Field to Fryer to Fuel

Joanna Schroeder

Here is a new twist on an old idea: rather than simply recycling used cooking oil into biodiesel, a new initiative will locally grow canola, press the seeds into oil, deliver to local restaurants, pick up the used oil, and then repurpose it into biodiesel. The pilot project, known as Field to Fryer to Fuel (F3) received a $130,000 grant from the Biofuels Center of North Carolina from AdvantageWest to help the state develop a clean energy industry.

The project consists of three core activities: feedstock testing and analysis to assess the economic viability of a large-scale biodiesel and renewable biochemicals production facility in the region; demonstration the F3 business model; and the completion of a biofuels end-user market survey of large consumers of diesel fuel for transportation and heating oil.

“Our objective with this collaboration is to develop and expand Western North Carolina’s hub of clean energy industries,” said Matt Raker, vice president of AdvantageWest’s green-tech program, AdvantageGreen. “A cluster analysis we published with Land-of-Sky Regional Council and other business and community members of the EvolveEnergy Partnership identified biofuels as an area of great potential for our region. We expect this project to measurably advance biofuel production and commercialization.”

Field to Fryer to Field is underway with nearly 50 acres of canola seed already planted on the Biltmore Estate. The crop will be harvested in the spring of 2013 and then the seeds will be pressed into food-grade oil in a mobile unit supplied by Appalachian State University and then processed and refined Blue Ridge Biofuels’ facility.

The resulting 7,000 gallons of food-grade oil Read More

advanced biofuels, Agribusiness, Alternative energy, Biodiesel, Clean Energy, feedstocks, Renewable Energy

Last Call for Biodiesel Tax Incentive?

Joanna Schroeder

With the end of the year soon approaching, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is calling for the reinstating of the biodiesel tax incentive that expired at the end of 2011.  With a Congressional lame duck session on the docket for mid-November, the group is encouraging biodiesel stakeholders and supporting Americans to make a final push for the support of the tax incentive.

According to a statement from NBB, the biodiesel incentive has strong bipartisan support and points out that nearly every state in the county has a biodiesel plant. To keep the fuel flowing, NBB is asking Congress to pass a tax incentive package that include’s a $1 per gallon biodiesel tax credit.

So calling all biodiesel supporters. NBB has set up a Fueling Action advocacy website that will provide you with draft letters to Congress and local legislators as well as talking points and other educational tools to help you spread support for biodiesel.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, NBB, Renewable Energy

Praj Industries Scales Up Demo Plant

Joanna Schroeder

Praj Industries, who has been working on developing second generation technologies for the production of biofuels, is scaling up its demonstration research and development plant program, “Lignocellulose to Ethanol”. For the past four years, the company has been operating a pilot plant to produce ethanol from feedstocks such as bagasse, corn stover and more and is now ready to move closer to commercial scale production.

“The successful demonstration of various parameters at the demo-commercial plant will put Praj at the forefront of the biobased economy and in the race for commercial scale second generation biofuels,” said Pramod Chaudhari, Praj’s Executive Chairman during a welcome address at the recent FO Licht, World Ethanol Conference at Munich. “While this plant size is appropriate for emerging markets, with our past experience of quick scale up, it will be well within Praj’s capability to scale the capacity even up to 10 times. I am pleased to say that Praj will be the first Company in the tropics to set up such an integrated facility.”

Praj is taking steps to set up a 10 million litre demonstration commercial plant in India. This plant will seek to demonstrate technical and commercial viability as well optimization of water and energy integration and develop other areas of the value chain including feed products. To date, the company’s engineering package is ready for deployment and they are seeking investors and partners.

The demonstration plant is expected to be operational in early 2013 and cost around $25 to $30 million U.S. dollars to complete.

advanced biofuels, Alternative energy, Cellulosic, Ethanol, International

Driving Forward Agenda Announced

Joanna Schroeder

Next year’s 18th Annual National Ethanol Conference (NEC): Driving Forward, sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) will help the ethanol industry continue to lead the nation to a stronger, more energy independent America. With an agenda supporting this goal, the event will highlight many regulatory, marketing and policy issues including:

  • Perspectives on the Future of the RFS
  • Expanding Renewable Fuels Globally
  • Washington Legislative Roundtable
  • The Reality of Distributing and Dispensing 36 BG of Renewable Fuels
  • Future Fuels and Higher Octane
  • Dispelling the Myth of the Phantom Fuel
  • E15: Measuring Success

The event will kick off on February 5, 2013 and on the 6th, RFA President Bob Dinneen will deliver that State of the Industry address. Other sessions include: Perspectives on the Future of the RFS; Expanding Renewable Fuels Globally; Washington Legislative Roundtable; Panel Discussion: The Reality of Distributing and Dispensing 36 BG of Renewable Fuels; and more.

To see the full agenda and register, visit the Driving Forward website.

biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol, RFA

REG Reports 3rd Quarter Financial Results

Joanna Schroeder

The Renewable Energy Group (REG) has reported its third quarter financial results. Revenues were $322.9 million, an increase of 26 percent compared to revenues of $256.5 million for the same period in 2011. Third quarter 2012 adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $2.3 million, a decrease of 105 percent compared to $46.7 million for the same period in 2011. A few other third quarter highlights:
  • 2 million gallons sold, up 40 percent year-over-year
  • Cash flow from operations of $6.2 million
  • Adjusted EBITDA loss of $2.3 million due to risk management transactions and RIN price declines
  • Distribution expanded with new terminal locations in New Mexico and California
  • Acquired a 15 million gallon-per-year multi-feedstock plant in New Boston, Texas, after the close of the quarter

“REG achieved meaningful success in the quarter, even with the adjusted EBITDA loss that was caused by accounting for risk management positions and RIN price declines,” said Daniel J. Oh, President and Chief Executive Officer of REG. “Our revenues continued to increase, our gallons sold were up 40 percent compared to third quarter 2011, we acquired additional production capacity at an attractive price, and we expanded distribution.”

