ACE Conference 2026

Biodiesel Bike Built by Orange County Choppers

Chuck Zimmerman

The big news today at the National Biodiesel Conference was the unveiling of the biodiesel bike built by Paul Teutul, Sr., Orange County Choppers. The bike was built in partnership with CIMA Green. Today the bike debuted on stage driven by former NBB Chairman, Ed Hegland. Then Paul Sr. himself drove it onto the biodiesel vehicle showcase floor where he talked about the project with attendees. CIMA Green actually had two bikes built and donated one to the National Biodiesel Board along with a check for $50,000 to use for transportation expenses to showcase the bike at various events around the country.

I spoke with Paul Sr. just prior to his entry into the exhibit hall and he says the bike was a tough one to build. He says it’s not a speed demon but it won’t break down, “It’s just made to go.” The bike has affectionately been named Susie, btw.

Listen to my interview with Paul Sr. here: Interview with Paul Sr.

Listen to Paul Sr. describe the biodiesel bike here: Paul Sr. Remarks

Here’s video of Paul, Sr. driving into the exhibit hall.

Remember that you can follow what the Twitterverse is saying about the conference using the hashtag #NBB12.

2012 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Audio, Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference, biofuels, National Biodiesel Conference, NBB

USDA Funds Two Renewable Energy Programs

Two key programs that will encourage the use of renewable biomass and production of advanced biofuels is available through the FY 2012 USDA budget, according to the Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. About $25 million will be made available through each program.

USDAFirst, the Repowering Assistance Program provides approximately $25 million in funding to biorefineries that have been in existence on or before June 18, 2008. The purpose of the program is to provide a financial incentive to biorefineries to use renewable biomass in place of fossil fuels used to produce heat or power. By providing this assistance, USDA is helping these facilities install new systems that use renewable biomass.

Eligible costs must be related to construction or repowering improvements, such as engineering design, equipment installation and professional fees. The application deadline for this program to receive funds for Fiscal Year 2012 is June 1, 2012. For additional details, please see pages 5232 through 5234 of the February 2, 2012, Federal Register.

Second, USDA also announced the availability of up to $25 million to make payments to advanced biofuels producers who expect to produce eligible advanced biofuels at any time during Fiscal Year 2012. To be eligible for these funds, an advanced biofuels producers must have enrolled in the program by October 31, 2011, even if the producer has an existing contract with the Agency.

Payments will be made to producers of advanced biofuels derived from renewable biomass, other than corn kernel starch. These include cellulose, sugar and starch, crop residue, vegetative waste material, animal waste, food and yard waste, vegetable oil, animal fat, and biogas.

Contract payments will be made quarterly. For additional details, please see pages 5229 through 5232 of the February 2, 2012, Federal Register.

“President Obama has laid out a new era for American energy—an economy fueled by homegrown and alternative energy sources that will be designed and produced by American workers,” said Vilsack. “These programs support that vision by helping biorefineries use renewable biomass as a replacement fuel source for fossil fuels and supporting advanced biofuel producers as they expand production.”

biofuels, biomass, Facilities, Production, USDA

Low-Fat Distillers Grains for Dairy

Cindy Zimmerman

POET is targeting dairy producers with the introduction of a new low-fat distillers grains product.

The South Dakota-based ethanol producer notes that research indicates its new Dakota Gold Low Fat dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) can be fed to dairy cattle at a higher inclusion rate than traditional DDGS.

According to Kip Karges, PhD, Technical Services and Research Director at POET Nutrition, the product has just a 5 percent fat content, which offers a new opportunity for dairy operations that have had to limit DDGS use in the past because DDGS fat content can cause milk fat depression issues. “Dairy operations can feed more low fat DDGS to their livestock by using Dakota Gold Low Fat,” Karges said. “That will allow for optimum milk production while lowering ration cost.”

General research into the subject has shown that increasing concentrations of low-fat distillers grains have correlated to increasing efficiency of milk production. “When feeding regular DDGS you really have to limit feeds with high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and may cause limitations in formulation procedures,” said Paul Kononoff, Associate Professor of Dairy Nutrition/Dairy Nutrition Specialist at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. “The reduction in fat in low fat DDGS allows for higher inclusion of the co-product without the worries of milk fat depression.” Kononoff and others as the University of Nebraska have performed trials for POET and will be releasing their data to the public this summer.

