EPA To Host Free Biofuels & Sustainability Webinar

Joanna Schroeder

The EPA is hosting a free biofuels and sustainability webinar on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 from 9:30 am – 11:00 am PST that will provide a national and regional perspective on sustainability indicators and best practices throughout the biofuel supply chain. Specifically, the webinar will discuss the guiding principles of sustainability developed by the National Biodiesel Board, and examine policy mechanisms for managing biofuel concerns.

Other topics that will be discussed include lessons learned while developing indicators for sustainability as well as how to use these indicators to assess biofuel production methods. These topics are of special interest as they will be used to assist researchers and policy makers in assessing the long-term impacts of biofuels production and use.

Presenters include:

  • Don Scott: Director of Sustainability, National Biodiesel Board
  • Jeff Plowman: Executive Director, Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance
  • Bob Perschel: Northeast Regional Director, The Forest Guild
  • Kevin Fingerman: Researcher, University of California, Berkeley

Space is limited so register now.

Biodiesel, biofuels, Education

Chemists’ Podcast Features Biodiesel from Sewage

John Davis

A U. S. Environmental Protection Agency researcher says that biodiesel can be made from municipal sewage sludge that would cost about the same as diesel made from non-renewable petroleum.

In the latest episode of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) podcast series, “Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions,” the EPA’s David M. Kargbo says sewage treatment plants could use microorganisms that produce higher amounts of oil … up to 10 billion gallons of biodiesel, more than three times the nation’s current biodiesel production capacity:

Kargbo points out in the podcast that demand for biodiesel has led to the search for cost-effective biodiesel feedstocks, or raw materials. Soybeans, sunflower seeds and other food crops have been used as raw materials but are expensive. Sewage sludge is an attractive alternative feedstock — the United States alone produces about seven million tons of it each year. Sludge is a good source of raw materials for biodiesel.

Kargbo’s results appear in ACS’ Energy & Fuels, a bi-monthly journal: “Biodiesel Production from Municipal Sewage Sludges.”

The free podcast is available at iTunes and from ACS at www.acs.org/globalchallenges.

Biodiesel, Research

Yeast Breakthrough Made for Cellulosic Ethanol

John Davis

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have made a breakthrough that has some awfully big implications for cellulosic ethanol.

They’ve been able to put genes from grass-eating fungi into yeast and created strains that produce alcohol from tough plant material:

“By adding these genes to yeast, we have created strains that grow better on plant material than does wild yeast, which eats only glucose or sucrose,” said Jamie Cate, UC Berkeley associate professor of molecular and cell biology and faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). “This improvement over the wild organism is a proof-of-principle that allows us to take the technology to the next level, with the goal of engineering yeast that can digest and ferment plant material in one pot.”

The researchers hope to insert the same fungal genes into industrial strains of yeast that now are used to turn sugar into ethanol biofuel in order to improve the efficiency of the fermentation process.

“The use of these cellodextrin transporters is not limited to yeast that makes ethanol,” Cate said. “They could be used in any yeast that’s been engineered to make, for example, other alcohols or jet fuel substitutes.”

The research has been funded by the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), a research collaboration between UC Berkeley, the University of Illinois, LBNL and the funding sponsor, BP.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

USDA to Fund Rural Renewable Energy Studies

John Davis

The USDA is providing funding to look at the feasibility of renewable energy systems for agriculture producers and rural small businesses.

Grants of up to $50,000 each for a total of $3 million will be made available under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP):

“Renewable energy production represents a promising revenue source for America’s producers while meeting the nation’s need for new sources of renewable energy,” [Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack] said. “These grants will help encourage the development of viable renewable energy projects across the nation and help small business owners, farmers, ranchers and agriculture producers conduct feasibility studies that identify renewable energy opportunities.”

