OriginOil Launches Service to Help Algae Oil Industry

John Davis

California-based OriginOil, Inc. has launched a new service that lends the company’s expertise to other potential algae oil producers.

The company announced its professional “expert services” at the recent National Algae Association meeting in Houston, Texas:

“For the past three years, hundreds of large companies, entrepreneurs, development agencies and investors have asked for our help in launching their algae programs,” said OriginOil CEO, Riggs Eckelberry. “With our own products now hitting the market, our veterans in production, processing and commercialization can help this global industry achieve its very real potential to overtake petroleum.”

“Analyzing it ahead of time so you can make informed judgments as to what direction you’re going to go to… that makes a lot more sense than doing it by experimentation,” said Paul Hoar, President of AgriFuels LLC. “We and our customers are just getting into the algae business right now; I would certainly consider OriginOil for bringing its services to the table.”

“There’s a recognition by OriginOil that there are certain products and services that the algae industry needs,” commented Doug DiLillo, a marketer of industrial bio technology at Pall Corporation (NYSE:PLL). “To take the cumulative knowledge that the company and its members have, and then to use that knowledge to help guide those in the industry that have projects, is a very worthwhile way to position the company.”

OriginOil has several new executives hired to handle the new business. The company will be offering several services, from initial feasibility studies, through full launch planning, to commercialization help for existing algae players.

algae, Biodiesel, biofuels, Video

Verenium Launches New Enzyme for Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

Verenium Corporation has launched a new enzyme for fuel ethanol production called the DELTAZYM(R) GA L-E5. The new enzyme has demonstrated high ethanol yields at industrial scale using multiple substrates including corn, milo, barley, wheat, and cassava.

“Verenium is pleased to be able to enhance our starch processing product offering with this best-in-class glucoamylase enzyme for fuel ethanol production,” said Janet Roemer, Verenium’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “Customers using both Verenium’s Fuelzyme(R) alpha-amylase and DELTAZYM(R) GA L-E5 have reported increased ethanol yields due to demonstrated synergies between the two enzyme products providing fuel ethanol processing plants with superior cost-performance benefits.”

Verenium estimates the addressable global market for DELTAZYM(R) GA L-E5 for fuel ethanol production to be approximately $200 million annually.

Company Announcement, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Alliance AutoGas to Build Largest U.S. Propane Fueling Network

Joanna Schroeder

Indiana’s Department of Transportation has awarded Alliance AutoGas a $3.2 million contract to install the nation’s largest single-state propane AutoGas fueling network. Once the fueling network is complete, Indiana will have 115 AutoGas fueling stations. According to the company, this network is the first of its kind and will provide propane fuel to both private and public fleet vehicles.

Prior to be awarded this state contract, Alliance AutoGas has already been awarded $10.1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARRA fund and a portion of these funds will also be allocated to building out Indiana’s propane fueling infrastructure. Upon completion of the network, there will be a propane fueling station every 30 miles throughout the state.

“We are honored to receive this award and we consider it a vote of confidence from the Indiana state government,” says Henry Bodie, Alliance AutoGas vice president of business development. “This DOE-funded project reasserts that AutoGas is a critical piece of the U.S. energy equation.”

According to the company, Alliance AutoGas founding partners will facilitate the development and installation of the expansive statewide infrastructure, as well as provide state-of-the-art AutoGas dispensing and fueling equipment. “We’re proud of the products and services that we offer and our ability to offer them cost effectively,” says Bodie.

As part of this program, Indiana will also convert 227 Ford vans and trucks to run on AutoGas. American Alternative Fuel, an Alliance AutoGas founding partner, will provide equipment for these conversions, marking another piece of this statewide project that has been awarded to Alliance AutoGas.

Company Announcement, Propane

Amyris Raises $85M in Successful IPO

Joanna Schroeder

Amyris, Inc. has concluded a successful IPO with shares changing hands at $16.55 after setting the initial offering at $16 per share, below its estimated price range of $16-18 per share. The company went public with a $650 market cap. With 5.3 million shares sold during the IPO, $85 million was raised with underwriters Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sach. Amyris is now traded on the Nasdaq under AMRS. Upon conclusion of the day’s trading, there were still 40.4 million shares outstanding.

According to Scott Sweet, an IPO analyst for IPO Boutique, it is not unusual for a deal to price below its estimated range. “In the case of Amyris, Morgan Stanley had orders below the prevailing range of $18-$20 (and) they chose to do the right thing and price where the deal worked at a discount,” Sweet said in an article in Market Watch. “I wish this was more the norm than the exception.”

Company CEO John Melo said in an interview at the Nasdaq with Market Watch, that the company has a diverse portfolio including developing yeast products for biotechnology, agriculture and fuel. The goal is for their yeast products to replace petrochemicals used in a multitude of products. And similar to many companies, Amyris has invested in Brazil and is researching the use of sugar cane to help develop new products. The company has partnered with Sao Martinho, one of Brazil’s largest sugar cane producers.

