Ethanol Output and Exports Drop

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. ethanol production is the lowest its been in nearly two years, and exports are continuing to drop.

eiaAccording to the latest Energy Information Administration data, ethanol production averaged 821,000 barrels, or just under 34.5 million gallons, per day the week ending July 6. That is down 36,000 barrels per day from the week before and is the lowest weekly output figure of the year, in fact, the lowest since this time in 2010. Stocks of ethanol stood at 19.5 million barrels, the lowest since January.

U.S. exports of ethanol of all types totaled 58.6 million gallons (mg) in May, down 21% from April and the lowest level since August 2011. Exports of denatured ethanol for fuel use accounted for most of the May shipments, totaling 46.7 mg. Exports of undenatured ethanol for fuel use in May totaled 11.3 mg. Canada was the top destination, followed by the United Kingdom, and Finland. Notably, Brazil did not import any U.S. ethanol in May.

However, May U.S. distillers grains exports were up 25% from April, reaching the highest level since November 2010. Exports totaled 761,470 metric tons (mt) in May, with China accounting for 253,437 mt. Notably, in May, Chinese ethanol producers withdrew their complaint alleging dumping of U.S. DDGS and the Chinese government abandoned its anti-dumping investigation in June.

Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports

Dyadic Unveils Biofuels Enzyme Product

Cindy Zimmerman

Global biotech company Dyadic International today unveiled its latest biofuels enzyme advancement, AlternaFuel® CMAX3™, which the company says is a next generation product that enables the production of cellulosic biofuels and bio-based chemicals from a wide range of renewable non-food feedstocks under broad operating conditions.

“The data supporting this product clearly demonstrates Dyadic’s scientific capabilities to leverage our C1 technology platform to create enzyme mixtures whose performance rivals the leading biofuels enzyme product on the market,” said Dyadic President and CEO, Mark Emalfarb. “The results obtained with AlternaFuel® CMAX3™ are not only relevant for the production of biofuels but also for bio-based chemicals and biogas. Dyadic and its licensees are continuing to develop better performing enzymes to further reduce the total cost of producing advanced biofuels and other bio-based products.”

AlternaFuel® CMAX3™is the latest generation of a cellulase and hemicellulase complex based on Dyadic’s C1 platform technology which enables efficient conversion of multiple forms of non-food biomass into fermentable sugars at broad pH and temperature ranges that can be used to produce biofuels, bio-based chemicals, biogas and other bio-based products.

advanced biofuels, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News

SoloPower’s Flexible Solar Cells Receive Certification

John Davis

California solar cell maker SoloPower received ETL certification for its next-generation, thin, flexible SF1, SP1, and SP3L SoloPanels to UL 1703 and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards. Company officials say this just adds to to its track record on flexible solar modules:

[Tim Harris, CEO, of SoloPower says,] “It represents another step towards our goal of making solar the main source of energy for commercial and industrial buildings worldwide…”

“Being ETL certified to both UL and IEC standards is a significant milestone on the road to full scale commercialization,” said Bruce Khouri, President & Chief Commercial Officer and a building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) pioneer. “In addition to bringing to the market world-class, high efficiency, flexible modules, our first-of-their-kind rooftop installation kits are designed to rapidly expand the versatility for commercial and industrial rooftop solar applications. With BIPV as one of the fastest growing segments of the solar industry, we are thrilled to be able to share our unique solutions at Intersolar.”

Another SoloPower product, the SP3S SoloPanel, has been ETL certified to UL standards and is anticipated to be certified by the IEC soon. The SF1 and SP1 SoloPanels are made for twelve-inch and sixteen-inch standing-seam metal roofs, with the SP3L and SP3S SoloPanels best for commercial and industrial low-slope buildings. The company is also boasting three first-of-their-kind, easy, non-penetrating installation kits: the SoloSaddle(TM), SoloEdge(TM), and the SoloBridge(TM), more versatile on a variety of roofs.

Solar, technology

National Security, Renewable Energy Linked

John Davis

A group of former military leaders has made a call for more use of renewable energy in today’s military as a way to help national security. During an event sponsored by Operation Free, a coalition of veterans advocating for renewable energy, former members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps made their pitches for the military’s clean energy initiatives.

