NextCAT to Commercially Produce Biodiesel Catalyst

John Davis

A Detroit-based biodiesel technology developer will commercially produce a new catalyst designed to help produce biodiesel more cheaply.

Biodiesel Magazine reports NextCAT Inc. will produce the catalyst developed at the National Biofuels Energy Laboratory at Wayne State University and integrate it into existing biodiesel plants:

According to NextCAT President Charles Salley, NextCAT intends to leverage $800,000 in total funding that came in the form of Michigan-supported pre-seed capital funds in recent months, including grants from the National Science Foundation, to bring its novel catalyst technology to market.

“We made the decision based on major funding milestones and by securing strategic partnerships over past several months,” Salley told Biodiesel Magazine.

NextCAT’s technology involves the use of a clean heterogeneous solid metal oxide catalyst capable of performing esterification and transesterification steps in a single pass without consuming the catalyst in the reaction, according to Salley.

“The thing that’s magic about the catalyst that we have licensed is that it’s duel-acting, meaning that it does transesterification and esterification steps simultaneously, which makes it particularly well-suited for moderate to high FFA feedstocks like yellow grease or residual corn oil from the ethanol production process,” Salley said. “Those feedstocks aren’t well-handled by first-generation homogenous catalysts as they tend to create soaps and other waste byproducts that can make the process challenging.”

NextCAT officials say they will be doing a pilot-scale test during this quarter.

Biodiesel

Solar Cell Developer Moving Toward Mass Production

John Davis

The developer of a three-dimensional solar cell says it will be using the same low-cost processes for semiconductors to help them produce their energy cell on a mass scale.

California-based Solar3D, who I profiled back in November, has announced it will use the semiconductor processes to build its unique solar cell design that traps sunlight inside micro-photovoltaic structures where photons bounce around until they are converted into electrons:

Jim Nelson, CEO of Solar3D, commented, “In the solar industry, it is not enough to have high efficiency, you must also be low cost. We started our company with the mantra of Breakthrough Product, Common Manufacturing, and I am pleased to report that we are right on track.”

Nelson continued, “The key to the successful low cost fabrication of our 3D solar cell is that we can use existing semiconductor manufacturing facilities and machines. This is important for two reasons:

1. The semiconductor manufacturing technology we are designing for was perfected in the 1990s. So, there will be no significant operational bugs in the machines or the processes, and the technology has only gotten better over time.

2. Because of our ability to use existing machines and facilities, there will be little or no new need to invent new machines or construct new facilities just to make our 3D solar cell.

Solar3D officials compare the photovoltaic solar cell to a diode, the most basic building block of modern day microprocessors and electronics. And that means the cells could be made in those same high-speed semiconductor manufacturing facilities.

Solar

2010 – Another Banner Year for Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2010 was another record breaking year for American ethanol producers. Average daily ethanol production averaged nearly 863,000 barrels per day ( b/d). That represents 36.24 million gallons of daily production and nearly 13.23 billion gallons of production for calendar year 2010. 2009 ethanol production was 10.75 billion gallons. Imports for 2010 were down from 2009 with 9.7 million gallons in ’10 and 193 million gallons in ’09.

Yet while imports were down, exports of U.S. ethanol reached an all-time high. According to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), using government data, total ethanol exports ended the year at 397 million gallons, marking a nearly four-fold increase over 2009. Of the 2010 total, 270 million gallons (68%) were classified as denatured ethanol, while the remaining 127 million gallons (32%) were undenatured or non-beverage. These exports are not eligible for the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), also called the blender’s credit. Dried distillers grains (DDGs) were also exported in record numbers in 2010 with 9 million metric tons exported.

“In today’s volatile oil market, ethanol production is helping to reduce costs for consumers at the pump and is the only measure currently moving America away from imported oil,” said RFA President Bob Dinneen. “At nearly 10 percent of the U.S. gasoline market, American ethanol production is supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs while reducing our need to import 445 million barrels of oil to refine into gasoline. That is more oil than we import from Saudi Arabia each year. At a time of increased energy uncertainty and volatility, domestic ethanol production from a growing array of feedstocks is helping create the kind of economic and energy opportunities this country will need to regain control over our future.”

