KAHULUI, Hawaii, April 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance today announced that it has certified Pacific Biodiesel, Hawaii's award-winning and internationally recognized producer of renewable fuels and the only commercial biofuel producer in the state, and its Big Island Biodiesel plant for showcasing sustainable biodiesel production and distribution practices.

With a nameplate production capacity of 5.5 million gallons annually and utilizing state-of-the art distillation technology to produce the highest quality biodiesel in the country, the plant is the first biodiesel facility of its kind in the United States to earn this certification.

The certification, awarded by the non-profit Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance, is two fold:

Big Island Biodiesel earned "Gold Certified" status as a Biodiesel Producer with a score of 78 of 100.
Pacific Biodiesel/Big Island Biodiesel earned "Platinum Certified" status as a Biodiesel Distributor with a score of 92 of 100.
"The SBA is very pleased with the results of the certification audit, and applauds Pacific Biodiesel for being a leader in sustainably produced biodiesel," said Jeff Plowman, Vice-Chair of the SBA.

The certification process included an audit performed by independent third party auditor, Chris Garth of Carolina Management System Services, Inc.

"It was a pleasure auditing the management systems of Pacific Biodiesel," said Chris. "The biodiesel produced at Big Island Biodiesel is made efficiently, yielding high quality fuel that meets ASTM D 6751, and in an organizational culture that scores very high - and drives continual improvement - in quality, environmental, health, safety and sustainability metrics."

The certification process evaluated a variety of production and distribution practices including:

Control of air emissions
Reduced water consumption
Continuous improvement toward zero-waste production
Lower energy consumption
Development of sustainable purchasing policies
Creation of diverse community benefits
"We are thrilled to hear today's announcement from SBA's Certification Committee," said Jenna Long, Director of Operations, Pacific Biodiesel. "This gives our entire team a great sense of pride and reinforces our company's mission to make clean, renewable fuels in the most sustainable and community-focused manner possible. We also received valuable input during the certification process so that we can continue to improve the sustainability practices of our facility."

About The Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance

The Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance (SBA) is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization created to promote sustainable biodiesel practices, including the harvesting, production and distribution of biodiesel fuels. These efforts include Environmental, Social and Economic sustainability. When biodiesel advocates Kelly King, Annie Nelson and Daryl Hannah formed the alliance in 2006, their ultimate goal was to create a certification system for verifying that all points in the production and distribution of the fuel are sustainable. This certification system, officially launched in 2016, will not only provide transparency for the consumer but also build extra value for a sustainable product. Since its creation, the Alliance has grown to include family farmers and farm organizations such as Farm Aid, the Institute for Agriculture Trade and Policy (IATP), members of the 25 x 25 coalition, environmental organizations, renewable energy experts and a wide array of NGO's.

About Pacific Biodiesel

Founded in 1995, Pacific Biodiesel established and operated the very first retail biodiesel pump in America and for the past two decades has built a solid reputation as a leading pioneer in the renewable energy industry. With more than 70 employees statewide, the company excels in constructing and operating biodiesel-processing plants, advancing process technology, and producing and marketing quality fuels. An innovator and industry leader, Pacific Biodiesel has earned numerous community, state, national and international awards, including most recently its founders Bob and Kelly King being named to the international list of the Top 100 People in the Bioeconomy for 2016. Throughout its history, Pacific Biodiesel's vision has remained constant: to create truly sustainable, community-based biodiesel production facilities in order to maximize the economic and environmental benefits and minimize energy consumption.