Brazil Ethanol Industry On Display At COP-16

Joanna Schroeder

In an effort to showcase decades of renewable energy use, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) will be participating in events during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-16) and the World Climate Summit (WCS) which are taking place in tandem in Cancun, Mexico from November 29-December 10.

According to UNICA, nearly 50 percent of all of Brazil’s energy comes from renewable sources. This is three times the global average and UNICA believes this gives Brazil a leading role in the search for solutions for global warming and climate change. To demonstrate their technologies, UNICA will conduce a seminar on alternatives to minimize emissions from transportation in emerging countries on December 6 at the Cacao Room in Hotel Moon. The organization will also at the Brazil Pavillion with support from the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil, who will also be at the upcoming AG CONNECT Expo in Atlanta, GA on January 7-10, 2011).

Marcos Jank, UNICA’s President, points out that Brazilian greenhouse gas emissions measured in 2006 would have been 10 percent greater without the contributions from the sugar and ethanol industries. “Over the 35 years of large-scale use of biofuels in Brazil, more than 600 million tons of CO2 were kept from the atmosphere while the country saved US $240 billion that didn’t have to be spent on foreign oil,” said Jank.

He also notes that ethanol is moving beyond the fuel tanks of cars and buses and is also being tested as fuel to power generators, farm implements and machinery, as well as to fly planes. In addition, ethanol is used a replacement for fossil fuels in resins, fine chemicals and “green” plastics. The result, says Jank, is a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.Read More

biofuels, Brazil, conferences, Environment, Ethanol, International

Book Review – Jolt!

Joanna Schroeder

The Age of Electric Cars is finally coming. Despite a stutter back in the late 90s when electric vehicle (EV) development came and went spurred by the passage and elimination of California zero emission policies, electric vehicles have come back. And if author James Billmaier is correct, in his book “JOLT! The Impending Dominance of the Electric Car,” they are not only here to stay, but they will completely transform driving as we know it.

While America has the means to be the leader in electric vehicle development and manufacturing, Billmaier notes that this lead is under threat, especially by China. He writes, “Today the United States faces a new threat to its national security. This time the threat is one of economic dominance, and it comes in the form of the electric car.”

He continues, “The EV industry us certain to become a technological juggernaut. Any society that masters it will enjoy an economic bonanza and enormous world power. For our own security, that society needs to be us.”

While the major hurdles to EV development have been or or close to being overcome, there are still challenges that need to be addressed. Ballmaier notes that these include lack of substantial private and federal investments to develop the industry and manufacture the cars and components in the states, as well as battery development and charging infrastructure. Cost is a major factor, and as an example, the Chevy Volt, that is launching in 2011, will cost more than $40K. In addition, the EVs range is still a concern among most drivers – true EVs are just getting to the 100 mile range.

However, Ballmaier explains that as EVs come of age and consumers purchase them in droves, battery costs will come down, range will go up and the cars will become even less expensive and more attractive.

In the beginning of the book, Ballmaier gives an overview of the industry, that is followed by interviews with some of the major players. The book concludes with his take on the future of EVs in America. While this was interesting, what I felt was missing was a real examination of some of the drawbacks of EVs including the precious metals needed for the batteries, battery replacement and recycling, the needs of the electrical grid and the move to the smart grid, and the true impacts of plugging into a dirty grid. In addition, I felt he missed an opportunity to talk more about hybrids (PHEV), electric vehicles with a gas backup that can run on E85. If his vision comes true, it won’t happen without a transmission that will require hybrids to travel long distances.

In the end, Ballmaier outlines his “JOLT! Program for America” which calls for 100 million plug-in cars on American roads by the end of the decade and asks for America to take charge.

book reviews, E85, Electric Vehicles, Electricity

Brazil Starts Ethanol Pipeline Construction

Cindy Zimmerman

Brazilian energy company Petrobras officially began work this week on a $3.3 billion ethanol pipeline that will be able to transport 21 million cubic meters of ethanol per year from north central Brazil’s Goias state to the Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo states.

