Farm Equipment Manufacturers Support of Biodiesel

Chuck Zimmerman

Ed HeglandEd Hegland is a farmer from Minnesota and currently serving as Chairman of the National Biodiesel Board. He stopped by the New Holland booth while I was attending the Commodity Classic trade show in Nashville where I got to talk to him about how equipment manufacturers are supporting biodiesel.

Ed says that as a farmer he’s excited to see companies like New Holland and others following their lead to step up and help promote the use of biodiesel, a farm product.

I asked him what other things these companies can do besides providing warranty support for 100% biodiesel. He says that education would be one thing. He thinks the manufacturers need to make sure that dealers and distributors get the right information on usage and handling of biodiesel so customers will learn it and to make sure that they stress quality.

Listen to my interview with Ed Hegland here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/commodity-classic/cc-08-hegland.mp3]

Audio, Biodiesel

Her Glass and Her Tank is Half-full

John Davis

teacherdrinksbiodiesel.jpg
nbc6miami.jpgI couldn’t resist this story when I ran across it.

A science teacher from Miami, Florida is truly putting her money where her mouth is when it comes to how safe biodiesel is.

Bertha Vasquez demonstrates for Miami’s NBC6 (which has this cool link to a bunch of ecologically-friendly in its Going Green section) and reporter Patricia Andreu just how safe 100 percent biodiesel is by taking a swig of the very fuel she puts into her car:

“This is biodiesel. This happens to be 100 percent chicken fat,” she said. “It’s 100 percent animal fat. So, cheers. Goes in my car. Goes in my mouth.”

Vasquez, a science teacher, loves this shock and awe. It’s one significant way she goes green, and the reason she bought her VW Jetta with a diesel engine.

“No conversion whatsoever. I just bought it and filled it up from the first time with biodiesel,” she said.

Vasquez buys her eco-friendly fuel at Sol Atlantic Biodiesel. Since they set up shop last year in a Hialeah Gardens warehouse, business has been brisk.

“It’s an alternative fuel. It’s non-toxic. It’s biodegradable,” said Christian Miranda, co-founder of Sol Atlantic Biodiesel.

Now I wouldn’t recommend this unless you know you’re drinking 100 percent biodiesel made from vegetable oil or animal fat with no petroleum mixed in. And a steady diet of chicken grease might be a little hard on your heart. But it is nice to know that what we can now burn in our diesel vehicles is certainly safe enough to drink.

Biodiesel

Building A Sustainability Task Force

John Davis

nbb-logo.jpgThe National Biodiesel Board is looking for people to serve on its new Sustainability Task Force. You might remember from Cindy’s posting from Feb. 6th on the NBB National Conference & Expo blog that NBB chair Ed Hegland appointed Emily Bockian Landsburg of the Energy Cooperative and Philadelphia Fry-O-Diesel as the chair of the new group.

Landsburg and NBB task force staff assistant Don Scott are now welcoming applications of NBB member companies to the task force:

Anyone, including non-members, can nominate candidates for the group. An advisory committee to the task force is being established as a formal way to engage key experts who are not members of NBB.

Sustainability has always been a key priority for those in the biodiesel industry. Whether sustainability is measured in terms of climate change and the environment or economic and energy security for the country, the industry prides itself on the sustainability of biodiesel. The National Biodiesel Board and its supporters recently find themselves involved in more conversations about sustainability as interest has grown among the public and the media.

If you’re interested or know someone who would be perfect for this position, check out the task force’s application web site or e-mail a one-page resume; description of experience with biodiesel industry, sustainability; what segment of industry would you be representing, and how you can demonstrate their support (max 150 words); explanation of why you want to be on the Task Force and description of a time you have developed creative solutions to challenging issues or brought together diverse stakeholders (max 300 words); and your vision for the Task Force: mission, key objectives (max 100 words) to sustainability@biodiesel.org by March 5th, 2008.

Biodiesel

John Deere into Farming Wind

Cindy Zimmerman

Noting runs like a Deere, except maybe the wind.

John Deere Wind EnergyJohn Deere Wind Energy is into lots of domestic energy projects these days and that includes investing in and providing value-added services to utility-scale wind projects that involve multiple wind turbines with a nameplate capacity of 1.25 megawatts or greater.

For example, Corn Plus Cooperative, a farmer-owned ethanol plant in Winnebago, Minn., entered into an agreement with John Deere last year to harness wind energy to help power their plant.

Two years ago, John Deere Wind Energy partnered with Missouri based developer Wind Capital Group and the Missouri Rural Electric Cooperatives to construct a 50-megawatt wind energy project in King City, a little farming community about 30 miles northeast of St. Joseph. The project was named “Blue Grass Ridge” in tribute to the farming community’s historic role in bluegrass seed harvesting.

Here’s a YouTube video that provides a look at that completed project:

Blue Grass Ridge led to a second 50-megawatt Missouri wind farm – the Cow Branch Wind Energy Project located between Rock Port and Tarkio in Atchison County, Mo.

John Deere, Wind

New EPIC Exec Announced

Cindy Zimmerman

The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) has named Toni Nuernberg as the new executive director.

EPIC logo“On behalf of the EPIC board and staff we are excited to have Toni as the new executive director,” said Tom Branhan, EPIC Board President and CEO and President of Glacial Lakes Energy. “Toni is joining a very strong team and will be taking EPIC to new heights as the industry rapidly advances.”

Nuernberg comes to EPIC from ACA International where she worked for 29 years. Most recently, she was serving as chief operating officer of ACA International Holding Company Inc. and its for-profit subsidiaries, ACA International Enterprises Inc. (ACAE) and Collectors Insurance Agency Inc.

Nuernberg replaces Tom Slunecka who helped to launch the organization in 2005. He resigned in October to join the KL Process Design Group of Rapid City, South Dakota.

