Rob Elam, president of Propel Biofuels, fills up with biodiesel.

Vulcan Inc. recently announced it has signed a lease with Seattle-based Propel Biofuels to construct and operate a 9,000-square-foot biofuel station in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. The companies plan to open the station in March 2008.

“This ideal location will make it a convenient stop for both individuals as well as fleet traffic delivering goods throughout the area who are looking for easier access to clean fuel,” said Rob Elam, founder and president of Propel Biofuels.

Biofuel would be provided by Seattle- based Imperium Renewables and would be available in B99 and B20 grades. Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine.

Vulcan plans to incorporate the station into Seattle’s pursuit of LEED for Neighborhood Design (ND) certification for South Lake Union. The LEED-ND program promotes neighborhood design that reduces reliance on cars, provides convenient access to jobs and services through pedestrian- and bike-friendly transit as well as public transit, and promotes more energy- and water-efficient building design. 

The station's design includes energy-efficient lighting and water conserving landscaping. The station will also include the CleanDrive initiative, the nation's first emissions tracking system. Every time a customer fills up at the station, the system calculates emissions savings and report results via a personalized online account for both commercial and individual biofuel users. The South Lake Union tracking system would be linked to the Clean Fuel Point Network so users can track results from multiple sites, according to Propel.

To date, Vulcan has delivered nine residential and mixed-use projects in South Lake Union totaling 1.7 million square feet. Propel Biofuels owns and operates a network of biodiesel filling stations in Washington State.