A university in the Netherlands debuts a wind turbine without blades, which means it produces no noise nor even casts any moving shadows. The Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo recently installed the EWICON, or Electrostatic WInd energy CONvertor, which turns wind energy in electrical power without moving parts at the Delft University of Technology: The Ewicon can be installed on land …
Biodiesel Giant REG Inks Deal for Fuel Tax Software
The nation’s largest biodiesel maker, Ames, Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group (REG), signed a multi-year deal with energy industry software and services company FuelQuest Inc. Biodiesel Magazine reports the deal will give REG a more accurate, transparent and agile way to calculate fuel taxes on invoices: “Our business is growing quickly across North America,” said Jonathon Schwebach, senior manager of tax …
Purdue Study: Indiana, Midwest Open to Wind Energy
Purdue University College of Agriculture funded studies shows Hoosiers, and possibly by extension, Midwesterners, are pretty receptive to wind energy. This school news release says that can even be true for areas that might have rejected wind turbine development: Linda Prokopy, an associate professor of natural resources planning, said much of the research on attitudes toward wind energy and wind …
Wind Energy to Create Boon for Carbon Fiber Industry
Big gains in the wind energy industry will lead to gains in the carbon fiber industry. A new report from GBI Research shows that, globally, demand for carbon fiber, a technology making gains as a lighter, stronger alternative to current wind blade materials will nearly triple in the next few years: [Global] carbon fiber demand will hit 153,700 tons in …
Illinois Soybean Assn. Gets Pumped Up for Biodiesel
The Illinois Soybean Association’s checkoff-funded campaign touting the benefits of biodiesel is getting ready to make its next stop at a major petroleum tradeshow. Started in early February, ISA’s “Get Pumped Up!” On Biodiesel campaign goes to Indianapolis, Ind., for the Midwest Petroleum and Convenience Tradeshow (M-PACT), April 16-18th: “A strong and growing biodiesel industry strengthens the Illinois soybean industry …
BIOX, Shell Canada Ink Biodiesel Supply Agreement
A biodiesel supply agreement between BIOX Corporation and Shell Canada is touted as being a big benefit for both Canadian companies. This BIOX news release says the company will pipe biodiesel from BIOX’s Hamilton refinery to the adjacent Shell distribution terminal and will provide a market for the refinery’s 67 million liters (approximately 17.6 million gallons) of biodiesel while helping …
Biodiesel Board’s Howell Picked as AOCS Fellow
In an honor bestowed on just a few, the American Oil Chemists’ Society honors the National Biodiesel Board’s technical director Steve Howell with the prestigious AOCS Fellow Award. This NBB news release says Howell has been with the board for more than 20 years as it was just getting started, leading the biodiesel industry through completing Health Effects testing, establishing …
Biodiesel RIN Defrauder Gets 15+ Year Sentence
The Environmental Protection Agency is showing it’s serious about holding up the integrity of the Renewable Identification Number (RIN) system for renewable energy credits. The Lubbock (TX) Avalanche-Journal reports Jeffrey David Gunselman, the founder of Lubbock-based Absolute Fuels, got more than 15 years in prison and has to pay nearly $55 million in restitution and a $175,000 fine for his …
Good Time to Invest in Biodiesel
If you’re looking to put your money in renewable energy, this might be the time to look at investing in biodiesel. Ron Kotrba from Biodiesel Magazine outlines his 11 reasons, with good sources for each reason, why the green fuel might be paying back in greenbacks: 1. Jump in on a growing market: The U.S. biodiesel industry is poised for …
DF Cast: Countering RIN-sanity
There’s been a lot of talk about the prices for Renewable Identification Numbers … better known as RINs … especially from Big Oil trying to blame RINs for the rise in gasoline prices. But in this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, Ron Lamberty, Senior Vice President with the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) and Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President …