A deliberate research and development process was followed in bringing Dakota Gold Low Fat DDGS to market. The new Dakota Gold LF DDGS option is possible because of POET’s Voila™ Corn Oil production, which removes oil from DDGS. The resulting low fat DDGS have been researched and will continued to be researched to find new ways in which distillers grains, the second-largest traded feed ingredient on the market, can be used to produce protein for human consumption. Nutritionists at POET are providing animal research data to nutritionists and the feed industry in general regarding Dakota Gold LF DDGS. Research and nutrition details are available at the Dakota Gold website.

dairy, Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, POET

Legislation Would Delay E15

Cindy Zimmerman

Legislation sponsored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) could delay getting 15% ethanol blended fuel in the marketplace by requiring even more testing by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The bill out of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee has the backing of numerous anti-ethanol organizations, including the including petroleum, livestock, environmental and food industry groups. It would require EPA to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study the effects of E15 on vehicles and engines. “The EPA’s decision to rush introduction of E15 into the marketplace raised a red flag, and stakeholders are speaking out before it’s too late,” Sensenbrenner said.

Growth EnergyGrowth Energy CEO Tom Buis notes that E15 has been tested more than any other fuel in history. “This is a waste of time and a waste of taxpayer dollars,” Buis said. “No fuel blend has undergone the level of scrutiny E15 has – and passed the tests like E15 did. They’ve been looking at E15 for more than three years.”

The Green Jobs Waiver for E15 was accompanied with more independently-gathered data, science and research in its support than any of the other 11 Clean Air Act waivers previously approved by the U.S. EPA. The agency approved the use of E15 in vehicles newer than 2001 more than a year ago, but it has yet to reach the consumer marketplace.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government

National Biodiesel Conference Speech From Joe Jobe

Chuck Zimmerman

Joe Jobe, CEO, National Biodiesel Board, welcomed attendees to the 2012 National Biodiesel Conference this morning. He started out by telling a story about what biodiesel means to him and how he got involved in energy, politics and history. One of the things that really got him interested in the industry was, “I wrote a paper for my high school economics class about developing a market for ag-based fuels to supplement our energy supply . . . So my paper was overly simplistic and naïve, but after working in this industry for almost 15 years now, the basic idea is clearer than ever, and has now become a reality.” However, he says, “Over the past four decades America has not had a consistent and clear energy policy.”

Joe spent some time talking about the RFS.

The RFS demonstrated last year that effective energy policy can be carried out by actual energy policy. After the first year of implementation it has its wrinkles to iron out and we are going to talk about those in depth. But 2011 demonstrated that the RFS can work at doing what Congress intended, which is to draw renewable fuels into the market. I want to commend the EPA for their work in bringing this program together. They have had a very difficult job to take a brand new complex law and a wide range of stakeholders, and build a workable program.

The RFS has created a clear, predictable, stable and sustainable future for this industry.

Listen to or download Joe’s speech here: Joe Jobe Speech

2012 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, National Biodiesel Conference

National Biodiesel Conference Delivering Now

Chuck Zimmerman

The 2012 National Biodiesel Conference is underway in Orlando, FL at the Gaylord Palms. I’m living in a Gaylord world after just covering the Cattle Industry Convention at the Gaylord Opryland. I’ve got to come back here for the National Ethanol Conference and go back to Opryland for Commodity Classic. That’s a lot of Gaylord time.

We’re just getting started here. Registration is underway along with a couple of pre-conference sessions. I’ve heard that registration is up significantly this year which is a good sign for the industry. First up tonight is the annual Super Bowl Party. I’ll have photos from that later. In the meantime, I have started collecting photos here: 2012 National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album.

In addition to stories posted here on Domestic Fuel I’m also the Biodiesel Blogger once again for the National Biodiesel Board. So check out both sites throughout the coming days.

Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference

Alliance AutoGas Adds Five New Conversion Centers

Alliance AutoGas has added five new certified conversion centers in Virginia, Florida, Georgia and Texas to their national network of partners that offer complete programs for America’s fleets to run on clean-burning propane autogas.

Ark Enterprises 2, Braggs Truck Repair, Green Tech Energy Solutions, Grimes Auto Service Inc., and NDMJ Transportation are joining Alliance to provide fleets with EPA-certified autogas vehicle conversions, as well as ongoing service and technical support.

“From Virginia to Texas, these new partners help strengthen Alliance AutoGas as we continue expanding nationwide, helping our nation’s fleets save money and drive clean,” says Stuart Weidie, president of Alliance Autogas and founder of Autogas for America.

Certified Alliance AutoGas conversion centers are equipped to implement both bi-fuel and dedicated propane vehicle conversions using Prins vapor and liquid injection technology. Alliance has the largest privately financed portfolio of autogas vehicle certifications in the U.S., with more than 200 vehicle types eligible for autogas conversions.

