BioWillie Wonka

John Davis

With all due respect to Willie Nelson’s biodiesel, this could be be the sweetest of all the biofuels. A company in England is making biodiesel from waste chocolate from a candy company.

This story from the Lancashire Evening Post has more about the product from Ecotec:

chocolatetruck.jpgAnd in the ultimate test, the chocolate invention is set to be used to power a car from the UK to Timbuktu, on the world’s first carbon negative vehicle expedition.

Chris Elvey, one of the company’s directors, said: “I put 100% bio-fuel in my car because it’s quite heart-breaking having to go to the local petrol station and spend (about $8 a gallon).

“It’s in the experimental stage but conventional cars will run on it. But we’re all dependant on the oil companies. Let’s remove some of the dependency.

So instead of measuring mileage by the gallon, maybe you calculate miles per chocolate bar. Either way, it’s a sweet way to fuel up!

You can read more about the trip to Timbuktu by clicking here.

Biodiesel

New Biodiesel Plant Opens in Houston

John Davis

greenearthfuels.jpgGreen Earth Biofuels has held the official grand opening of its new 90-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant near Houston, Texas.

This story on Grainnet.com says the ceremony attracted company officials and Texas Governor Rick Perry:

Greg Bafalis, Green Earth Fuels president and chief executive officer, remarked, “As the nation’s newest leader in helping energy companies integrate renewable, environmentally clean, and high-value biodiesel into existing distillate product offerings, we are delighted to officially open this facility-one of the nation’s largest biodiesel production plants.”

“Green Earth Fuels is unique to the industry in its dedication to supporting a national biodiesel infrastructure that is safe, sustainable, progressive, and commercially viable-all critical components to widespread adoption of alternative fuel sources,” remarked Governor Perry.

“I am pleased to support the maturing biodiesel industry and this state-of-the-art facility, particularly as biofuels play a progressively critical role in protecting America’s agricultural economy and national energy security.”

Green Earth has already been producing biodiesel at the facility… about 10 million gallons of the green fuel so far meeting tough guidelines. The article goes on to say there are expansion plans for the company to open up three more refineries along the Texas gulf coast.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel Producers Facing Tighter Margins

John Davis

Despite increased demand for biodiesel, makers of the green fuel are having a tougher time making a profit.

This article from Reuters says sales of American biodiesel tripled last year to about 250 million gallons and will go even higher next year. But the success has been a double-edged sword:

[T]he sales jumps have had the side effect of helping to spike prices for soyoil, the main U.S. biodiesel feedstock, to nearly 33-year highs. Plants that make biodiesel are running well below capacity because of rising costs.

“As a general rule, margins for making biodiesel are pretty tight now,” Jenna Higgins, a spokeswoman for the (National Biodiesel Board), said in an interview.

Higgins said some producers were making negative margins, but that the soyoil boom could be followed by a bust cycle that could help profits in the future.

The article goes on to say that biodiesel’s link to petroleum (that helps plant and harvest the feedstock soybeans and the energy used to get the product to market) and its record-high prices are not helping the situation. But officials are optimistic that a new pipeline system that can handle biodiesel will be built and more affordable feedstocks will be found.

Biodiesel

Ski Resorts Running on Biodiesel

John Davis

aspensnow1.jpgThe Colorado ski resorts of Aspen and Vail are known for their great snow and trendy ways, and biodiesel producers are hoping they’ll continue a green trend one of then has been practicing… using biodiesel.

Aspen has been using biodiesel in its snowcats for a while, and the web site The Vail Trail is asking if its resorts, which are already using wind energy credits to offset electricity use, will do the same:

vailsnow.jpg“You’d love to see them do it,” said Matt Scherr of the Eagle Valley Alliance for Sustainability.

“They’ve already shown they’re spending money to do the right thing,” he said.
In 2006, 250 million gallons of biodiesel were sold in the United States, the National Biodiesel Board estimates, and the use of the fuel is nothing new to mountain towns.

Aspen Skiing Company’s four mountains have been using a kind of biodiesel, B20, in its snowcats for at least five years, said Jeff Hanle, spokesman for Aspen Skiing Company.

“We’re concerned about the future of the industry and the future of the planet,” Hanle said.

Unlike Vail Resorts’ last leader, Adam Aron, who was “just a business man,” Vail Resorts is making good decisions for the environment under Chief Executive Officer Rob Katz, Scherr said.

“I like the way they’re going now,” Scherr said. “They’re doing a lot more than they did before.”

Vail Resorts could use biodiesel, but it would have to be good for business, he said.
“They have the opportunity to be community leaders and pay that price for the community,” he said.

If Val gets on board with biodiesel, it would have to be voluntary. There are no limits on emissions of ski area vehicles in the White River National Forest.

Miscellaneous

Fuel Up with E85 For $1.85 in Missouri

John Davis

MO Corn Growers AssociationConsumers have the chance to fuel up on E85 for $1.85. The ZX snack shop in Kirkwood, Missouri is hosting a grand opening for its first E85 fuel pump. The celebration will begin Thursday, at 8:30 a.m. and will continue until 4:00 p.m at 10921 Manchester Rd.