Once complete, the pipeline will replace daily delivery runs by 1,500 tanker trucks. At present, 95 percent of ethanol transport is done by tanker trucks. The pipeline is expected to be completed by 2014 but the first phase of the project is scheduled to start operations in 2012.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva inaugurated construction on the project Tuesday by soldering the first pipe joint of the 202-kilometer (126-mile) pipeline. “I managed to sell the idea that humanizing the work in the sugarcane fields was important for selling ethanol to other countries,” the president said.

In other ethanol news from Brazil, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) reports that eight Brazilian sugarcane processing mills have already completed the paperwork required by the Environmental Protection Agency for ethanol to be accepted into the United States as an “advanced renewable fuel,” under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

According to UNICA’s Joel Velasco, the effort by Brazilian mills is very important because without prior registration, exporting to the United States becomes more complicated and unnecessarily delayed. “Ideally, mills should be prepared for this opportunity, because U.S. ethanol demand projections are increasing year after year, and Brazilian ethanol has been recognized by the EPA as an advanced biofuel, thanks to its 61% greenhouse gas reduction compared to gasoline. This recognition makes sugarcane biofuels desirable in the U.S. market and beyond,” he explains.

The mills that have already complied with EPA requirements and are eligible to classify their ethanol as an “advanced renewable fuel” in the United States include Cargill Cevasa, Della Coletta Bioenergia, Açúcar Guarani, LDC Bioenergia and four mills linked to Copersucar S.A.

Brazil, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Global Leaders Want Action During World Climate Summit

Joanna Schroeder

International business leaders are calling for immediate action during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-16) and the World Climate Summit (WCS) that are both set to begin on November 29, 2010 in Cancun Mexico. A group of global investors with collective assets worth more than $15 billion are asking global leaders to “take action now in the fight against global warming or risk economic disruptions far more severe than the recent financial crisis.”

The group is pushing for the passage of policies that limit carbon and spur the development and growth of low-carbon technologies. In a statement they cite potential climate-related GDP losses of up to 20 percent by 2050 and highlight the economic benefits of shifting to low-carbon and resource-efficient economies.

However, there is little hope that global policies will be passed, and less so that they will be enforced, in part due to the hesitation of the U.S. government in passing any policy to limit CO2 emissions such as cap and trade.

According to Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, an organization representing investors and environmentalists, “Current investment levels fall well short of what is needed to stem the rise of global temperatures and adapt to a warming world. Strong government policies that reward clean technologies and discourage dirty technologies are essential for closing the climate investment gap and building a low-carbon global economy.

California scored a minor victory during the November elections when Prop 23, a regulation that would in essence have undone California’s environmental and low-carbon policies was defeated. Those supporting Prop 23 wanted green polices scaled back claiming that the companies footing the bills to install low-carbon technology would go bankrupt and employees would lose jobs – the opposite of what policy makers are aiming for during an economic recession.Read More

conferences, Energy, Environment, International

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cindy Zimmerman

If you have food on your table today – thank God and thank our nation’s fabulous farmers and ranchers for the affordable, safe and abundant food supply they produce for the world.

I found this poem online that gives good reasons to give thanks today for those who produce the food, fuel and fiber that we all enjoy everyday:

I’m Just a Farmer, Plain and Simple
By Bobby Collier

Happy Thanksgiving From ZimmComm New MediaI’m just a farmer,
Plain and simple.
Not of a royal birth
But rather, a worker of the earth.
I know not of riches
But rather, of patches on my britches
I know of drought and rain,
Of pleasure and pain.
I know of the good and the bad,
The happy and the sad.
I am a man of emotions.
A man who loves this land,
And the beauty of its sand.
I know of a spring’s fresh flow
And autumn’s golden glow,
Of a newborn calf’s hesitation,
And the eagle’s destination.
I know of tall pines,
And long, waiting lines.
Of the warmth of campfires,
And the agony of flat tires.
But I am a man who loves his job
And the life I live.
I am a man who works with God,
I cannot succeed without his help,
For you see,
I’m just a farmer
Plain and simple.

