Day in the Life of Biofuels Photo Contest

Cindy Zimmerman

Biofuels Digest editor Jim Lane is looking for photos depicting “A Day in the Life of Biofuels” for an upcoming photo essay and he’s paying $1000 for the best photo he gets.

“It has to relate to biofuels in some way – as a consumer, researcher, policymaker, producer, journalist, feedstock grower, industry supplier, student, enthusiast, carmaker, mechanic, and so on,” Lane says. “Could be a grower riding a combine, a hand working in the field, an employee at a producing biorefinery, end users users filling a vehicle – a marketing team brainstorming, a policymaker speaking – anything you can think of relating to biofuels – the more visually creative, the better. Could be about you, your business, your colleagues, your town, your car, your farm, your research project, your product – your call. Documentary, serious, downbeat, upbeat, sad, funny – up to you.”

Lane says all photos submitted with a caption will be published in Biofuels Digest with a credit. Multiple photo submissions are welcome, but additional photos will be published on a space-available basis and Lane says photos “are subject to acceptance by the Digest on the basis of reasonable taste.”

Find out more here.

biofuels

USDA Cuts Corn and Ethanol Forecasts

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has lowered its estimate of both corn production and ethanol usage of corn for this year.

USDAThe latest crop forecast for corn was cut three percent in the August report, due to excessive summer heat that lowered average yields by almost five bushels an acre. The estimate for corn production this year is now 12.5 billion bushels, down 3 percent from the August forecast but would still be the third largest corn crop in history. Yields are expected to average just over 148 bushels/acre, the lowest yield in six years.

With tighter supplies and higher prices, the USDA supply/demand outlook now projects corn usage to be 400 million bushels lower. “Corn use for ethanol is projected 100 million bushels lower with higher expected corn prices and continued weakening in the outlook for U.S. gasoline consumption as forecast by the Energy Information Administration,” according to the report. “The season-average farm price is projected 30 cents per bushel higher on both ends of the range to a record $6.50 to $7.50 per bushel.”

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, USDA

MAPCO Puts Another E85 Pump on the Map in Alabama

Cindy Zimmerman

Flex-fuel vehicle owners in Madison, Alabama now have more choices in filling up with E85, thanks to MAPCO Express and Protec Fuel.

This is the first location for the multi-state MAPCO Express to offer 85 percent ethanol blended fuel. The company partnered with florida-based Protec Fuel to convert the station and equipment and provide the E85 fuel for the company’s new greener-burning fuel option.

“MAPCO has taken a big step in offering E85 to its customers at this Madison location,” said Steve Walk with Protec Fuel. “This launch should lead to more MAPCO biofuel pumps throughout its southeastern U.S. territory.”

According to Mark Bentley, Executive Director of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, there are now 16 E85 pumps in Alabama. “We congratulate and commend MAPCO and the people of Madison for making E85 available to the public,” he said.

Madison, Alabama is north of Birmingham and just east of Decatur and the MAPCO Express E85 pump is located on Highway 72 West.

E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News

President Mentions Advanced Biofuels in Jobs Speech

Cindy Zimmerman

President Obama reaffirmed the importance of domestically produced fuels in his address to Congress on jobs Thursday night.

“If we provide the right incentives, the right support — and if we make sure our trading partners play by the rules — we can be the ones to build everything from fuel-efficient cars to advanced biofuels to semiconductors that we sell all around the world,” the president said. “That’s how America can be number one again.”

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) was pleased to hear the president utter the words “advanced biofuels” in connection with jobs. “As the only commercial scale Advanced biofuel that’s produced nationwide today, biodiesel is proof that strong domestic energy policy and incentives can create good paying American Jobs,” said NBB VP of Federal Affairs Anne Steckel. “Even in this economy, our industry is experiencing a boom. We’re on pace to produce more biodiesel than ever before. We strongly encourage Congress to follow through with a green jobs package that includes the biodiesel tax incentive that gets people back to work.”

Obama outlined his $450 billion jobs plan including tax cuts, tax credits, infrastructure investments and other measures in his speech Thursday night to Congress, urging lawmakers to pass it immediately to put Americans back to work.

Biodiesel, Government, NBB

Canadian Firm Developing Industry Oilseed Crops

Cindy Zimmerman

Vancouver-based Linnaeus Plant Sciences has been awarded $1.2 million in support from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to further advance production of green alternatives to petroleum oils.

SDTC support will help Linnaeus advance production of camelina and safflower-based oils as renewable feedstock that can substitute for petroleum in a variety of high-value, non-fuel applications including polymers, lubricants, surfactants and other valuable industrial materials.

“Through our support for cutting-edge clean energy technology we are creating high-quality jobs and protecting our environment,” said Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver. “This project demonstrates our leadership in driving technology innovation to help create a vibrant clean energy industry in Canada.”

“We’re interested in a greener, more sustainable future for farmers and for all Canadians,” said Linnaeus’ President and CEO, Jack Grushcow. “This is significant support from SDTC. It will help us position these crops as viable substitutes for petroleum in a range of important products. Work being done in the laboratory and on the farm will help shape a more carbon-neutral planet for future generations. We are committed to ensuring that these crops deliver products that command sufficient value to allow the entire value chain to operate at a fair profit.”

“Technologies that will help Canada become less dependent on fossil fuels while creating value for farmers will be key in the country’s transition to a green economy,” said SDTC President and CEO Vicky Sharpe. “We are pleased to be adding this promising project to our portfolio.”