The yearly data was compiled via the final monthly ethanol production report for 2010 released by EIA. According to that data, December 2010 was a bigger than expected month for ethanol production. The industry produced nearly 918,000 b/d, down slightly from 924,000 b/d in November 2010. December daily production on an annualized basis was 14 billion gallons. Demand for ethanol, according to RFA calculations rose to 918,000 b/d, up from 900,000 b/d in November 2010. RFA calculations for 2010 ethanol demand stand at just shy of 860,000 b/d. December stocks for ethanol fell slightly to 17.94 million barrels, or 19.5 days of supply based on demand calculations.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

EV Charging Stations Arrive in Kansas City

Joanna Schroeder

Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations have arrived in Kansas City, Missouri. Posty Cards has installed the first publicly available ChargePoint networked charging station in the KC metro area. The ChargePoint stations are the creation of Coulomb Technologies and were installed by Posty Cards as they attempt to have their new headquarters become Platinum LEED Certified. In addition to the new ChargePoint station, the building also features the largest solar panel installation in the KC area, solar heated water, high-efficiency variable volume HVAC, natural lighting with active artificial lighting controls, rain water reclamation for irrigation and flushing toilets, and native plant landscaping. The project, led by Turner Construction Company and McHenry Shaffer Mitchell Architects, is expected to be the first LEED Platinum manufacturing facility in the United States.

“The ChargePoint station is a further example of our commitment to sustainability, and we hope this installation will support and raise awareness that electric vehicles will soon be available throughout Missouri,” said Erick Jessee, President of Posty Cards. “Even better, we are encouraging our employees and the public at large to consider owning electric vehicles as a cleaner, more efficient mode of transportation.”

Although a ChargePoint station is open to the public, you must be a ChargePoint member to actually charge your vehicle. Members are able to track electricity consumption, greenhouse gas emission reductions, locate ChargePoint stations throughout the country as well as receive navigational assistance to these locations. In addition, a user can check station availability from any smart phone or web browser among other features.

Coulomb’s CT2100 ChargePoint charging stations have dual outputs that deliver charge simultaneously. Stations supply both a 7.2 kW Level II output delivering 208 – 240 VAC @ 30 Amps via a standard SAE J1772 connector attached by a fixed 18-foot cable, and a 2 kW Level 1 output delivering 120 VAC @ 16 Amps via a standard NEMA 5-20 receptacle protected behind a locking door.

Electric Vehicles, Electricity, Environment, Solar

Sen. Thune to Address Ethanol Advocates at DC Fly-in

Joanna Schroeder

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) will be speaking with ethanol advocates in Washington, DC on March 29 during the American Ethanol Coalition’s (ACE) “Biofuels Beltway March.” Thune was recently appointed to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee which has jurisdiction over ethanol tax credit issues.

ACE members from around the country are meeting in DC March 29-30 to visit Members of Congress and their staff to discuss issues such as ethanol tax incentives and market access including the E15 waiver, flexible fuel vehicles and blender pumps. Last year 30 advocates participated in the program and this year ACE hopes more than 60 people will head to DC.

“We are pleased that Senator Thune will be meeting with us as we gather in DC later this month,” said Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President of ACE. “I encourage all ethanol supporters to consider making the trip to visit personally with Senator Thune and other Members of Congress in their offices on the Hill. Given two recent votes in the U.S. House of Representatives against ethanol, we need to rally ethanol advocates, and meeting one-on-one is the most effective way to get our important message across.”

Senator Thune will address the group at a reception on Tuesday evening, March 29, after the first day of Hill visits. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Dallas Tonsager, USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development have also been invited to speak to the ACE group while in DC.

ACE, Ethanol

Industry Responds to EPA’s Triennial Biofuels Report

Joanna Schroeder

Yesterday, Growth Energy submitted comments on EPA’s first triennial report to Congress on the environmental impacts of biofuels. The organization’s comments are focused on the technical accuracy and potential implications of the Report and its implications to ethanol. The Report is required by EISA Section 204 and calls for EPA to report to Congress on the environmental and resource conservation impacts of increased biofuel production and use.