Fleets that convert to autogas will save on both fuel and maintenance costs. Because autogas is a cleaner-burning fuel than gasoline, many fleets report reduced maintenance needs for vehicles, like fewer oil changes and an extended engine life. Alliance AutoGas provides leasing and financing options that allow fleets to start saving immediately, with zero up-front cost—including for an on-site autogas station.The new Alliance conversion center partners include:

Ark Enterprises 2 in Churchville, VA; Braggs Truck Repair in Berryville, VA; NDMJ Ltd. Transportation of Tyler, Texas; Green Tech Energy Solutions in Miami, FL; and Grimes Auto Service of Tifton, GA.

Fleet, Propane

OriginOil Signs Agreement With Algae Producer

Cindy Zimmerman

Algae oil extraction technology developer OriginOil has signed a commercial agreement with algae producer Aquaviridis to work on a multi-phase algae production rollout at a facility in Mexicali, Mexico.

Under the agreement, OriginOil will provide its expertise to help develop growth and harvesting solutions and implement appropriate OriginOil technologies. The Mexico facility is being developed as a potential model for algae sites throughout the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) region, with a focus on desert areas of the American Southwest and Mexico.

Minnesota-based Aquaviridis is backed by private sector funding, with plans to immediately scale up from research and development to ten acres of pilot algae production by the middle of this year. Commercial scale production capacity is expected by the second quarter of 2013. Aquaviridis selected the Mexicali Valley as a strategic location due to favorable growing conditions, strong local and governmental support, and available sources of carbon dioxide.

“The Mexicali Valley is a great place to develop an algae industry, given its climate and access to industry research and resources throughout North America,” said OriginOil vice president of marketing Ken Reynolds. “With the U.S. as a neighboring market for high value exports, Mexico is in an excellent position to take the lead in areas such as research and production of algae for nutritional products, animal feed, and oil for biofuels, which would create long-term regional economic growth and job production.”

advanced biofuels, algae

Registration Open for Advanced Biofuels Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2012 Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference, presented by Biofuels Digest, is scheduled for April 2-5 at the Capitol Hilton in Washington D.C.

The main event will feature dozens of top officials from advanced biofuels companies, including industry leaders such as Amyris, Ceres, GEVO, Mascoma, Sapphire Energy, Solazyme, ZeaChem and many more. The conference also features two special full-day concurrent sessions April 5 – Military & Aviation Biofuels and the Bio-Based Investor Summit.

More information and registration details are available at advancedbiofuelssummit.com.

advanced biofuels, conferences

Sao Paulo Ethanol Import Tax Could Violate GATT

Cindy Zimmerman

*Updated with clarification comments from UNICA*

The president of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) this week wrote a letter to the U.S. Trade Ambassador asking for an investigation into news that the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo was imposing a 25% tax on all imported ethanol.

“Because ethanol produced in Sao Paulo is tax exempt, ethanol imported into Sao Paulo from the United States and other areas is at a substantial economic disadvantage,” wrote RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen to Ambassador Ron Kirk. “We believe this action is discriminatory and may severely—and immediately—restrict the exportation of U.S. ethanol to Brazil.”

Dinneen is pictured here sharing a lighter moment with Marcos Jank, president and CEO of Brazil’s UNICA during a session at the 2011 National Ethanol Conference.

In early December, the nation of Brazil extended a temporary suspension of a 20% federal tariff on imported ethanol.
“This action not only effectively reinstates the tariff on U.S. exports, but increases it by 5%,” wrote Dinneen. “Moreover, we believe the action taken by the state of Sao Paulo is in violation of Article III:4 of the Generalized Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and possibly Article 2.1 of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement.

Port Santos in Sao Paulo is the main port of entry for U.S. ethanol exports to Brazil, which accounted for an estimated 400 million gallons in 2011.

*In response to the RFA’s letter and resulting media reports, UNICA released a statement from president Marcos Jank noting that the Sao Paulo tax is a pre-existing value-added tax (VAT), known as ICMS (Goods and Services Tax), which is not equivalent to the return of Brazil’s tariff on imported ethanol.

“UNICA would like to clarify that the ICMS is a country-wide tax applied to nearly all products, imported or domestically produced, that has been in place for several years. It is applied by state governments on all anhydrous ethanol,” said Jank. “Contrary to what has been reported, the ICMS on imported ethanol has never been waived. Because Brazilian demand for imported anhydrous ethanol was significantly higher in 2011 than in previous years, the São Paulo state government deferred collection of the ICMS at the customs clearance point to speed up the import process.”

According to UNICA, the deferment period started on October 1, 2011 and is now scheduled to end on March 1, 2011.

Brazil, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, International, RFA