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This December Head to Canada

Joanna Schroeder

This December head to Ottawa, Canada for the 9th Annual Canadian Renewable Fuels Summit (CRFS) being held December 3-5, 2012. This year’s theme, “Sustainable, Secure & Diverse Energy Now!” will focus on Canadian policy for the ethanol and biodiesel industries.

Program topics include: The Future of the Bioeconomy in Canada; Forces Shaping the North America Biodiesel Industry; Ensuring Market Opportunities and Fuel Quality Throughout the Supply Chain; Dedicated Crop Opportunities for Drop-In Renewable Jet Fuel; Industry Perspectives on Next Generation Production in Canada; and Updates from International Sustainability & Carbon Certification Association (ISCC) and Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC).

Conference keynote speakers include: Chantal Hébert, Columnist for the Toronto Star; Mark Jaccard, Professor, Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University; Senator JoAnne L. Buth, Senate of Canada; and many more.

Click here to learn more about this year’s program and to register online.

Alternative energy, Biodiesel, biojet fuel, conferences, Ethanol

Propel & Solazyme Deliver Algae-Based Fuel

Joanna Schroeder

Propel Fuels is believed to be the first in the nation to sell consumers algae-based fuel at the pump compliments of Solazyme Inc. The two companies have joined together to offer Solazyme’s algae-based Soladiesel®BD in the Bay Area. The month long pilot program provides the biofuels industry the first opportunity to test consumer response to the advanced biofuel.

According to a statement from Propel, Solazyme’s high quality algae-based SoladieselBD meets or exceeds ASTM quality specifications and has shown performance enhancements including cold temperature operating performance. The fuel is compatible with existing diesel engines and Propel is guaranteeing the fuel’s performance. The algae-based fuel will be sold at the same price as conventional diesel fuels and will be available exclusively at Propel’s Clean Fuel Points in Redwood City, San Jose (N. First St.), Berkeley, and Oakland.

“Propel is committed to providing our customers with access to the highest quality, most sustainable, domestically produced fuels, so we’re proud to introduce the next generation of fuels to the retail market,” said Matt Horton, CEO of Propel Fuels. “Propel’s growing station network provides the critical link between these future fuels and today’s consumer fuel tanks, giving our customers a chance to make history.”

Solazyme’s technology platform converts plant sugars into oils in a few days. Testing undertaken by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows that, in a 20 percent blend, SoladieselBD significantly outperforms ultra-low sulfur diesel in total hydrocarbons (THC), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter tailpipe emissions. This includes an approximate 30 percent reduction in particulates, a 20 percent reduction in CO and an approximate 10 percent reduction in THC.

“Solazyme’s revolutionary algae-based technology platform has supplied our development partners and customers with advanced biofuels that meet or exceed some of the world’s most stringent fuels specifications and requirements, “ added Bob Ames, VP of Fuels, Solazyme.  “We’ve successfully demonstrated our land-based fuels in fleet vehicles and corporate busses, and are excited about this pilot program with Propel because it enables us to make these fuels available to the public.”

advanced biofuels, algae, Biodiesel, blends, Renewable Energy

Lallemand & NABC Create New Business

Joanna Schroeder

A new partnership has been formed in the biofuels industry. Lallemand Ethanol Technology and North American Bioproducts Corporation (NABC) have joined together to form a new business: Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS).  According to a company statement, the name change reflects their continued commitment to both of these industries by combining the best elements from both companies to form a more “fermentation focused” entity.

Kevin Dailey, President of LBDS says this combination makes them the clear #1 fermentation ingredient supplier to both the fuel ethanol and distilled spirits industries.

“We are very excited about our new corporate image. It represents the combination of these two highly respected former competitors into one entity,” continued Dailey. “We feel that taking the strengths from both companies will better position us to be able to meet the fermentation needs of our customers and focus on improving their margins in these tough economic times.”

Alternative energy, biofuels, Company Announcement

Dyadic Receives 12th Patent

Joanna Schroeder

Dyadic International has received its 12th patent, U.S. Patent No. 8,304,212 entitled “Methods and compositions for degradation of lignocellulosic material”. The patent covers methods and compositions for using enzymes mixtures to convert plant biomass into fermentable sugars for the production of various products. The patent also covers novel combinations of enzymes including those that provide a synergistic release of sugars from plant biomass.

