Brewing Up Biodiesel for an “A”

John Davis

A group of students in West Virginia are learning how to brew up biodiesel, while helping run the buses to get them to those classes.

This story from the The State Journal says in the face of $5-a-gallon diesel fuel… and the likelihood of that growing to $6… the Lincoln County High School FFA has started the first biodiesel production center at a public school in the state:

Looking a little like the makings of a mad scientist’s laboratory with its large tanks and rubber tubes, the students’ equipment has the capacity of producing 400 gallons of biodiesel a week at a cost of about $1 per gallon.

The fuel will be used to power a school bus, saving the school district an estimated $32,000 its first year alone. But more importantly, it will give Lincoln County students a jumpstart in a technology that may turn out to be very profitable in the near future.

“It opens the door to a whole new world,” Lincoln County FFA president Katelyn Brogan, 17, said. “You learn so much more from it: How to recycle properly, how to renew your fuels, how to save money and time.”

Brogan isn’t planning on going into the biofuels industry after graduation; instead she wants to study forensics. But she said the group’s work with biodiesel is laying the foundation for biofuel training at the school.

“We are trying to prepare our students earlier and sooner … so they won’t go straight into college and go ‘Oh my gosh, I have no idea what I’m doing,'” she said.

The article goes on to say that the school received money from West Virginia’s Departments of Education and Agriculture to help purchase the $20,000 biodiesel refiner.

You can also check out the Lincoln County High School’s FFA’s web site and blog at www.lincolnffa.com.

Biodiesel

Two New Members on Biodiesel Governing Board

John Davis

The National Biodiesel Board has two new members on its Governing Board.

This NBB release says Greg Hopkins of US Biofuels and Scott Johnson of GEN-X Energy Group replace Graham Noyes, outgoing secretary, of Imperium Renewables, Grays Harbor, Washington; and Jake Stewart of Organic Fuels in Houston:

Hopkins, CEO of US Biofuels, has 35 years of combined experience in the biodiesel and chemical engineering fields, and is involved in several chemical production associations. US Biofuels, a multi-feedstock biodiesel producer, is based in Rome, Ga.

Johnson, president & CEO of GEN-X, has had extensive experience in the food processing industry in capacities ranging from operations to quality assurance. GEN-X is a multi-feedstock producer based in Burbank, Wash.

The governing board elected one of its members, Jim Conway, Griffin Industries, Cold Spring, Ky., as secretary.

This was the first year the NBB used a newly adopted structure to guarantee more biodiesel producers seats on the governing board.

Biodiesel

Promoting Ethanol Before Racing With It

Chuck Zimmerman

Ryan Hunter-ReayConsumers in Ankeny, IA were treated to a little relief at the gas pump today when the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council teamed up with Kum & Go for a pre-race ethanol promotion.

Regular (E10) was selling for $2.50/gallon and E85 was $1.85. I filled up my flex fuel van before I left.

Four of the IndyCar drivers were on hand to help out including Team Ethanol driver, Ryan Hunter-Reay, pictured here doing fill up duties.

I’ll have interviews and more pictures to come. We just got finished with the promotion and are taking a break to get something to eat.

Post Update: Here’s a link to the photo album I’ve started: Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News

GE: Taxes Collected More Than Incentives Paid

John Davis

General Electric has released a study that says the taxes paid back to the U.S. government are more than the tax incentives given to wind energy companies by the government.

This story on CNNMoney.com says the study comes out just after the U.S. Senate failed to move forward a $57 billion renewable energy tax incentive package that includes renewing the production credit for wind energy production that expires January 1, 2009.

The GE unit estimates wind farms built last year will provide $250 million in tax revenue to the U.S. Treasury. Losses from the incentive program will be offset by income tax revenue from the wages of workers, project vendors and the project itself once the 10-year credit period expires, according to the GE study.

“Too often, politics, rather than economics, has shaped the debate about extending the production tax credit,” said Michael Eckhart, president of the American Council on Renewable Energy. “GE’s new study identifying additional economic benefits of the wind industry should bring all parties together.”

The production tax credit provides wind farms with a 2.1-cent credit for every kilowatt-hour produced during the first decade of operation.

GE has quite a vested interest in the success of wind energy. It makes up 80 percent of GE Energy Financial Services’ more than $3 billion renewable energy portfolio that includes 34 wind farms in 13 states.

Wind

Orbital ‘Orbit’ reaches Alternative Fuels Down Under

John Davis

The Australian market for alternative fuel has a new player. Orbital Corporation Limited has announced the acquisition of Boral Alternative Fuel Systems, entering what it believes to be Australia and New Zealand’s rapidly growing alternative fuel system markets.

International clean energy technology group Orbital Corporation Limited, is pleased to announce the addition to its existing portfolio the Australian LPG fuel systems supplier, Boral Alternative Fuel Systems (“BAFS”).

BAFS is Australia’s leading supplier of original equipment LPG fuel systems and is a Tier One supplier to the global automotive group, Ford Motor Corporation.

The acquisition provides Orbital with a low-risk entry into the rapidly growing Australian and New Zealand alternative fuel system markets, and represents a first step in a broader intent to offer ‘next generation’ greenhouse friendly alternative fuel systems that meet the requirements of fleet operators and private buyers.

Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, Orbital will make an investment of approximately $1.6 million to assume BAFS’s working capital (excluding debtors and creditors) including a small component of goodwill. Subject to satisfaction of all conditions precedent transfer of the business is expected to occur prior to June 30th, 2008.

BAFS is based in Sydney and currently generates approximately $6 million in revenue each year.

Energy, International

Grassley Promises Push for Biodiesel Tax Incentive

John Davis

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) renewed his commitment to Congress renewing the biodiesel tax incentive… while he took a shot at the Grocery Manufacturers Association for what he says is a smear campaign by the group against biofuels. Grassley’s comments come on the heels of Tuesday’s vote, when the U.S. Senate came up just eight votes short of cloture to end debate on extending the $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax credit.

