Science Magazine Spotlights Seaweed to Biofuel Technology

Cindy Zimmerman

The cover story in the latest issue of Science Magazine showcases a California-based company’s technology that converts seaweed to biofuel.

The research article details breakthrough technology developed by scientists with Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) using a microbe to extract the sugars in macroalgae that could further the use of seaweed as a feedstock for advanced biofuels and renewable chemical production.

“About 60 percent of the dry biomass of seaweed are sugars, and more than half of those are locked in a single sugar – alginate,” said Daniel Trunfio, Chief Executive Officer at Bio Architecture Lab. “Our scientists have developed a pathway to metabolize the alginate, allowing us to unlock all the sugars in seaweed, which therefore makes macroalgae an economical alternative feedstock for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals.”

“It is both an incredible scientific achievement and a distinguished honor to be published in Science, and I am very proud of our team,” said Trunfio. “It is yet another strong validation of BAL’s breakthrough technology.”

Seaweed can be an ideal global feedstock for the commercial production of biofuels and renewable chemicals because in addition to its high sugar content it has no lignin, and it does not require arable land or freshwater to grow. Globally, if three percent of the coastal waters were used to produce seaweed than more than 60 billion gallons of fossil fuel could be produced. Today, in many parts of the world, seaweed is already grown at commercial scale. BAL currently operates four seaweed farms in Chile and has had great success in growing seaweed at economically viable production yields.

BAL was a beneficiary of the highly selective U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) awarded to DuPont, for the development of a process to convert sugars from seaweed into isobutanol.

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Research, Science

Washington Times Editorial by Gal Luft

Cindy Zimmerman

The Washington Times carried an editorial about ethanol last week from the director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, who will be speaking Tuesday at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines.

Iowa RFADr. Gal Luft wrote about how the ethanol industry no longer has the blenders tax credit or the associated tariff on imports and his hope for an “open market” where all fuels can compete and consumers can choose their fuel.

“Congress should remove barriers to fuel competition so a variety of fuels, including ethanol, can be blended at any ratio consumers wish to pour into their tanks,” wrote Luft. “An open fuel standard would ensure new cars sold in the United States have flexible fuel engines designed to run on any combination of gasoline, ethanol and methanol. According to General Motors, adding fuel flexibility to a new gasoline-only automobile costs about $70.”

Luft will be speaking at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit on Tuesday during the morning session, following addresses by four-star General Paul Kern (U.S. Army, ret.) and former Reagan National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane. All three will be discussing the importance of breaking America’s dependence on foreign oil.

Pre-registration for the 6th annual summit is closed now but on-site registration is still available starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial/Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Iowa RFA

American Ethanol Gears Up for 2012 NASCAR Season

Cindy Zimmerman

American Ethanol is gearing up for the 2012 NASCAR season with a renewed commitment to the sport that spotlights racing on 15% ethanol fuel.

During the NASCAR Preview fan event in Charlotte, N.C. this weekend, American Ethanol announced that it will continue relationships with Richard Childress Racing and RAB Racing for the 2012 season. This is the second year for the racing partnership between NASCAR, Growth Energy and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).

“American Ethanol is getting a lot of positive attention because it’s a good fit for NASCAR’s green initiative, and because of the increased horsepower on the track,” said NCGA President Garry Niemeyer.

Growth EnergyAustin Dillon, 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion, will drive the No. 3 Chevrolet during the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series season with American Ethanol serving as the primary sponsor for six races as well as one race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2012.

Dillon, pictured here with team owner (and grandfather) Richard Childress, is looking forward to representing the ethanol industry. “I’m proud to carry the American Ethanol colors in NASCAR,” he said. American Ethanol will also be an associate sponsor for the entire RCR family of drivers.

Growth EnergyKenny Wallace, a driver who has been a strong promoter of corn growers and ethanol over the past year, will drive the No. 09 Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for RAB Racing. American Ethanol will partner with Wallace for the Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500, as well as five races in the Nationwide Series.

“I’m honored to represent American Ethanol. I not only talk about American Ethanol, I truly believe in it,” Wallace said. “I’ve been to the farms, I’ve met the families, I’ve been to the ethanol plants, and I’ve been in the hallways of the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C., in support of it.” (Listen to a prior interview with Wallace)

“Through our partnerships with Austin Dillon and Kenny Wallace, we are telling NASCAR and its fans that American Ethanol is committed to the sport,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. “These drivers are ideal ambassadors for the American Ethanol team and will help tell the story of how American-made ethanol creates jobs, cleans our air and fosters energy independence.”