“Brazil is like the Saudi Arabia of biomass,” said Melo.

The Market Watch article reported that the money raised through the IPO is, “slated for several projects including the construction of engineering service capabilities to support sugar and ethanol mill conversion to integrate its technology.”

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News

NREL Releases BioEnergy Mapping App

Joanna Schroeder

Want to know where are the biorefineries in the U.S. are located? There’s an app for that. The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has released a new bioenergy mapping portal, BioEnergy Atlas, that identifies biomass feedstocks, then overlays that information with the ethanol and biodiesel facilities both on and off-line. You can also see map information for transportation infrastructure, power plants, fueling stations, and more. The tools are coined BioPower Atlas and BioFuels Atlas.

The portal was created with funding help from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Blue Skyways Collaborative and the Department of Energy’s Biomass Program. Not only is the map able to identify current biorefinery locations, but can also show where copious amounts of biomass are available for harvest without plants located in the region. Perfect for those looking for areas of untapped energy potential.

According to NREL, BioEnergy Atlas is targeted to a multitude of users including government and state agencies, universities, the petroleum and pipeline industries, research institutions, vehicle manufacturers, investment firms, GIS companies, private citizens, and media.

Biodiesel, bioenergy, biofuels, biomass, biomethane, Cellulosic, Ethanol

Micro Bird G5 Debuts Using Liquid Propane

Joanna Schroeder

Micro Bird has launched the new G5, a ROUSH liquid-propane powered E-450 Dual Rear Wheel (DRW) Cutaway vehicle, during BusCon, the largest show dedicated to the bus industry. During the show, the Micro Bird G5 will be on display in the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) booth at the Navy Pier in Chicago.

The new bus has a 25 passenger capacity, uses the Ford 6.8L, V-10 engine converted to run on liquid propane, sports a fuel capacity of 43 gallons and depending on driving conditions, has a range of 320 miles. Vehicles using propane have no additional weight added to the vehicle; therefore, stopping distance and brake wear will be similar to a traditional gasoline or diesel fueled vehicle. In addition, propane fueled vehicles have no loss of horsepower or torque and emit lower emissions than traditional fuels.

“This product delivers on a need that the shuttle bus, school bus and delivery markets have been asking for. Through the use of propane, fleets will significantly reduce their operating costs as well as the carbon footprint for those that adopt this liquid propane technology without compromising any of the key vehicle attributes such as horsepower, torque, weight, or the space available for passengers or cargo,” said Todd Mouw, ROUSH vice-president of sales and marketing.

Mouw continued, “We are excited to partner with Micro Bird on a Class A school bus that utilizes this Dual Rear Wheel and liquid propane injection conversion system. Nothing speaks louder about safety and reduced emissions than putting children, our most precious cargo, in a propane-powered vehicle like the Micro Bird G5.”

The Micro Bird G5 will be available nationwide in the first quarter of 2011 and will be sold exclusively through Blue Bird dealers.

Company Announcement, Propane

Biodiesel Bouncing Back with Help from RFS & REG

John Davis

After having a couple of tough years, biodiesel could be poised for a bounce back … even if the $1-a-gallon federal tax credit is not renewed.

This article from Biofuels Digest says another federal program, the Renewable Fuels Standard, and technology from Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group are contributing to a revival of the biodiesel industry in the U.S.:

Optimism began to return this year when the EPA finally issued rules for the revised Renewable Fuel Standard, which called for a rapid expansion in biodiesel blending, and also qualified biodiesel as an advanced biofuel, since it easily satisfied the 50 percent emissions improvement required under RFS2.

Something most interesting happened this year with the RFS. The EPA waived down the cellulosic ethanol mandate when it was cleat that production capacity was not availability. But the standard as a whole was not waived down, and a main reason was the availability of biodiesel to fill the gap.

Not every gallon can come back. Estimates range from 750 million to 1.5 billion gallons in terms of the actual potential to revive production capacity in the US. With the delays in cellulosic ethanol, there is the chance that even more production capacity from biodiesel will be called for as the RFS bites deeper and deeper into the US fuel supply over the next ten years.

The article goes on to talk about how REG has been buying up idled biodiesel plants, building up the company’s capacity. In addition, REG has been using high FFA stripping technology, which allows the company to take in low-cost, high-volume feedstocks that are usually tough to convert into biodiesel because of the trouble stripping out the free fatty acids (FFA) that are the root of the problem. The oils from this process are homogenized and turned into biodiesel.

In addition, the EPA says as long as there is sufficient biodiesel production capacity in the country, the overall RFS mandate will stay in place, even if cellulosic ethanol or other advanced biofuels have trouble getting financing and getting off the ground.