Speaking to National Biodiesel Board members at their meeting in Washington, DC today, Grassley stressed just how important biodiesel is for America’s environment, economy and energy security.

“We ought to keep the dollars in the United States rather than send them over to the Arabs to shoot back at us.” In his capacity as the Ranking Member on the Senate Finance Committee, he reiterated his desire to work in a bipartisan manner to pass an extender package that includes the biodiesel tax incentive.

Senator Grassley was also critical of the anti-biofuels public relations campaign that is being waged by the GMA. He noted that only one chief executive officer from the grocery industry, out of 15 invited, has accepted the invitation to meet with him and Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer to discuss the GMA’s multi-million dollar campaign to discredit biofuels.

“The biggest culprit behind the rising food cost is $135 barrel oil,” he said. “This campaign is led by an organization that should be a loyal member of the food chain. Instead, they are making biofuels the scapegoat to defend their own bottom line. The truth is that America’s family farmers are producing more food, and fuel, than ever before.”

“Lifting the biofuels incentives won’t ease food prices,” Grassley said. “By using less biofuel, we will in fact lift food prices. Who are they trying to kid?”

Biodiesel, Government, Legislation

Biofuels from Algae in Isreal

John Davis

Algae is becoming a growing source for biofuel development in Israel. Inventure Chemical is the latest company to invest in algae biofuel technology.

Inventure Chemical has announced that it has entered into a joint venture with Seambiotic Ltd. (based in Tel Aviv, Israel) to construct a pilot commercial biofuel plant in Israel, using algae created from CO2 emissions as feedstock. The plant will utilize high-yield oil-rich algae strains that Seambiotic has developed and grown in its open pond system coupled with Inventure’s patent-pending conversion processes to produce ethanol, biodiesel and other value-added chemicals.

“We reviewed many potential processes for converting our algae strains to biofuel,” said Prof. Ami Ben-Amotz, chief scientific adviser to Seambiotic. “In numerous tests we’ve conducted with Inventure at their Seattle plant, we’ve been consistently pleased with the quality of the biofuel resulting from their process. Inventure’s technology will enable us to maximize the biofuel yield from our algae.”

“Our joint venture with Inventure will illustrate not only the technological capabilities of our combined processes, but also the validity of the CO2 to algae to biofuel model as a means for coal-fired power generators to meet CO2 reduction mandates,” said Amnon Bechar, Seambiotic’s chief executive officer. “The biofuel that’s created from algae can be used in the power generator’s operations, or sold on the open market to create a new revenue stream. Either way, this model can pay for the infrastructure necessary to put in place.”

Seambiotic grows and processes marine microalgae for biofuel and Omega 3 oil production.

Inventure Chemical dvelops and commercializes feedstock conversion technologies for biofuel producers.

Energy, International

Just Say “Yes” to Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

FEW 08 Ethanol buttonsButtons of many colors can be seen on hundreds of name badges walking around the 2008 Fuel Ethanol Workshop creating a positive mantra for the ethanol industry.

FEW 08 Ethanol buttons LanserThe “Yes Ethanol” buttons are the creation of Lanser Public Affairs, an agency in New Berlin, Wisconsin that specializes in helping ethanol plants with site approval and community relations.

The husband and wife team of Mary Claire Lanser and Al Ogorzalek were handing the buttons out and promoting their services at the expo and trade show.

So far, Lanser has helped about a dozen ethanol plants in Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Appropriate public affairs strategies have assured approvals, prevented costly delays, and improved the public image for their clients.

2008 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album

Ethanol, FEW, News

Team Ethanol at the FEW

Cindy Zimmerman

Visitors to the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop this week in Nashville had a chance to meet Indy car champion and Team Ethanol car owner Bobby Rahal of Rahal Letterman Racing in an appearance sponsored by ICM, Inc.

FEW 08 Bobby RahalWith a model of the Number 17 Team Ethanol car behind him, Rahal chatted with ethanol industry representatives about the season so far and the talent of driver Ryan Hunter-Reay.

“This year he’s been very strong,” said Rahal. “I’m very enthusiastic about our chances and I couldn’t be happier with the kind of work he’s doing for us.”

Rahal is looking forward to the Iowa Corn 250 this weekend and thinks they have a good shot. “It’s going to be an interesting race but with each race Ryan’s getting more confident and so I expect we’ll be competitive.”

Rahal says ethanol has been great for the Indy Racing League and he thinks there is a lot of misinformation out there about the fuel. “Hopefully we are helping to dispel many of the myths and misinformation exists,” he says. “Ethanol is a credible solution to a large part of the problem that we face and the truth will reign out in the end.”

Listen to an interview with Rahal from the 2008 FEW here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/few08/few08-rahal.mp3]

2008 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album

EPIC, Ethanol, FEW, Indy Racing, News

Ethanol Racing Again at Iowa Corn Indy 250

Chuck Zimmerman

Iowa Corn Indy 250It looks like the flooding in Iowa has not affected things at the Iowa Speedway where I’m headed this afternoon for pre-race activities for this weekend’s Iowa Corn Indy 250.

Iowa’s flooding disaster is not directly affecting scheduled events for the IndyCar Series weekend, June 20-22, at Iowa Speedway. The facility has immediate access to I-80 and is located on elevated ground near an adjacent airport. Racing fans who plan to attend the Iowa Corn Indy 250, especially those out-of-state, are encouraged to proceed with plans to attend the event.

There are a number of activities planned from various pump promotions to press conferences. I’ll be attending them all and providing pictures and interviews whenever I can. Our coverage of the activities is once again sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News, Racing