Representing a wide array of ethanol supporters, from farmers to bio-engineering firms, American Ethanol was established by Growth Energy and NCGA with NASCAR starting with the 2011 racing season, the same year that NASCAR switched its fuel to Sunoco Green E15.

Listen to prior interviews with Childress, Growth Energy and NCGA.

American Ethanol, corn, Ethanol, Growth Energy, NASCAR, NCGA

Nebraska Ethanol Sales Top Ten Billion Gallons

Ethanol sales from Nebraska have officially reached 10 billion gallons, according to the Nebraska Ethanol Board. The history making tank-full was pumped in late 2011, after 34 years of ethanol being sold in the state.

2012 projections show that Nebraska drivers could purchase close to seven hundred million more gallons this year. Last year, production from the state’s 25 ethanol plants topped 1.9 billion gallons according to preliminary data. 91 percent of the state’s production goes to U.S. domestic markets, five percent goes overseas and four percent stays in Nebraska.

According to the Energy Information Administration, 2011 U.S. ethanol production was 14.4 billion gallons. The country’s total annual motor fuel usage is around 134 billion gallons. Ethanol accounts for 10.7 percent of total U.S supply.

“Our persistence paid off,” says Loran Schmit, a former member of the Nebraska Legislature who laid the groundwork for the development of Nebraska’s ethanol industry. “Ethanol is a major boost to our economy. Continued expansion of the industry will provide greater benefits for agriculture and energy security.”

Sign up for the Nebraska Ethanol Board’s FFV club for updates of new E85 locations and other announcements.

Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, Production

POET Pipeline Project Postponed

Cindy Zimmerman

Without a federal loan guarantee, POET has put a proposed dedicated ethanol pipeline project on hold for now, according to company officials.

“We continue to believe that the pipeline is a viable project with tremendous benefits for the country,” said POET Founder & CEO Jeff Broin, “But with little prospects for a federal loan guarantee in the near future we are currently focused on other efforts.”

In March of 2009, POET joined Magellan Midstream Partners to study the feasibility of a dedicated ethanol pipeline. Magellan announced that they placed their interest in the project on hold early last year.

During the period when POET and Magellan were working together, they had conducted preliminary studies of a dedicated ethanol pipeline, but from the beginning they believed that financing for a project of this size would be challenging without a federal loan guarantee.

“While a pipeline could improve the efficiency of ethanol distribution and lower costs for motorists, the system that we have in place today has allowed ethanol to flow seamlessly into more than 90% of the gasoline sold,” said Broin.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, POET

Petra Solar and Enviromena Form Alliance

Petra Solar and Enviromena Power Systems have formed an alliance so the two can develop solar and smart grid projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Petra Solar is the pioneer and market leader of Smart Solar, an innovative approach that couples solar with smart grid technology to generate clean, safe renewable energy while making the electric infrastructure more stable, efficient and energy independent. The platform is scalable to future smart grid applications including energy efficiency.


Enviromena Power Systems is the leading developer of solar projects in the MENA. Their highly experienced team finances, designs, installs and operates solar power plants. Enviromena Power Systems is headquartered in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.

“The increasing demand for solar energy and grid reliability provides a tremendous opportunity for Petra Solar throughout the Middle East and the world. Collaborating with Enviromena, the leading developer of solar projects in the Middle East and North Africa, will facilitate the international expansion of our products and business development in the region,” said Dr. Shihab Kuran, President and CEO of Petra Solar. “Enviromena has an impressive list of completed projects including the Masdar 10MW Power Plant and has the largest installed capacity of any solar developer in the Middle East and North Africa.”

“Petra Solar’s unique technology greatly expands our portfolio of photovoltaic solutions available to the MENA region,” said Sami Khoreibi, CEO of Enviromena. “We see a large market here for distributed solar applications, particularly where smart grid iitiatives are taking place.”

energy efficiency, Solar

USDA Announces Support for Advanced Biofuel Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

An advanced biofuels project in Iowa is being offered support from the federal government for a plant to make fuel from waste material.

fiberightThe U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a conditional commitment for a $25 million guaranteed loan under the Biorefinery Assistance Program for Fiberight to build a biorefinery in Blairstown, Iowa.

The loan will be used to construct a 55,000 square foot facility that will produce cellulosic ethanol by converting municipal solid waste and other industrial pulps into advanced biofuels, as well as using conventional renewable biofuel derived from seed corn waste. When operational, the facility is expected to produce approximately 3.6 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year. The process will use a cellulosic microbe to produce up to 15 percent more ethanol than traditional fermentation technology, and reduce energy inputs in the fermentation and distillation process. Fiberight estimates the project will create 38 jobs and save 16 jobs.