“In developing and selling industrial enzymes, our customers and partners not only benefit from Dyadic’s patented C1 platform technology but also from Dyadic’s fungal strains and technologies based on the Trichoderma fungal organism,” said Dyadic’s President and CEO, Mark Emalfarb. “Dyadic uses these strains to produce specialty enzymes that can be used for a variety of applications in such fields as animal health and nutrition, biofuels and bio-based chemicals. As with our growing portfolio of patents covering the C1 technology, this patent will provide Dyadic, its customers and licensees with additional protection for our Trichoderma-based enzyme mixtures.”

The patent also specifically describes methods of increasing the yield of fermentable sugars from fermentation of dried distillers grains (DDGs) using enzyme mixtures comprising glucoamylase, beta-glucosidase and alpha-arabinofuranosidase. More specifically, it specifically covers Trichoderma-based enzyme mixtures, which significantly and unexpectedly increase the yield of fermentable sugars from DDGs. DDGs are obtained after the fermentation of the starch derived from a number of grains including corn, wheat, barley, oats, rice, and rye and are typically used for animal feed. DDGs are also a byproduct of ethanol production which creates synergies in using enzymes for both biofuels and animal feed applications.

Alternative energy, biochemicals, biofuels, biomaterials, Distillers Grains

Global Biofuel Enzymes Industry to Grow

Joanna Schroeder

A new report, “Biofuel Enzymes Market – Global Industry Size, Market Share, Trends, Analysis and Forecast, 2012 – 2018,” published by Transparency Market Research, concluded that global biofuel enzymes demand was worth USD 1,021,9 million in 2011 and is expected to reach USD 1,653.1 million in 2018. This would be a CAGR growth rate of 7.6 percent during this timeframe.

Today, North America represents the largest market; however, Asia Pacific is growing steadily. The European Union is making progress and in China is an attractive market for biofuel enzymes due to its low cost structure.

According to the report, the global biofuel enzyme market is primarily driven by growth in end application markets, for example growing consumption of biodiesel and bio-based ethanol. This growth, in turn, has been driven by an increase in awareness regarding biofuel sustainability and changing economics of fossil fuels, when combined have encouraged governments to pass biofuel legislation and consequently, grow  biofuels markets, and finally grow the biofuel enzyme market.

The biofuel enzyme market includes amylases, industrial lipases and others with amylase representing the fastest growing segment of the global biofuel enzymes market due to its capability to withstand a wide range of temperatures and pH levels. The market for amylases enzymes is growing at a CAGR of 8.0 percent from 2013 to 2018 and it is further subdivided into two types:  cellulase and industrial proteases enzymes. The market for industrial proteases is growing rapidly at a CAGR of 8.7 percent from 2013 to 2018.

The research estimated and analyzed the demand and performance of biofuel enzymes, for various enzyme segments, in a global scenario. It also provides an in-depth analysis of biofuel enzymes manufacturers, product segments and sales and trend analysis by segments and demand by geography.

Alternative energy, biofuels, Research

ACE Elects Officers

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Board of Directors has elected officers for 2013. Ron Alverson, Chairman of Dakota Ethanol LLC, was elected President, replacing Lars Herseth, who served as ACE President since 2010.

Alverson raises corn and soybeans with his son Keith and his brother Larry on their farm near Madison, SD. He is a founding member and past president of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association and served on the National Corn Growers Association board of directors in 1991 and 1992. Alverson was a founding member and chairman of Lake Area Corn Processors LLC, the owner entity of Dakota Ethanol LLC, and continues to serve as Chairman of LACP. Dakota Ethanol was the first farmer-owned ethanol plant in South Dakota.

“I’m thrilled to be the new Board President of ACE, I think it’s a great organization, and I am enthusiastic about working with ACE members and staff on a forward-looking action plan to expand market access for ethanol, win the battle over the RFS, and secure the profitable future for our industry,” said Alverson.

Other officers elected by the ACE board for 2013 include Brian Wilcox of the Nebraska Public Power District as Vice President, Duane Kristensen of Chief Ethanol Fuels as Secretary, and Owen Jones of Full Circle Ag, a farmer-owned cooperative, as Treasurer. The officers will be joined by Herseth and Scott Parsley of East River Electric Cooperative on the ACE Executive Committee.

ACE, Ethanol, Ethanol News

REG Buys Georgia Biorefinery

Cindy Zimmerman

Renewable Energy Group (REG) today announced the purchase of a 15 million gallon-per-year biodiesel production plant near Atlanta, Georgia.

The multi-feedstock facility, which will operate as REG Atlanta, LLC, is located in Ellenwood, Georgia, 11 miles southeast of Atlanta with easy access to major Southeast transportation routes. REG acquired the former BullDog Biodiesel operation for cash and in-kind consideration of approximately $2.6 million. No stock was issued related to the deal.