Linnaeus Plant Sciences has developed an integrated process to produce a variety of value-added, renewable, industrial feedstocks from camelina and safflower, for use in various industrial applications.

biofuels, feedstocks

RFA Reminds President of Ethanol Jobs

Cindy Zimmerman

As President Obama prepares to address the nation with a proposed $400 billion jobs plan, the Renewable Fuels Association is reminding him that American ethanol fuels 400,000 jobs right now and could do even more with more support.

In an open letter to the president running today in Politico, RFA president Bob Dinneen says the “American ethanol industry is a job-creating engine fueled by innovation.”

“With a commitment in tonight’s speech to support the goals of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), encourage the use of E15 and other ethanol fuels, and invest in modernizing our fuel infrastructure, you could embolden current ethanol production and ignite investment in next generation advanced and cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels which would require the construction of new biorefineries, often located outside the traditional Corn Belt. In addition, you would spark further economic growth in rural communities in the Heartland where economic development is most difficult,” Dinneen writes to President Obama.

See the full ad here.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Grading Grasses for Ethanol Potential

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers have developed an inexpensive way to grade the ethanol potential of perennial grasses at a biorefinery’s loading dock.

Geneticist Ken Vogel (pictured) was one of a team of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists who developed the grading process that costs only about $5 a sample rather than the $300 to $2,000 per sample that conventional analytical methods cost.

The process uses near-infrared sensing (NIRS) to measure 20 components in switchgrass biomass that determine its potential value to biorefiners. These components include cell wall sugars, soluble sugars and lignin. With this information, 13 traits can be determined, including the efficiency of the conversion from sugars to ethanol. This is the first time NIRS has been used to predict maximum and actual ethanol yields of grasses from a basic conversion process.

ARS is now working with the Near Infrared Spectroscopy Consortium (NIRSC) to commercialize the process for use at biorefineries.

Read more from ARS here.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Research, USDA

When Will Cellulosic Ethanol Match Corn?

Chuck Zimmerman

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How many years before cellulosic ethanol matches corn ethanol production?” So what did you say? 42% said More than ten years; 23% said Five to ten years; 18% said Five years; 14% said Never and 3% said Next year. We’ve seen huge strides in the efficiency of corn ethanol production and research on the use of new feedstocks but we’re not quite there for mass quantity cellulosic production. Will we be? What do you think? Feel free to add your comments here.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “Which is more important to rural America: GPS Service or Broadband Internet?” We thought it would be interesting you get your thoughts on this in light of the Lightsquared rural broadband service that seems to pose some serious problems for GPS service. Your input and thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

ZimmPoll

Blue Angels Perform With Biofuels

Joanna Schroeder

The Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, performed over the Labor Day weekend using a biofuel blend at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River Air Expo. All six F/A-18 legacy Hornets were powered with a 50-50 blend of conventional JP-5 jet fuel and a camelina-based biofuel.

“Changing the kinds of fuels we use and the way we use them is critical to assuring the Navy and Marine Corps remain the most formidable expeditionary fighting force the world has ever known,” said Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus in a press statement leading up to the air show. “The Department of the Navy will be taking another visible step toward testing biofuel in our aircraft when all six of the Blue Angels perform using the same 50/50 blend of drop-in biofuel we’ve used in so many of our other aircraft.”

The event marked the first time an entire unit has flown on a biofuel mix.

Capt. Greg McWherter, Blue Angels commanding officer/flight leader said of the show, “As public representatives of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, the Blue Angels take pride in leading the country’s efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption and increase our energy security.

McWherter, who says there is no discernible differences from the cockpit, stressed that the goal of the program was to demonstrate that there is no difference in performance between the biofuel blend and standard-petroleum-based JP-5.

In another semi-related story, the USDA is looking for Eastern Washington farmers to grow camelina as part of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). The program is designed to incent growers to grow emerging crops for biofuels.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, biojet fuel, Video

Students Launch Facebook Campaign to Raise Cash for Biodiesel Program

Joanna Schroeder

Rockwood Summit High School located in Fenton, Missouri is on the hunt for dollars to help expand their biodiesel project. But they are not selling candy bars or giving car washes on a Saturday afternoon. They have taken to Facebook to promote their fundraising campaign.

The fundraising campaign is not limited to Rockwood Summit High School. Famous Footwear and Converse have come onboard to offer up to $100,000 to any school that receives at least 75,000 votes in their contest. Of that money, $75,000 will go to the school for their project a $25,000 academic scholarship will go to the student who submitted the essay on behalf of the winning school.

The students at Rockwood Summit hope to build an educational renewable fuel facility if they win. Today, the school’s 80 gallon processor is stored in only 15 square feet of space. The monies will be used to expand the space with extra to grow. Next projects? Researching turning algae into biodiesel.

The students also want to take their biodiesel projects to the street and educate the local community about the environmental and economic benefits of the renewable fuel. They also hope to teach younger students the science behind biodiesel production.

So how do you help them win? Visit the Famous Footwear Facebook page here, and click on the Step It Up For Your School tab. From there, you need to “like” the page then click “Cast Your Vote,” and from there search for “Summit.” To take it on home you just need to Vote for them. Now tomorrow, repeat, and keep repeating until they win.

Biodiesel, biofuels