Biodiesel

Groups Call for EPA to Deny E15 Waiver

Joanna Schroeder

As the date draws near for the announcement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the E15 waiver, a group of ethanol opponents have called for the EPA to deny the request. The 23 member coalition includes environmental, consumer, food, auto, and other industry organizations that believe there is not enough research to warrant the approval of any “mid-level” ethanol blend, including E12 another blend being considered as part of the E15 Waiver, for use in conventional vehicles. In a letter to EPA Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy, the groups claim that increasing levels of ethanol in gasoline could pose a danger to consumer safety and could harm engines and the environment.

Many of the groups that are attempting to stop the movement to higher ethanol blends include the “usual suspects,” groups which routinely oppose ethanol measures, especially those that are favorable to corn-based ethanol. The usual suspects include the Natural Resources Defense Council, National Consumers League, Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, National Marine Manufacturers Association, and Grocery Manufacturers Association.

In response to the letter, RFA spokesperson Matt Hartwig said, “EPA has all the data and authority it needs to approve the use of E12 today. For that matter, EPA has all the data it needs to approve the use of E15 for all vehicles instead of this ill-advised bifurcated approach it is pursuing. I suspect these groups would oppose a resolution in support of Mothers Day if the mothers agreed it was time to develop renewable fuels. Simply saying no isn’t a solution, but it is increasingly clear they are not in the business of solution. Their goal is to continue America’s reliance on oil despite the dangers to our economy, our environment and our security that it poses.”

Many of the organizations that are opposed to the E15 waiver have been participating in a campaign called “Say NO to Untested E15.” It is important to note that the E15 waiver does not mandate that 15 percent ethanol (E15) be blended into the fuel, rather it gives consumers the choice at the pump to use a mid-level ethanol blend without the need for a flex-fuel vehicle. Part of the consternation of the opposition to this waiver are those that say it will be too difficult to label the pumps in a way that won’t confuse consumers, and the result will be engine problems for those unapproved cars that fill up with E15.

However, the ethanol industry has been working with the EPA on proposed labeling measures. In addition, dozens of studies have been conducted on the use of E15 in conventional vehicles and the majority of them have concluded that there will be no engine problems.

blends, Ethanol, RFA

E85 Station Opens in Doraville, GA

E85 is now available in Doraville, Georgia. The new Shell Nirvana Food Mart E85 station is located at 6400 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. This station will serve FFVs for commuters on Hwy 141.

The facility is part of a partnership with Protec Fuel and the Clean Fuels Foundation through their National FlexFuel Vehicle (FFV) Awareness Campaign.

“Nirvana Food Mart is driven to provide our customers with a clean American fuel. Our customers have the ability to make a difference after watching numerous oil rigs and pipelines pollute our nation,” said Sheikh Rashed, owner of Nirvana Food Mart.

Steve Walk, Executive Director at Protec, said, “Protec is proud to work with Mr. Rashed and other retailers throughout the United States to expand the availability of E85. These E85 stations will be critical for consumers who will want a choice when oil prices continue to go up after our economy starts to rebound and who would rather keep their dollars in the United States.”

Burl Haigwood of the FlexFuel Vehicle Awareness Campaign said, “Many retailers are responding to the growing consumer demand for low carbon renewable fuels by installing E85 dispensers. It is important to now support these station owners by making sure that the FlexFuel vehicle (FFV) owners are aware that they now have a fuel choice and where they can get E85. FFV owners literally hold the key to meeting the goals of the national renewable fuel standard and they need to know they will personally reap the economic, environmental, and national security benefits from using higher blends of ethanol like E85.”

There are currently 39 E85 outlets in the state of Georgia.

E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Biodiesel Board to Host Bioheat Webinar

John Davis

New York City has been a successful example of how to use Bioheat … a mix of biodiesel and heating oil … to keep residents warm while cutting the city’s global warming emissions. In hopes of spreading that success, the National Biodiesel Board will be hosting a webinar for the media entitled, “How to Green and Clean Buildings with Bioheat—A New York Case Study,” this Thursday, September 30, 2010 from 2:00 – 2:45 pm EST:

Biodiesel, an advanced biofuel for diesel engines and boilers, reduces America’s dependency on foreign oil, improves air quality and protects the environment. Bioheat is a mixture of biodiesel and heating oil.

New York City is already the nation’s largest municipal user of biodiesel. This free webinar will examine why New York has now approved an air quality bill that ensures cleaner burning Bioheat® is used for heating homes and buildings in this City that uses 1 billion gallons of heating oil annually.

The webinar will feature New York City Council 24th District located in Queens James F. Gennaro, who sponsored the New York City Bioheat legislation and chairs the Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection. In addition, you’ll also be able to hear from Peter M. Iwanowicz , New York State Deputy Secretary for the Environment.

For more information and to register for the webinar, please visit https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/445903385. More information on Bioheat is available at www.bioheatonline.com.

Biodiesel, NBB, Webinar