Miscellaneous

Verenium Partners With Desmet Ballestra, Launches Webinar Series

Joanna Schroeder

Verenium announced this week that they have reached an agreement with Desmet Ballestra Group, s.a. to jointly market the Purifine enzymatic degumming process that combines Verenium’s Purifine PLC enzyme and Desmet Ballestra’s engineering services and equipment. As part of the agreement, Desmet has a license to market Purifine PCL along with its processing equipment and engineering services for processing vegetable oil for edible, biodiesel and other non-edible uses. Verenium already sells Purifine directly to customers.

“Verenium is pleased to be working with Desmet Ballestra, a world leader in the engineering and construction of oil extraction and refining plants,” said Janet Roemer, Verenium’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “By entering into joint marketing agreements with leading engineering service firms like Desmet Ballestra, we are able to accelerate the growth of our Purifine PLC product without incurring substantial incremental marketing expenses. I look forward to working with such an experienced and reputable player in the significant and growing edible oils industry.”

Olivier Hanne, the sales director for Desmet also expressed excitement over the partnership. “We are excited to partner with Verenium and to be able to market the Company’s novel Purifine PLC product in tandem with our leading engineering services to our customer base. Desmet Ballestra’s valuable international experience in the design, development and implementation of various process technologies for the edible and non-edible oil processing industries will greatly enhance Verenium’s ability to further penetrate target markets with their leading enzymatic degumming technology.”

Also this week, Verenium launched a monthly webinar series. The first webinar is presented by Sr. Director of R&D, David Weiner, and provides an overview of Verenium’s unique and robust technology platform. It also details how their technology and expertise is utilized to develop tailored enzyme products to solve various industrial market needs, including those of the biofuels industry.

Biodiesel, biofuels, Company Announcement

Black Friday E85 Promotions at Thorntons

Select Thorntons stores in the states of Kentucky and Indiana will be holding an E85 promotion on Black Friday. Thorton’s will be selling E85 for 85 cents per gallon from 7AM to 3PM on Friday, November 26.

“We are very excited about the expansion of E85 fuel in our stores and are promotion its availability to raise consumer awareness on savings as well as educating consumers on protecting our environment,” said Matt Thornton, Chief Executive Officer of Thorntons. “We support the use of ethanol, wherever it is economically available”.

Thorntons will be holding their E85 promotion at the following locations:

401 W Court Ave in Jeffersonville, IN
2700 Fern Valley Rd. in Louisville, KY
2291 Elkhorn Drive in Lexington, KY
5760 Crawfordsville Rd. in Speedway, IN
6880 W Washington St. in Indianapolis, IN
4015 E 82nd St. in Indianapolis, IN
7020 Pendleton Pike in Lawrence, IN
3909 Hwy 31E in Clarksville, IN
12001 N US 31 in Edinburgh, IN

Thorntons Inc. is a leading independent gasoline/convenience chain retailer, marketing throughout the Midwest. They operate 165 gasoline/convenience stores and carry E85 at many locations.

E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Biomass for Biofuels Will Promote ‘Earth Grab’

Joanna Schroeder

Experts estimate that the biofuels boom could grow to be worth more than $1 trillion and has brought agriculture back to center stage, but according to advocates with Food Secure Canada (FSC), this movement will not feed people nor mitigate climate change. On Friday, November 26, 2010, FSC is hosting Earth Grab, a community forum that will discuss the growth of biomass for biofuels, their impact on food security and climate change and offer alternatives ideas and solutions.

According to Jim Thomas of ETC Group, an international research institute located in Ottawa, Canada the fossil fuel economy is transforming rapidly into a bio-economy. “Plants, trees and forests are the new oil fields. They’re above the ground, and they’re easy to grab,” said Thomas.