“Renewable Energy Group is focused on strategically expanding our footprint of biodiesel production facilities,” said REG President and CEO, Daniel J. Oh. “Once repaired, upgraded and restarted the REG Atlanta facility will offer us additional long-term capacity to meet high-demand diesel markets across the Southeast.”

The company has not yet set a production date for the re-start of the former BullDog Biodiesel facility, which has run intermittently since January 2008.

REG tolled the facility from April 2011 through April 2012 to support REG’s biodiesel sales in the Southeast. BullDog ceased operations in April 2012 due to a combination of poor market conditions and upgrades needed to make the facility more efficient.

“Our team has demonstrated a successful model for integrating new technologies into our network and upgrading facilities to utilize lower cost raw materials,” said REG Vice President, Manufacturing, Brad Albin. This refinery was designed to produce biodiesel from a variety of feedstocks, including used cooking oil.

Since 2008, Renewable Energy Group has acquired ten biodiesel-related firms or production facilities. Last month, REG acquired a 15 million gallon-per-year biodiesel facility in New Boston, Texas slated to begin production in the first quarter of 2013.

Biodiesel, REG

New Holland Ethanol Video Contest for FFA

Cindy Zimmerman

*Deadline Updated*

New Holland Agriculture is calling on FFA members to get their creative engine running on ethanol.

New Holland is inviting FFA members between the ages of 14 and 23 to research, film and edit a 60 to 90 second video about why ethanol is important to their communities, American farmers, the nation, and the economy. Completed videos need to be uploaded to YouTube and entries must be submitted by December 17, 2012.

The winning individual’s or group’s FFA Chapter will receive a $5,000 award and the video could be featured in future New Holland marketing efforts.

The video contest is sponsored by New Holland, in partnership with Growth Energy and RFD-TV. “FFA has a played a large role in building our agricultural leaders and sparking an interest in innovation and our nation’s heartland,” said Growth Energy President Jim Nussle. “As leaders of the American ethanol industry, we need to keep building that momentum. FFA, and students across the nation, embraces the importance of biofuels like ethanol. With their help, our industry will continue to move forward.”

Entry form is available on-line.
See the official rules here.

Education, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy, New Holland

Using White Rot Fungus for Corn Stover Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

There’s new scientific evidence that a certain fungus could help speed up the production of ethanol from corn stover.

A study on using the fungus to break down the tough cellulose and related material in this so-called “corn stover” to free up sugars for ethanol fermentation appears in the journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research

“Treating corn stover with the white rot fungus for one month enabled us to extract up to 30 percent more sugar from the leaves and 50 percent more from the stalks and cobs,” said lead author Yebo Li, Ph.D., from Ohio State University. “Because corn leaves are useful for controlling soil erosion when left in the field, harvesting only the cobs and stalks for ethanol production may make the most sense in terms of sustainable agriculture.”

Previous studies indicated that the microbe Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, known as a white rot fungus, showed promise for breaking down the tough lignin prior to treatment with enzymes to release the sugars. To advance that knowledge, Li and colleagues evaluated how well the fungus broke down the different parts of corn stover and improved the sugar yield.

Listen to the American Chemical Society podcast on the research here: ACS Podcast

Audio, Cellulosic, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Research

RFA Reacts to RFS Decision

Cindy Zimmerman

The president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) says they are very pleased with the decision today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reject a request to waive the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Ethanol Report PodcastIn an interview immediately after the announcement was made by EPA, Bob Dinneen said he gave the agency credit for sticking to the science and doing sound analysis on the issue. “I was somewhat surprised that the petitioners never really presented EPA with a lot of analysis,” said Dinneen. “That was telling me all along that this was more about politics than about substance.”

Dinneen said the industry has maintained all along that it was not the RFS that caused higher prices for livestock feed this year. “It’s Mother Nature – it was this drought – and what we ought to be doing it sitting down and having a more constructive discussion about (this).”

Dinneen notes that the market has responded to the higher corn prices and lower supply. “The ethanol industry is down about 11 or 12% in terms of our production, our corn consumption, and you’re seeing exports being reduced some, other industrial uses being reduced some, and feeders looking for other sources of feed,” he said.

The ethanol industry is anticipating that the RFS will continue to face challenges by the oil industry and others opposed to the use of corn ethanol. “I don’t believe that they will be successful because in any objective review of this program, it has been an unmitigated success,” said Dinneen.

Listen to this edition of the Ethanol Report with Bob Dinneen. Ethanol Report on RFS Waiver Denial

Subscribe to “The Ethanol Report” with this link.

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, Government, livestock, RFA, RFS