We are looking forward to our first interview with Toni this week to introduce her to everyone.

Read more from EPIC here.

EPIC, Ethanol, News

Final 2007 Ethanol Numbers

Cindy Zimmerman

It should be no surprise to anyone that the American ethanol industry produced a record amount of fuel ethanol in 2007.

RFAAccording to year-end figures released by the Energy Information Administration, U.S. ethanol production averaged 423,000 barrels per day, totaling 6.48 billion gallons for the year. That is an increase of 108,000 barrels per day over 2006.

Ethanol demand, as calculated by the Renewable Fuels Association, continued to outpace production. For 2007, ethanol demand averaged 446,000 b/d totaling 6.84 billion gallons of demand for the year. That is an increase of more than 1.5 billion gallons over 2006 demand.

Ethanol, News, RFA

Ethanol Baby

Cindy Zimmerman

Baby EthanolThere were lots of babies at the 2008 Commodity Classic but this one really caught our attention.

Her name is Danica – after Indy race car driver Danica Patrick – and her little onesie featured the IRL logo on the front and on back it said the “Smell of Ethanol.” How cute is that! Her parents were letting her pose on top of the ethanol display in the Pioneer booth, prompting oohs and ahs from the passers-by.

Baby EthanolThe E85 sticker on her shoulder was supplied by the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.

Attendance at this year’s Commodity Classic in Music City was record-breaking, according to the final numbers:

4,534 Total Registration (record)
145 Total Media (record)
847 Trade Show Booths (record)

Domestic Fuel coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: John Deere

Commodity Classic, corn, E85, Ethanol, Indy Racing, John Deere, News

John Deere Ethanol Risk Protection

Cindy Zimmerman

John Deere Risk Protection has introduced the industry’s first-ever Ethanol Policy by providing coverage to corn producers who have delivery contracts for the purpose of ethanol production.

John DeereThe policy was officially introduced at the end of January and Deere has been talking with growers at events during the last month, including the Farm Machinery Show and last week’s Commodity Classic.

Deere held a press conference at Classic where Dennis Daggett, Director of Marketing for John Deere Risk Protection, explained the policy to the ag media.

Dennis DaggettVery simply, the policy insures yield shortfalls below contracted volumes in the event the price to replace the corn rises above the federal crop insurance coverage. The policy is being offered in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. “We offered it where the majority of the active ethanol plants are in existence today,” Daggett says.

Since they introduced the policy, Daggett says there has been a lot of buzz in the industry. “We have fairly modest expectations on the product itself because we know that there is a very specific type of farmer who would be interested in this product, a farmer who actually contracts more than 50 percent.”

Daggett says the policy is beneficial for the ethanol plants because it allows them to actually work with the farmer in case there is a shortfall on their delivery contract. “We think this is a win for the ethanol plants because it stabilizes their input of grain and stabilizes their relationship with the farmer.”

Listen to an interview with Dennis about the ethanol policy here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/john-deere/cc-jd-daggett.mp3]

Domestic Fuel coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: John Deere

Audio, Commodity Classic, corn, Ethanol, John Deere, News

Deere Running on Biofuels

Cindy Zimmerman

John Deere SessionJohn Deere sponsored one of the most popular and well attended Learning Center sessions at the 2008 Commodity Classic in Nashville this week.

“Starch and Cellulose as Ethanol Feedstocks” discussed the importance of starch as today’s primary ethanol feedstock, harvesting challenges for increased corn yields as well as cellulose, and how to increase demand for biofuels.

Don Borgman, director of Agricultural Industry Relations led the discussion on issues for future production and distribution of ethanol, looking out to the year 2015. “Mostly what we are concerned about it keeping our eye on that demand ball,” said Borgman.

Don BorgmanHe says there are two critical issues – making sure we increase the number of E85 pumps nationwide and increasing the number of flex-fuel vehicles on the road. “If we get those two things done, we ought to be able to keep up fairly well with the supply,” he said.

Borgman says John Deere has an interest in helping the biofuels industry not just because of their customer base, but also from an energy security standpoint and an environmental standpoint. They are helping by promoting the use of biodiesel blends in their equipment and by looking towards the future for cellulosic ethanol and developing equipment to harvest the next generation of dedicated energy crops.

Listen to an interview with Borgman here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/john-deere/cc-jd-borgman.mp3]

Domestic Fuel coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by: John Deere

Audio, Biodiesel, Cellulosic, Commodity Classic, Ethanol, John Deere, News

Chevron, Weyerhaeuser Team Up for Biofuels

John Davis

chevronweyer.jpgOil giant Chevron and timber giant Weyerhaeuser are teaming up to make biofuels.

This story in the Seattle Times says the new company formed from the partnership, Catchlight Energy, will be looking to get the green fuel from cellulose and lignin:

Catchlight will initially have offices at Weyerhaeuser’s Federal Way headquarters and at Chevron’s San Ramon, Ca. homebase. Chevron executive Michael Burnside will be the new venture’s chief executive, and W. Densmore Hunter of Weyerhaeuser is chief technology officer.

Both firms will contribute technology and personnel. Catchlight may employ 30 to 40 people over time in its research and development effort, said Weyerhaeuser president Dan Fulton.

The venture will study “not only the technology, but also the commercial implications of creating a viable business there,” Fulton said.

The creation of Catchlight formalizes a partnership Chevron and Weyerhaeuser entered in April 2007. At the time, many energy and agricultural companies began seeking to leverage their expertise into the fast-growing biofuel business.

This is not the first time unlikely partners have teamed up to make biofuels. You might remember that “Big Oil” and “Big Chicken” (ConocoPhilips and Tyson, respectively) teamed up last year to turn chicken fat into biodiesel.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, News