Oh continued, “We remain optimistic about the growing biodiesel industry and are especially pleased with EPA’s formalized 2013 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO). With an RVO that is 28 percent above this year’s, the industry demand outlook is solid. Our acquisition of the New Boston, Texas facility is evidence of our long-term confidence and our commitment to remain a leader in the industry.”

advanced biofuels, Alternative energy, Biodiesel, REG

Students Rock Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

High school senior Jason Girouard from Brimfield, Massachusetts has won the Ethanol Rocks video contest sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association. Girouard was awarded $1,500. Freshman Emily Yue from Gilford, Connecticut and senior Lewis Kloster of Minneapolis, Minnesota were both awarded second-place honor and $500 a piece.

“The purpose of the contest was to get youth interested in learning about renewable fuel while having fun,” said NCGA Ethanol Committee Chair Chad Willis. “However, I think we may have turned a few of the more inquisitive kids into ethanol evangelists. The enthusiasm about their learning experience was the biggest payoff of the project.”

Students from across the U.S. submitted entries and learned a bit more about ethanol along the way. Many focused on co-products produced during the ethanol production process such as distillers grains and CO2 used to carbonated beverages. Yet what judges found most intriguing was seeing the experiences of an urban American who walked into a corn field for the first time.

Agribusiness, corn, Education, Ethanol, NCGA, Video

Agri-Pulse Poll Favors Romney and RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

A new poll of farmers and ranchers out today finds that a vast majority say they will vote Romney for president and believe continuation of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is important.

According to the Agri-Pulse Farm and Rural Poll, 78 percent of farmers polled are voting for Mitt Romney in the presidential election, and 76% said continuation of the RFS is very or somewhat important to the future profitability of agriculture in the U.S. Only 12 percent indicated the RFS was “not very important” or “not at all important,” while 12 percent said they are “not sure.” Significantly, half of those surveyed who raise only livestock answered that continuing the RFS is “very important.”

On November 1, 2012, Pulse Opinion Research conducted a telephone survey of 319 farmers and ranchers who are likely voters. Questions covered the presidential election, farm bill priorities, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s job performance rating, the Renewable Fuels Standard, and other topics.

The telephone survey found that 71 percent of respondents strongly disapprove of President Obama’s job performance while 12 percent strongly approve. Of all farmers polled, 51 percent labeled themselves Republican, 26 percent Democrat.

Poll results available here.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, farm bill, politics, RFS

Time to Vote

Chuck Zimmerman

I voted. Have you?

It really is a civic duty and I hope you’ll take the time today to get it done. I’m not writing this to encourage you to vote for a certain person or issue. Hopefully you will have become familiar with the issues in your state and know what to do. As far as the Presidential race, you’ve got a clear choice. I can’t see how anyone can be undecided.

So, let’s get out there and get it done. The results will have a major impact on how we run our businesses in this country and you folks involved in the renewable fuels industry will not be unaffected. If you want to know my vote I’ll be happy to tell you. If you know me well you already know!

I don’t know if you use FourSquare but if you check in from your voting location using the #IVoted hashtag you’ll show up on their voting map.

Agribusiness

Renewable Energy Lobbyists Make The Hill List

Cindy Zimmerman

Several advocates for renewable fuels and alternative energy made the annual list of top lobbyists in Washington D.C. compiled by “The Hill.”

Among those recognized by The Hill were the heads of both the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy. The publication called RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen a “Capitol Hill mainstay for the biofuels industry, Dinneen has been an integral player in many of the renewable fuels sector’s policy victories.” Noting that Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis was formally head of the National Farmers Union, The Hill noted that he “is pressing lawmakers to maintain renewable fuels policies that are popular in rural America.”

The Hill also recognized Denise Bode and Rob Gramlich with American Wind Energy Association. “Bode’s fluency in tax policy has been a godsend for wind companies as they push Congress to extend an industry incentive,” said The Hill. “Gramlich has been with AWEA since 2005, a seven-year stretch that has seen explosive growth in wind power.” On the corporate side for wind energy, The Hill gave a nod to Rich Glick of Iberdrola Renewables, the nation’s second-largest wind power operator. Glick served in Bill Clinton’s Energy Department.

Traditional energy sources were also represented in the top lobbyists listing, including “unflappable” Jack Gerard of the American Petroleum Institute.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy, RFA, Wind

Pacific Ethanol to use Corn Oil Technology at 2nd Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

Pacific Ethanol has announced the implementation of corn oil separation technology at a second plant.

Pacific EthanolThe company is planning to install the technology, which recovers corn oil as a co-product from the ethanol production process, at its Stockton, California plant. The company has awarded Edeniq with a contract for its patented OilPlus(TM) technology, which is expected to be implemented at the Stockton plant by the second quarter of 2013. In June 2012, the company announced the implementation of corn oil separation technology at its Magic Valley, Idaho facilty.

“Corn oil is a high value co-product for the Pacific Ethanol plants, provides us with further diversification of our revenue streams and contributes additional operating income to the plants,” said company president Neil Koehler. “Our Stockton plant is the second of our facilities to implement corn oil separation technology, and we expect to soon award contracts for our two other Pacific Ethanol plants.”

ICM Inc. was awarded the Magic Valley installation contract for its patented Advanced Oil Separation System™, which was scheduled to be complete by the end of this year to begin generating revenue for the company in the first quarter of 2013. Pacific Ethanol estimates that the plant could produce as much as 12 million pounds of corn oil per year.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, technology