General Motors and the MO Corn Growers Association will be displaying “Live Green Go Yellow” wrapped GM Flex Fuel Vehicles. This station opening marks a first of its kind in the state as it is located within 2 miles of an Enterprise Rent-A-Car branch. Enterprise will be fueling their fleet of Flex Fuel rental cars with E85 at this location from now on. Enterprise will be announcing that the local Kirkwood branch is the first E85/FlexFuel branch in the St. Louis area. Please see the attached releases from Enterprise. Representatives from ZX Snack Shop, JD Street Oil Co., Enterprise Rent-A-Car, St. Louis Clean Cities, General Motors, and the Missouri Corn Growers Association will be on hand to answer questions and help customers fuel their FFVs.

E85, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News

Halfway There

Cindy Zimmerman

EPIC MapThe Ethanol Promotion and Information Council’s state labeling program has reached the halfway point with the recent additions of New York and Tennessee.

EPIC’s goal at the beginning of the year was to have the branding program approved in at least half of the states by the end of this year and they may just exceed that goal.

“The branding program is literally going state by state and the consistency is the ‘e’ logo, or the brand, and the variation of the label just depends on state rules and regs,” said EPIC Acting Executive Director Robert White.

After the labels are approved by the states with the right size and shape requirements, getting retailers to put them on their pumps becomes a grassroots effort.

The approved labels incorporate the “e” brand to mark pumps that dispense ten percent ethanol fuel.

The map indicates all the states that have approved the pump label.

EPIC, Ethanol, News

ACORE President Expects Big Gains

John Davis

acore.jpgThe president of the American Council on Renewable Energy believes the recent growth in renewable energy markets is just the beginning of sustained growth that will increase the renewable energy business by 10 times.

This ACORE press release says President Michael Eckhart made the remarks at a clean tech conference in Seattle:

eckhart.jpg“The growth of renewable energy means jobs and economic growth in every Congressional district,” said Mr. Eckhart November 8 at the Cleantech Investing on the Pacific Northwest conference hosted by the Stoel Rives law firm and Nth Power venture capital firm. “And members of Congress are beginning to see it. The major job creators in Germany in the past three years have been the wind and solar industries. We can have those jobs, too.”

The global renewable energy industry is receiving third-party capital investment of approximately $100 billion in 2007, according to New Energy Finance. The level of venture capital funding has increased more than tenfold since the year 2000, according to Clean Edge. Eckhart said the current boom in investment and financing is as a trend, not a bubble.

Eckhart went on to tell conference attendees that President George W. Bush and Congress are key to setting the environmental rules and incentives for change.

Miscellaneous

Renewable Fuels and National Security

Cindy Zimmerman

RFAThe Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is sponsoring a lunch and panel discussion Wednesday in Washington DC on the importance of renewable fuels like ethanol in our nation’s comprehensive national security strategy.

The event will feature a keynote address by former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey as well as a panel discussion on the consequences of our nation’s increasing dependence on foreign oil and the role renewable fuels like ethanol must play in breaking that dependence.

The event is being hosted by the Reserve Officers Association.

Ethanol, News, RFA

Student Fees to Pay for Green Fuel

John Davis

Students at Minnesota State University in Moorhead, Minnesota have been paying “green fees” that will help build a wind power generator for the school’s science center.

This story in the Dickinson Press has more:

minnstatesustain1.jpgThe 39.5-kilowatt wind turbine will generate enough energy to run the building, plus 20 additional kilowatts per month that could be sold back, said Pete Sand, co-chairman of the Sustainable Campus Committee that distributes green fee money.

The goal of the wind turbine is to help reduce the amount of electricity produced from coal fire, which releases carbon dioxide gases, Sand said.

“It’s the right thing to do and somebody’s got to start doing it,” he said.

The turbine could be up by next fall.

Wind

US BioEnergy Earnings Up

Cindy Zimmerman

US BioenergyUS BioEnergy Corporation reports higher third-quarter earnings on rising output and lower corn costs.

According to the company, net income in the third quarter was $11.1 million, or 15 cents per share, compared with $8.3 million, or 12 cents per share, in the second quarter.

The company went public last December.

Gordon Ommen, US BioEnergy’s CEO says, “It was the first full quarter of production at our Ord, Nebraska plant and we now have four plants in operation and four additional plants under construction. Additionally, we successfully closed the acquisition of US Bio Marion, LLC (formerly Millennium Ethanol, LLC) during the third quarter, which positions us to bring our total production capacity to 750 million gallons per year (mgy) by the end of 2008.”

The company is in the process of building a transportation system that will allow it to move ethanol more efficiently from its facilities.

“This positions US BioEnergy to become one of the largest volume shippers of ethanol in the U.S. by the end of 2008, adding transportation efficiency to our growing list of competitive advantages,” Ommen said.

Ethanol, News