Retired U.S. Army Colonel Dan Nolan told the panel, entitled “Clean Energy & the Nation’s Security: A Military Call for Action,” that the dependence on a sole energy source for transportation, fossil fuels, makes the military vulnerable. “Options have to be explored, because when you have only one option, you have no options.”

Norm Seip, a retired Air Force three-star general, echoed Nolan’s sentiment in a line I heard many times in my days in the Air Force: Flexibility is the key to airpower. And he contends that reliance on oil, particularly from foreign sources that might not be too friendly to the U.S., costs us dollars and lives. He says having to write letters to parents whose sons and daughters have been killed hauling fossil fuels to the battle is heartbreaking. And it’s costing this country too much money. “When the price of oil goes up by $10 a barrel, it becomes a $1.3 billion bill for the [Department of Defense],” he said. And he modified the earlier saying to “flexibility is the key to energy security.”

Former Rear Admiral Larry Baucom said that extra cost for fuel comes out of other areas of military readiness, because the operations tempo does not decrease, and the budget will certainly not be getting bigger. “We’re going to have to do things better, smarter, faster and cheaper.”

Stephen Cheney, a retired Marine Corps general, said we need to wean the military and the U.S. in general off of foreign oil. “We need to fuel America’s fleet with made in America fuel. It’s America’s fleet, America’s fuels, made by American farmers,” he said. Cheney also defended the high initial costs of the military’s investment in biofuels, which has some estimates right now at $26 a gallon explaining that initial research and development in any system is always more expensive upfront but for the military should be cost competitive with oil-based products in a few years.

Government

IRFA Irked Over Blender Pumps Exclusion in Farm Bill

John Davis

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw is calling out the U.S. House after the latest version of the Farm Bill attempts to modify the existing Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to specifically exclude blender pumps from eligibility:

“It was very disappointing to see the blender pump exclusion maintained in the House Ag Committee Farm Bill. IRFA’s number one priority for this farm bill will be to ensure the final version includes blender pumps… All too often over the past year, the House seems more interested in carrying the water to protect Big Oil’s near monopoly on fuel than in providing American consumers with the freedom to choose their own fuel – perhaps a lower-cost ethanol blend – at the pump.”

Shaw pointed out that while the House has voted against renewable fuels, it has done nothing against Big Oil monopolies and subsidies. He says it’s embarrassing for the House and Iowa voters will be taking note.

During the debate, Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) pushed for specific money to be allocated for REAP and the blender pumps. “Without mandatory funding levels, these rural development programs are more than likely to be left out in the cold by the Appropriations Committee,” he said. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) said today’s consumers should have the choice to put in their cars the blend of ethanol they want, “whether that’s 0 percent or 15 percent.” Both of their amendments were withdrawn.

Listen to Boswell and Noem, as well as Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN), talk about blender pumps during debate in the House Agriculture Committee here: Blender Pump Debate in House Ag Cmte

Audio, blends, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Iowa RFA, Legislation

Renewable Energy in House Farm Bill

John Davis

The U.S. House Agriculture Committee has passed its version of the Farm Bill… better known as the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act or FARRM Act… but the measure doesn’t seem to give much love to renewable energy… and by love, we mean FUNDING!

Because of the lack of funding, most proposed amendments were withdrawn. One that did pass that required no specific funding was Arkansas Republican Rep. Rick Crawford’s measure for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) introduced the measure in the committee on Crawford’s behalf that would protect funding already invested. “The worst thing we could do to a project that has benefited and been a part of the BCAP program is pull the funding from it before it has had a chance to establish itself,” she told the committee. Noem added that if existing projects have their funding pulled before coming to fruition, it would send the wrong message to the farming community about biomass fuels. Despite some misgivings about the overall program from Ranking Member Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), the amendment passed and is headed to the House floor with about 40 other amendments.

