Quantum Awarded $1.37M PHEV Grant

Joanna Schroeder

Quantum Fuel System Technologies Worldwide has been awarded a $1.37 million grant by the California Energy Commission (CEC) for launching a new generation of plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) systems. The goal of the program is to develop technology that will accelerate the adoption of PHEVs by way of improved operational efficiencies and reduced cost. The monies will be used for product validation and to set up a pilot production line to accelerate launching of the new generation of hybrid electric products being developed at Quantum’s Advanced Technology Center located in Lake Forest, California.

“We thank CEC for their continued support of innovation in clean energy technologies that helps to increase America’s competitiveness and create jobs,” said Alan P. Niedzwiecki, the President and CEO of Quantum. “We are excited about the potential of our new generation products that have a chance to change the way we drive.”

Quantum has developed the Q-Drive™ PHEV system that powers the Fisker Karma, a high performance luxury sedan that was developed by Fisker Automotive. Fisker is a partnership between Quantum and Fisker Coachbuild.

In other news, Quantum recently launched a PHEV F150 truck that incorporates its Quantum PHEV drive called F-Drive. Although the company did not release this information about the F150, I have confirmed from a company representative that it is also a flex-fuel vehicle with the ability to use up to E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gas). To my knowledge, this would be the second PHEV – FFV available with the Chevy Volt being the first of its kind to market.

E85, Electric Vehicles

BIOfuel From Algae Technologies Project Launched

Joanna Schroeder

A new international project is kicking off to produce biofuels from algae. The BIOfuel From Algae Technologies (BIOFAT) project is supported by nine partners based in seven countries and the goal is to show that ethanol, biodiesel and bioproducts call all be produced at large scale from algae. Algae supporters believe algal biofuels can be produced in an efficient, economic and environmentally sustainable way and the BIOFAT team intends to prove this with the algorefinery – a facility that can produce high-value co-products in addition to biofuels.

Abengoa Bioenergy’s subsidiary Abengoa Bioenergia Nuevas Tecnologias (ABNT) will be the coordinator for the project. According to BIOFAT, the project will be carried out by a transnational consortium drawn from the academic, industrial and public sectors that includes the University of Florence (IT), A4F-AlgaFuel (PT), Ben-Gurion University (IL), Fotosintetica & Microbiologica (IT), Evodos (NL), AlgoSource Technologies (FR), IN SRL (IT) and Hart Energy (BE). Consortium members were selected to provide research diversity and expertise to the project.

In addition to creating algal biofuels, the BIOFAT project will also demonstrate the integration of the entire value chain in the production of ethanol and biodiesel. The research process will begin with strain selection and proceed to biological optimization of the culture media, monitored algae cultivation, low energy harvesting, and finally technology integration. Training will take place on existing microalgae prototypes in Israel, Portugal and Italy, then scale up the process at a 10-hectare demonstration plant. The project is expected to last four years and produce about 900 tons of algae annually on the 10-hectare plant.

algae, biofuels, International

Ag Secretary Promotes 85 Percent Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Nashville, Tennessee Monday visiting Thorntons Convenience Store E-85 fueling station to highlight the importance of moving toward a clean energy economy and decreasing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

“Flex-fuel pumps give Americans a choice to purchase domestically produced renewable transportation fuels,” Vilsack said. “The Obama Administration is working to transform the United States into a global clean energy leader because transportation fuels created from a wide variety of renewable energy sources will create a new generation of jobs here at home, reduce dependence on foreign oil and enhance our national security.”

In April, Secretary Vilsack announced a series of initiatives to help farmers and rural small businesses implement renewable energy systems and become more energy efficient. One of those initiatives allows USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to now make funding available for flexible fuel pumps, sometimes referred to as “blender pumps.” This is expected to encourage fuel station owners to invest the capital necessary to give American motorists the option of selecting the blend of renewable fuel that meets their needs. The Obama administration has set a goal of installing 10,000 flexible fuel pumps nationwide within 5 years.

Read more from USDA.

E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, USDA

Survey Says Consumers Consider Ethanol A Green Product

Joanna Schroeder

In a study released by Genencor during the BIO World Congress in Toronto, when U.S. consumers were asked to name a product they considered green, 39 percent of them named ethanol first and 31 percent of Canadian respondents also named ethanol as a green product. This is just one of results discovered in the Genencor Household Sustainability Index that researched the market potential for “green” household products with environmental benefits.

In addition, the study found that four in 10 American consumers and about a third of Canadian consumers have already heard the term “biobased” to describe various products including fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, as well as cleaning and personal care products and clothing.

“I think very clearly that they know what a green product is, but haven’t yet made the link on how we’re going to make those products green and how important biobased products are going to be,” said Tjerk de Ruiter, CEO of Genencor.

