SAN FRANCISCO --- Sirona Fuels, a company focused on overcoming the speculative nature of the supply and demand sides of the alternative fuels business, announced plans for expansion.

Through its purchase of Blue Sky Biofuels, Sirona has acquired a refinery that produces biodiesel from both virgin and non-virgin feedstocks. The Oakland, CA-based refinery is permitted for 15 million gallons a year and is currently producing ASTM-spec biodiesel from recycled cooking oil.

Sirona has implemented plans for the rapid expansion of its used cooking oil collection business. By the end of 2009, the company expects to produce the majority of its biodiesel from jatropha, an oil-yielding plant that grows on non-arable land and is not part of the food chain. The company has identified commercial sources for jatropha in several countries and is developing businesses that will promote the establishment of jatropha farms in Haiti, India and other developing countries.

By working with feedstocks like used cooking oil and jatropha, Sirona's business model is designed to stabilize fuel prices for its customers, provide sustainable revenue to its suppliers and make significant volumes of high-quality biodiesel available to the market, the company said.

Paul Lacrouciere, CEO of Sirona Fuels, has a 20-year history in the energy industry. "We plan to grow the company exponentially by acquiring more refineries and aggressively expanding our local and international feedstock supplies," he said.