people and the planet is asking – what are the externalities in this market? Are there conditions that are not impacting the market now, but will in the future through regulation, supply and demand, or public opinion? Foreseeing these issues keeps you on the cutting edge, gives you a leg up on your competition, and keeps our industry as a whole ahead of the curve.” BlackGold Biofuels is committed to the triple bottom line and honoring the NBB’s Sustainability Principles. BlackGold is a member of the Philadelphia Sustainable Business Network.

Listen to Emily's speech here.
Read Biodiesel Magazine’s coverage of the presentation here.
Sustainability Task Force website.

Philadelphia Fry-o-Diesel changes name to BlackGold Biofuels

Philadelphia Fry-o-Diesel (PFoD) is now doing business as BlackGold Biofuels. The name was changed to better reflect the company’s focus on conversion of low-quality brown grease such as sewer trap grease and national focus.

Our new name is a nod to the early days of the petroleum era, with new relevance for our current energy landscape. Rather than finite crude petroleum drilled in wells in foreign lands, this new BlackGold is a renewable resource, “crude” in the rancid sense, found down manholes in our own cities, close to energy demand. In this era, we strive to meet our energy needs with local resources in a way that strengthens our economies, enhances our energy independence, and improves our environmental footprint. Welcome to the new BlackGold.

Read more about the company history here.

New Logo

Along with our new name, we now have a new logo. The recycling arrows in the oil drop reflect our core concept – beneficial reuse of waste material into high-value, environmentally superior fuel.

Studio ETC, the local design firm who designed the logo, deserve a big 'Thank You'. In addition to having top rate designers, the company runs off of renewable energy, is a member of the Philadelphia Sustainable Business Network, and offers frequent community events promoting sustainability. A longtime supporter of our company’s mission, Studio ETC designed the logo for Philadelphia Fry-o-Diesel as well. Visit their website at www.studioetc.com

New Website

At long last, PFOD is proud to unveil its new website. We hope that this new site offers more content in a format that is easier to navigate. We welcome suggestions for improvement. Please email info@BlackGoldBiofuels.com with your recommendations. Many thanks to Angela Kassahun, Casey Rieder, Ruben Gailbraith and Jessi Mulroney for their work on this site.