Several areas are considered in the Report including air and water quality, soil quality and conservation, water availability, ecosystem health and biodiversity, invasive species, and international impacts. In addition the report reviews impacts and mitigation tools across the biofuel supply chain including feedstock production and logistics as well as biofuel production, distribution and use. Finally, the Report focused on ethanol, both conventional (aka corn-based) and advanced (or cellulosic) as well as biomass-based diesel.

In the letter, Growth Energy wrote, “As an organization of ethanol producers, we have considerable experience in life cycle analysis (LCA) and knowledge of biofuel production, distribution and use. We would appreciate the opportunity to work with EPA, USDA, DOE and other agencies in conducting the LCA for the next triennial report due in 2013. Prior to such an analysis, it is premature to use the conclusions and recommendations from this Report to inform policy or regulatory decisions.” Click here to download Growth Energy’s full comments.

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) also responded to the report and RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen said, “EPA took the ‘Murphy’s Law’ approach to this draft report—they assumed if it can go wrong, it will go wrong.”

Dinneen continued, “RFA is greatly concerned that EPA has misinterpreted and expanded the scope of the triennial report as established by the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). Specifically, EISA compels EPA to assess only those environmental impacts that are likely to result from the requirements of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). Unfortunately, EPA’s draft report seems to raise every conceivable environmental problem that could possibly arise from biofuels expansion, without any regard for the actual likelihood that the problem will occur.” Click here to download RFA’s full comments.

Both organizations have reached out to the EPA to schedule meetings to address their concerns prior to the final report being submitted.

Environment, Ethanol, Growth Energy, RFA

Vilsack to Sign Biofuels Agreement

John Davis

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will encourage development of bio-based products, including biodiesel and ethanol.

This USDA release says Vilsack will sign the MOU with the 36-state Governors’ Biofuels Coalition, a group dedicated to providing leadership on ethanol and biodiesel policy development:

“This agreement will strengthen public, private and academic partnerships that are essential to bio-based industries,” Vilsack said. “It is important that we work together to encourage the development of more bio-based products. Not only will this reduce our nation’s dependence on imported oil, it also will lead to a cleaner, healthier environment.”

The MOU calls for supporting the federal government’s efforts to reduce fossil fuel-based energy consumption by eliminating obstacles to higher-blend biofuels, develop sustainable feedstocks, and make the public more aware of the benefits of American agriculture.

biofuels, Government, USDA

Enzyme Helps Argentine Soybean Plant’s Oil Production

John Davis

The world’s largest soybean processing plant, which produces biodiesel, soybean oil and meal, is using an enzyme that is helping increase edible oil production.

This press release from Verenium Corporation says that Argentina’s Terminal 6 is using Verenium’s Purifine enzymatic degumming process at its Puerto General San Martin facility. Not only does the process increase oil yields, but it also adds benefits in refining the Purifine-degummed oil:

“Terminal 6 is a leading processor of soybeans, and a flagship plant for Bunge Argentina and Aceitera General Deheza,” said Janet Roemer, President and Chief Operating Officer of Verenium. “Verenium is pleased to be able to work with Terminal 6 to enable enhanced operating efficiency through the use of Purifine PLC. This implementation provides further validation of Verenium’s Purifine technology to increase oil yields and improve the efficacy of meal production, and has been enabled by our partnerships with Alfa Laval and Bunge.”

“Implementation of the Purifine PLC enzymatic degumming process has resulted in a significant increase in oil yields and processing margins enabling our facility to more fully reach its potential,” said Enrique Humanes, Chief Executive Officer, Bunge Argentina. “Successful installation of this process shows Bunge Argentina’s continued commitment to leading edge process technologies that provide economic and environmental benefits.”

“The implementation of Verenium’s PLC technology at Terminal 6 combined with Alfa Laval’s process, engineering and equipment supply capabilities, is the second large scale project we have completed together,” said Bent Sarup, General Manager of Alfa Laval’s Vegetable Oil Technology activities. “Completion of the start up of Terminal 6’s new process is further validation of our ongoing partnership with Verenium.”