Listen to the debate on the BCAP amendment here: BCAP amendment debate in House Ag CommitteeRead More

Audio, biomass, Government, Legislation

RFA Reiterates Safety of Ethanol By Rail

John Davis

While the fiery derailment and crash of a train carrying 90,000 gallons ethanol in Columbus, Ohio makes for some spectacular pictures and video, the folks at the Renewable Fuels Association point out that this is the exception and not the rule as 99.99 percent of all hazardous materials are delivered by rail without any issues:

“Billions of gallons of ethanol safely travel American railways without incident each year. Unfortunately, some accidents do occur which are out of our control. For whatever reason, some trains derail. In order to help ensure the safety of the public near these railways, the Renewable Fuels Association has been partnering with the federal government, rail carriers, railroad operators, and other stakeholders to conduct safety seminars for first responders all across the country. Since beginning the program in 2010, the RFA has conducted more than three dozen trainings for more than 1,500 first responders nationwide. These fire departments and other essential safety organizations now have the proper understanding and tools to respond in the unlikely event of a train accident involving ethanol.”

The RFA also has founded the Emergency Response Coalition (ethanolresponse.com), designed to educate responders on what to do in such an incident.

Check out the video from ABC News below. While I can’t agree about some of the characterizations of the green fuel, the video of the actual explosion is pretty amazing.
video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, Video

Latest Soil Research Supports Biomass Harvesting

Good news is emerging from the most recent soil data of the Project LIBERTY biomass harvesting research in northwest Iowa. Harvesting crop residue can be a responsible part of good farm management.

Project LIBERTY is a commercial-scale, cellulosic ethanol plant that is scheduled to begin operations in Emmetsburg, Iowa in late 2013. The plant will use corncobs, leaves, husk, and some stalk and is expected to produce 20 million gallons of ethanol growing to approximately 25 million gallons per year. It is the first project of the POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels Joint Venture.

For the last four years, Project LIBERTY has commissioned soil sustainability work from researchers with Iowa State University and the USDA. They have studied six different harvest methods in an effort to provide area farmers with data to help them make decisions about biomass harvesting.

“Basically, at the removal level that POET-DSM recommends, there is no reduction in yield, and removal rates are well within the sustainability limits,” said Dr. Stuart Birrell with Iowa State University.

Birrell and Dr. Douglas Karlen of USDA-ARS led the research.

The most recent data is consistent with previous years. Birrell said nutrient replacement is minimal, with no evidence of a need to replace nitrogen. Based on the research, POET-DSM recommends to farmers the addition of 10-15 pounds of potash when soil tests indicate it is needed. The effects of biomass harvesting on soil carbon have also proven to be minimal according to measurements of soil organic carbon, Birrell said, more an effect of yield and tillage intensity than biomass removal.

POET-DSM contracts for about 1 ton of biomass per acre with participating farmers. That’s less than 25 percent of the available above-ground biomass. They are contracting for 85,000 tons this year, and once operational, Project LIBERTY will require about 285,000 tons per year.

biomass, corn, Ethanol, POET

Fill Up on Biodiesel & Meet NASCAR Truck Driver Today

Fill up on biodiesel and meet a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver today in Newton, Iowa at 4 p.m. at Love’s Travel Stop, 4400 S 22nd Ave. East, (I-80/East 44th St. South).

Meet driver Todd Peck of Peck Motorsports. Peck, a NASCAR racing team from Pennsylvania, is committed to going green. The Peck race hauler has been outfitted with solar panels on the roof which power the newly installed LED lights and equipment, and the goal is to drive to and from races using biodiesel blends. The hauler runs on up to B50, 50 percent biodiesel.

Today, Peck will fill up the race hauler with 15 percent blend biodiesel and sign autographs for local fans. The team makes its NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at the Iowa Speedway on July 14.

Biodiesel, NASCAR, Racing

Biofuel Groups File Petition in Oil Lawsuit

Cindy Zimmerman

Six biofuel industry organizations have jointly petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) and the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The biofuel organizations include the Advanced Biofuels Association, Advanced Ethanol Council, American Coalition for Ethanol, Biotechnology Industry Organization, Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association.

The organizations are asking to join the AFPM et al v. EPA suit to support the EPA’s denial of a waiver of the 2011 Cellulosic Renewable Volume Obligation under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The lawsuit was filed in June 2012, the same month that the first Renewable Identification Numbers reportedly were assigned to cellulosic biofuel produced in the United States.

ACE, advanced biofuels, AEC, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy, RFA