“It was very interesting to see that ethanol was at the top of the list. Now of course we were very pleased with that because ethanol is such an important product and such an important marketplace for us,” said de Ruiter. “But it also shows that the consumer really starts to buy in to the concept of the importance of home produced fuels and really the contribution that ethanol is delivering to the economy.”

Listen to my interview with Tjerk de Ruiter here: Genencor Household Sustainability Index

I asked de Ruiter how biobased enzymes, such as their product, differed from what we’ve seen in the past. “When you work with a biobased organism, you can continuously improve. If we look at the enzyme systems we have today, they are a lot more efficient allowing you to extract a lot more alcohol, or ethanol, out of the product itself, and quite often at lower temperatures and in the process reducing energy use,” said de Ruiter.

Other products consumers found to be green were detergents, cosmetics and some clothing. The survey will be used to create a baseline to determine if “biobased” products become better understood, accepted and adopted by consumers. Click here to learn more.

Click here to see photos from the 2011 BIO World Congress.

Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, biomaterials, Biotech, Ethanol, Research

Ethanol Industry Agrees With Pawlenty

Cindy Zimmerman

Announcing his candidacy for the president in the heart of ethanol country, Republican Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota, made headlines Monday for his comments on phasing out ethanol subsidies, but the real story is that the industry agrees with him.

“The hard truth is there are no longer any sacred programs,” Pawlenty said. “The truth about federal energy subsidies — including federal subsidies for ethanol — is that they need to be phased out. We need to do it gradually. We need to do it fairly, but we need to do it.”

Pawlenty stressed his strong support for ethanol. “The industry has made large investments and it wouldn’t be fair to pull the rug out from under them immediately, but we must face the truth that if we want to invite more competition, more investment and more innovation in the industry, we need to get the government out,” he added.

Listen to Pawlenty’s comments regarding ethanol here: Candidate Pawlenty on Ethanol

In response, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association President Walt Wendland, CEO of two Iowa ethanol companies, said the ethanol industry is on board with the reform and phase down of the current ethanol incentive as part of the discussion on all energy programs as proposed by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley. “Governor Pawlenty’s remarks today appear to be in line with Sen. Grassley’s approach for ethanol reform,” Wendland said, noting that the governor pointed out that energy incentive reforms must be across the board. “We agree that the massive amount of federally funded petroleum incentives must be a part of any reform discussion. Iowans look forward to Gov. Pawlenty further detailing his plans to ‘phase out’ petroleum subsidies, perhaps in a speech in Houston, Texas.”

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Executive Vice President Brian Jennings says Pawlenty’s stance on ethanol mirrors the thoughts of many ethanol supporters.

“The U.S. ethanol industry has been working proactively with the White House and both Senate and Congressional leaders on reforming the ethanol tax incentive by reducing its cost and emphasizing consumer fuel choice,” Jennings said. “We appreciate Governor Pawlenty’s position that there are no sacred programs and that all energy subsidies, particularly oil tax subsidies, need to be changed, because the U.S. can no longer afford them.”

Pawlenty is a Minnesota native who served two terms as that state’s governor. His official announcement kicked off a campaign this week that will include stops in Florida, New Hampshire, New York and Washington D.C..

ACE, Audio, Ethanol, Government

Osage Bio Energy On the Sales Block

Joanna Schroeder

Osage Bio Energy has announced its board of directors will sell the company. Osage has also decided not to begin production at its Appomattox Bio Energy ethanol plant in Hopewell, Virginia that had originally been scheduled to be online in May of 2010. The company was to use barley as its primary feedstock. As a result of this action, the company will implement a reduction in force effective May 25, 2011. A core team of employees will continue to work at the plant to help facilitate the sale and maintain the condition of the assets for prospective buyers.

“Osage Bio Energy would like to recognize and acknowledge the efforts of the many employees, community leaders and supporters that came together to develop this project over the past few years,” said Heather Scott, company spokesperson. “Appomattox Bio Energy is a first of its kind facility in the United States and represents a unique opportunity for multi-feedstock ethanol production to its future owner.”

While not mentioned in the press release, the company had a major set-back when last September several explosions occurred at the plant forcing pre-production activities to come to a halt. Just in the past two weeks, the city of Hopewell began legal actions to recoup loss of tax revenue that was anticipated to be nearly $2.19 million. The city is looking at a nearly $600,000 budget shortfall from the anticipated tax revenues that would have kicked in once the plant went into production.

Osage Bio Energy, founded in 2007, said its Hopewell, Virginia plant is fully functional and production ready with the capacity to produce 65 million gallons of ethanol per year.

Ethanol, Ethanol News

Offshore Wind Key Solution for UK

Joanna Schroeder

A new white paper has been released that details the role offshore wind could play for the UK. According to Shadow Energy Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, along with Chairman of the Environment Agency Lord Smith, without investments along with skilled workers, the industry will not flourish to its full capacity. Today, only 3 percent of energy currently consumed comes from renewables but the government has set a goal of 15 percent by 2020.