Thomas, along with other leaders spearheading the global farm movement from Brazil, Mali and Haiti will be presenting during Earth Grab. The forum officially kicks off the Food Secure Canada national conference that takes place at University of Montreal from November 26-28.

Earlier this month, ETC Group released a new report, “The New Biomassters,” that detailed how global energy, forestry, agribusiness, chemical, and biotech companies are creating a bio-economy built on converting biomass into fuels and other products. According to the report, the result has been a “global grab” of plants, lands, ecosystems, and traditional cultures.

“The emerging global bio-economy is worth trillions, and it threatens to eat up our crops, forests and other plant life,” said Thomas. “However, what’s being sold as a ‘green’ switch from fossil fuels to plant-based production, is in fact a red-hot resource grab on the lands, livelihoods, knowledge and resources of the peoples of the Global South.”

Based on this scenario, Brazil is seen as one of the worst offenders, Read More

biofuels, biomass, conferences, food and fuel

Seaweed’s Promise for Algal Fuels

Joanna Schroeder

There just might be gold in algal biofuels and the team from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, based at the University of California San Diego (UCSD-SIO), is intent on finding it. UCSD-SIO has been researching micro and macro algae (seaweeds) for their potential to produce biofuels for more than 40 years. Researcher Greg Mitchell believes the search will be well rewarded in the benefits it will provide the country including offering solutions for energy security, hunger, water use, land use, biodiversity, and climate.

Seaweeds, a macro form of algae, hold great promise because of their potential for very high yields and high oil production while thriving on non-arable land. Another benefit is that they grow well in saline water. Traditionally crops will not excel in salt water and in some areas of the country valuable agricultural land has been taken out of production due to high concentrations of salt.

But as all researchers know, not all algae is created equal. There are strains of seaweeds that hold great promise for bio-energy and others that hold great promise for producing other products such as high protein meals for replacing non-sustainable ocean-caught fishmeals in aquaculture and other animal diets.

In fact, many algae companies that began with the mission of producing algal fuels have now refocused on producing algae products for the pharmaceutical, plastics, health, and agricultural feed industries. For example, there are strains of seaweeds that UCSD-SIO has been studying that grow well inland and can be used to recycle artificial seawater and waste nutrients from chicken ranches or pig farms. Algae has also been used in farm fish operations from cleaning the ponds to providing feed.Read More

algae, biofuels

Guidance on Ethanol, Biodiesel in Underground Tanks

John Davis

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is putting out a draft copy of its guidance for the storage of ethanol- and biodiesel-blended fuels in underground storage tanks (USTs).

This article from Biodiesel Magazine says that while the agency seems to have a handle on gasoline with more than 10 percent ethanol, there’s a bit more gray area when it comes to biodiesel:

While the draft guidance issued by the EPA would apply to USTs delivering gasoline containing more than 10 percent ethanol, no specific percentage threshold has yet been identified by the agency for biodiesel. According to the agency, it is aware that there may be compatibility issues with UST system equipment used to store biodiesel, but does not have any sufficient data on the compatibility of various biodiesel blends with UST system equipment that is currently in use. In other words, much of the research that has been carried out on this type of equipment for ethanol fuel blends has not addressed biodiesel fuel blends. For example, the agency notes that the U.S. DOE is currently testing the compatibility of UST systems with midlevel blends, but to the EPA’s knowledge no equivalent testing is being conducted for biodiesel-blended fuels.

The EPA also states that it acknowledges that no UST equipment has been listed by Underwriter Laboratories for use with biodiesel, but also notes that UL has issued a statement indicating that biodiesel blends of up to 5 percent will not require UL investigation. However, the UL statement cited by EPA also said that fuel blends containing higher percentages of biodiesel may have significant impacts on UST materials and components. For these reasons, the EPA said it will be seeking comments on what percentage of biodiesel in fuel blends should be included in the proposed guidance.

You can read the proposed guidance here.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy, News