”Advanced Biofuels are going commercial – and the innovation behind turning trash into biofuels demonstrates how our industry can create jobs and solve our nation’s energy needs,” says Adam Monroe, President of Novozymes North America. ”Novozymes is proud to be a partner to this project, supplying the enzymes to turn household and office waste into advanced biofuels. We applaud the federal government for its leadership in helping bring biofuels to market.”

NovozymesBiotech company Novozymes is one of Fiberight’s partners in the project. ”Advanced Biofuels are going commercial – and the innovation behind turning trash into biofuels demonstrates how our industry can create jobs and solve our nation’s energy needs,” says Adam Monroe, President of Novozymes North America.

Under the conditional commitment, Fiberight must meet specified conditions before the loan guarantee can be completed. Other funding comes from the State of Iowa. Fiberight also received a $2.5 million grant from the Iowa Power Fund in 2010. The company will work with the Benton County landfill to supply a portion of the feedstock for the project. The total project cost is estimated at $59.5 million. Fiberight, LLC was incorporated in 2007 for the purpose of converting an existing ethanol facility into a cellulosic ethanol facility in Blairstown.

advanced biofuels, Cellulosic, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, USDA, Waste-to-Energy

USDA Launches Clean Energy Website

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Department of Agriculture this week launched a new energy website to provide quick access to the agency’s energy efficiency and renewable energy data.

The website, usda.gov/energy, provides access to all USDA energy resources, including: agricultural, forestry, economic, and social data. This is done in part through a set of new complementary web-based tools: the USDA Renewable Energy Investment Map, the Renewable Energy Tool and Energy Matrix. These tools focus on USDA’s energy, energy efficiency and renewable energy investments and projects; provide information and data to a broad spectrum of stakeholders; and empower the user with the ability to easily navigate USDA’s energy web resources. In addition, the site provides a link to all USDA state and local offices and energy resource coordinators.

The new website was welcomed by the Ag Energy Coalition (AEC). “USDA’s Energy portal demonstrates the positive impact the Farm Bill energy title and related programs are having on job creation, national security, and the environment,” said Coalition co-director Lloyd Ritter. “The Ag Energy Coalition believes Rural America will be a continuing force for change in the advancement of sustainable energy and renewable chemicals production in the years ahead. With the right policies in place, and requisite funding, the promise of a rural renaissance focused on clean energy solutions will become a reality.”

The Ag Energy Coalition includes a membership of organizations and companies representing a variety of clean, renewable energy and bioproducts stakeholders.

BIO, biochemicals, Biodiesel, bioenergy, biofuels, Energy, Ethanol, Ethanol News, USDA

Texas Corn Grower Comments on Food vs. Fuel

Cindy Zimmerman

A Texas corn grower says the “feed versus fuel” debate is based in fallacy.

Texas Corn Producers Board member Wesley Spurlock of Stratford has been speaking to groups across the Midwest explaining how U.S. corn farmers continue to grow a crop abundant enough to meet all growing demands and he has gained attention from industry publications looking to find the truth behind the headlines.

“To put it simply, growth in demand from the ethanol industry has mirrored an increase in productivity that yields larger corn crops,” Spurlock said. “We are still supplying the livestock industry with the corn that they need for feed, but we now have a market that utilizes an increasingly abundant resource to help solve our energy problems also.”

Listen to an interview with Sprulock in the National Corn Growers Association’s podcast series “Off the Cob” discussing how corn farmers are growing a larger crop on the land already in production while decreasing inputs used. During this interview, he also discusses the innovations facilitating increased yield trends, how the Texas drought plays a major role in recent cattle industry shifts, and the amazing story of modern American agriculture.

Wesley Spurlock - Off the Cob
Audio, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, food and fuel, NCGA

REG Announces Pricing of IPO

Cindy Zimmerman

REG is ready to go public.

Renewable Energy Group has announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 7,200,000 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $10.00 per share.

The shares are expected to begin trading on The Nasdaq Global Market on January 19, 2012 under the symbol “REGI.” Of the shares of common stock in the offering, Renewable Energy Group is offering 6,857,140 shares and selling stockholders are offering 342,860 shares. In addition, Renewable Energy Group has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,080,000 additional shares of common stock to cover over-allotments, if any.

Additional details available from the REG website.

Biodiesel, REG