The Terminal 6 industrial facility is specifically designed to use large-scale process efficiencies that maximizes oil and meal from soybeans at a low cost. Verenium’s enzyme will improve those efficiencies by lowering oil loss.

Biodiesel, International, Soybeans

Global Ethanol Leaders Together

Cindy Zimmerman

2011 ethanol conferenceIn the great tradition of saving the best for last, the 2011 National Ethanol Conference concluded with a lively panel discussion featuring global ethanol leaders.

Those on the panel were (LtoR) George Fitch, Director of the Caribbean Basic Ethanol Producers Association; Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association; Marcos Jank, president and CEO of Brazil’s UNICA; Robert Vierhout, Secretary General of ePURE, European Renewable Ethanol; and Gordon Quaiattini, president of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association.

2011 ethanol conferenceModerator Bliss Baker with the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance started the session off with a bang by asking Jank his opinion on the United States tariff on imported ethanol. “I’d like to say ‘happy 30th anniversary’ to RFA,” Jank responded, turning his attention to Dinneen on his right. “I was questioning myself, if after 30 years the industry is not now a mature industry, which means if the industry still needs subsidy or not, still needs a tariff or not.”

Noting that the U.S. is now the largest ethanol producer in the world, Jank said to Dinneen, “I hope that in three years you will be a free trader as we are. It’s time to eliminate the tariff, it’s time to compete.”

The Caribbean’s Fitch challenged Jank’s position on the tariff issue and encouraged Brazil to avoid taking action against the U.S. tariff with the WTO. “The tariff is not WTO actionable,” Fitch said. “So what you’re doing is creating trade hostilities that you don’t need to create.” He suggested instead that Brazil continue marketing ethanol to the U.S. through the Caribbean Basin. “I would think that UNICA might want to use this as an initiative on their part,” he said. Brazil now can have their own Caribbean Basin Initiative to help countries not as advanced as they are … as opposed to getting into what could be a very nasty trade fight by going after the tariff.”Read More

Audio, Brazil, Ethanol, Ethanol News, International, National Ethanol Conference, RFA, UNICA

Overfertilizing Corn Undermines Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

In a new paper published online in American Chemical Society’s Journal Environmental Science and Technology when it comes to growing corn for ethanol and using fertilizer – less may be more. Postdoctoral researcher Morgan Gallagher led the research team as part of her dissertation at Rice and discovered that corn, and its stalks and leaves, responded differently to nitrogen fertilizer.

The team found that liberal use of nitrogen fertilizer to maximize grain yields from corn crops results in only marginally more usable cellulose from leaves and stems to be converted into cellulosic ethanol. They also found that when the corn is used for food and the cellulose is processed for biofuel, increasing the rate of nitrogen actually makes it more difficult to extract the cellulose, or lignin, which is converted to sugars and ultimately ethanol, from the corn stover and stalks. This is the case because surplus nitrogen fertilizer speeds up the biochemical pathway that produces lignin.

Carrie Masiello, an assistant professor of Earth science at Rice and Gallagher’s adviser believes that the findings of this research are an important next step in building a sustainable biofuel economy. While some nitrogen fertilizer is needed for plants to grow and function, she noted that for some crops, a little is enough.

We already know too much fertilizer is bad for the environment. Now we’ve shown that it’s bad for biofuel crop quality too,” Masiello said. While farmers have a clear incentive to maximize grain yields, the research shows a path to even greater benefits when corn residues are harvested for cellulosic ethanol production.”

The research showed that although increasing nitrogen improves the plant’s cellulose content, grain yield quickly hits a plateau. “The kilograms of grain you get per hectare goes up pretty fast and peaks,” Masiello said. At the same time, the researchers found only a modest increase in plant and stem cellulose, the basic component used to produce cellulosic ethanol.

The implicit assumption has always been that the response of plant cellulose to fertilizer is going to be the same as the grain response, but we’ve showed this assumption may not always hold, at least for corn,” Gallagher said.

These are just a few of the findings of the research and the team hopes that their methods can be transferred to other energy crops. Click here to read the full release.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Research