While the country does not current have any energy crisis, according to EU MD of E. On Renewables Michael Lewis, and Ben Goldsmith, co-founder of WHEB Partners, the government must “plan very rapidly to avoid one” and the UK “must use every from of renewable energy conceivable.

“I think we do have a cross-party consensus, that we can use to put certainty into the market that we will drive investment in, and fill that energy gap before we do have a crisis,” said Irranca-Davies.

Goldsmith added that the only way renewable energy projects will be built is if the asset class becomes institutionally credible, which it is not currently. To do so, the industry must deliver great returns.

The offshore wind industry could create 80,0000 to 100,000 jobs but a skills shortage is a major obstacle that must be overcome. The panel suggested ways to do this including more education with secondary aged school children and more promotion of science and technology as a well-paid career.

Also considered in the white paper as an energy source was nuclear. Lord Smith added, “Renewables and nuclear both need to be part of the picture – if you’d asked me 15 years ago I’d have said no to nuclear power, largely because of all the waste issues. But climate change has made a realist of me.”

Electricity, Energy, Video, Wind

New England Goes Solar

Joanna Schroeder

Con Edison Development now owns and operates the largest operating solar power system in New England. The ten-acre solar facility is located in the New Bedford Business Park, located between Dartmouth and New Bedford, Massachusetts. The 2-megawatt project consists of more than 8,000 ground mounted crystalline silicon panels generating enough electricity to power 2,000 average sized homes.

“As New England’s premier solar facility, this project represents a giant step forward toward creation of an emissions-free environment,” said Mark Noyes, vice president of Con Edison Development. “Con Edison Development is proud to be working with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the New Bedford Business Park to reduce greenhouse gases while we promote America’s energy independence.”

The state passed a Green Communities Act and Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard that calls for a statewide target of 400 MW of solar generation. This is the first of many projects that will help the state meets is goals and the project was embraced by the Town of Dartmouth Board of Selectmen, the Dartmouth Conservation Commission and the tenants of the business park.

Tom Davis, executive director of the Greater New Bedford Industrial Foundation added, “This is a problem-free project and the initiative constitutes a major win for the business park, which has attracted six renewable energy companies during the last five years.”

Electricity, Energy, Solar

Camelina Fuel Powers Thunderbirds

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds became the first Department of Defense aerial team to use alternative fuel during a Joint Services Open House on Friday.

According to Sustainable Oils, hydrotreated renewable jet fuel (HRJ) made from its camelina powered two Air Force F-16 aircraft for the flight. The camelina was grown and harvested in Montana, and refined into renewable jet using technology from UOP, a Honeywell company.

The fuel was a blend of 50 percent camelina-based biofuel and 50 percent regular Jet Propellant 8 fuel. The Air Force has tested and certified biofuel as a 50-percent blend with regular jet fuel in the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the F-15 Eagle, the C-17 Globemaster III, and the F-22 Raptor to date. Air Force officials have stated that fleetwide certification is on track for completion in 2013. Sustainable Oils has provided nearly 500,000 gallons of camelina-based HRJ to multiple branches of the US military for its certification programs, making it the most heavily tested alternative fuel feedstock. They are also testing biomass fuels derived from beef tallow and various waste oils and greases.

The Air Force is the largest user of energy in the Department of Defense, said Undersecretary of the Air Force Erin Conaton said during the Friday open house, burning more than two billion gallons of aviation fuel each year. “Right now, biomass fuel is about 10 times the cost of JP-8, the current military aviation jet fuel in use,” Conaton said. “In these days of constricted budgets, the fuel the Air Force will buy needs to be cost competitive. When the biofuel industry is able to provide the quantity of fuel the Air Force requires at a good price, we will be ready to buy from them.”

Today at Wright Patterson Air Force base in Ohio, the Air Force is opening a center for ongoing research efforts to develop alternative jet fuels including those derived from coal, algae or biomass sources such as energy crops and waste material.

biojet fuel, Government

GROWMARK Propane Business Expanding

Cindy Zimmerman

Because it is so important for their farmer members, propane is a big part of the energy business for GROWMARK.

Randy Miller, Director of Propane Operations says that they’ve been marketing propane for years. “Obviously, being ag-related, grain drying is a big part of our propane business,” he says, adding that the last couple of years have increased demand for grain drying.

Miller says home heat is also important and they have recently expanded their territory significantly, including into the northeast. “We’re always looking for new markets,” he said. “We’re seeing some interest from major cities as far as using propane as a fuel for city buses. It’s a very clean fuel, burns very clean, very little residue or exhaust.”

GROWMARK negotiates their supply of propane on behalf of members with the flexibility to deliver to areas when and where it is most needed.

Listen to Chuck Zimmerman’s interview with Randy Miller here about the GROWMARK propane business: Randy Miller Interview

Propane