Monsanto buses switch to biodiesel

St. Louis-based agriculture conglomerate Monsanto Co. is getting on the biodiesel bandwagon, starting with the three-bus fleet that shuttles its employees around the world headquarters facility.

Kevin Mclean, Monsanto’s research services manager, said using B20, a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum, combined with a 3-mpg increase in efficiency by switching from gasoline to diesel engines, should result in a 20% savings in fuel costs.

The shuttle buses travel 178 miles per day, averaging over 3,300 riders per month.

“When we decided to bring the shuttle service in-house, we thought that given our involvement in the oilseed business, it would be great if the shuttles could run on biodiesel,” Mclean said. “It’s excellent to be able to support our soybean farmers by using biodiesel fuel.”

“By using B20, we are reducing the environmental impact of our shuttle buses, while contributing to domestic energy security and the American economy,” he added