Eligible feasibility studies for renewable energy systems include projects that will produce energy from wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro power and hydrogen-based sources. The energy to be produced includes heat, electricity or fuel. For all projects, the system must be located in a rural area, must be technically feasible and must be owned by the applicant. More information is available by visiting http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_ReapGrants.html.

Deadline for application is October 5, 2010.

Government, USDA

Fed Grant to Help Turn Montana Biomass into Energy

John Davis

A Montana company has picked up a $350,000 federal grant to build a plant that will turn wood chips and algae into energy.

Algae Aqua-Culture Technology will use a proprietary process uses a greenhouse-based algae growth system and an anaerobic biodigester to transform a blend of the wood waste and algae into high-value methane for power generation:

“Algae’s amazing productivity offers the ultimate path to a green economy,” according to an elated Michael Smith, AACT’s CEO and Grant Project Manager. “This award is not only gives AACT the initial funding it needs to move into full production, it also gives the timber industry a new way to capitalize on the bounty of Montana’s forests while also reducing Montana’s carbon footprint.”

“The AACT Green Power Housesm (GPH) will help Montana create new, long-term jobs for the woods products industry–and eventually for Montana’s farmers, factories, waste treatment plants and energy production facilities,” Smith said.

Money for the grant comes from the federal stimulus act.

algae, biomass, biomethane

Ethanol Blender Pump Opens in Ord, Nebraska

Cindy Zimmerman

A new ethanol blender pump opening in Ord, Nebraska was a big success last week.

Country Partners Cooperative hosted a pump grand opening on Thursday, September 9 with specials on E10, E20, E30 and E85, door prizes and drawings will be held as well as a BBQ served by the local FFA chapter.

Country Partner’s blender pump was financially supported in part by the Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) through a blender pump grant program offered to those looking at installing blender pumps in Nebraska. “With the incentive being offered by the Nebraska Corn Board and the growing number of flex fuel vehicles (FFV) being driven across the U.S., blender pumps are one avenue to help get the ethanol industry past the blend wall,” said Curt Friesen, a corn farmer from Henderson, Nebraska who serves as chairman of the NCB market development committee.

There is also a federal tax incentive available through the end of the year to these stations that make the investment in a blender pump, and there are incentives offered by companies and ethanol organizations. In addition to the Nebraska Corn Board, the Country Partner’s blender pump was supported by Green Plains Renewable Energy and Growth Energy.

blends, Ethanol, Growth Energy

Valero Corner Store Sells 85 Percent Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

Valero Energy Corporation recently announced that one of its company-owned Valero Corner Stores in San Antonio has begun selling E-85, a blend of fuel consisting of up to 85 percent ethanol blended with unleaded gasoline for use in Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs).

Valero also announced plans to continue introducing sales of E-85 at new Valero Corner Stores as they’re built. The stores will continue selling all grades of gasoline and diesel fuel at its locations. “There are already millions of Flex Fuel vehicles on the road, and there’s a growing market for E-85,” said Gary Arthur, President of Valero’s Retail Division. “As Valero builds new Corner Stores, we will continue to introduce E-85 sales to satisfy this growing demand.”

“This type of effort by a large retailer like Valero can have a dramatic effect on the availability of E85 and other ethanol blended fuels,” said Ron Lamberty, American Coalition for Ethanol Vice President and Director of Market Development. “Valero’s effort to increase E85 availability shows a confidence that higher ethanol blends will be a growing part of the marketplace,” Lamberty said, “and it will give Valero a leg up in on other retailers who will need to have that same E85 capability to compete for a growing number of new flexible fuel vehicles.” Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors have committed to having 50 percent or more flex-fuel vehicles by model year 2012.

Valero owns and operates nearly 1,000 Corner Stores in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

ACE, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Flex Fuel US Can Sell to Fleets

Flex Fuel U.S.®, a company dedicated to the development of future fuel solutions and alternative fuel conversion systems, has been awarded approval to sell and install E85 Flex Fuel conversion systems to Federal Government Fleets through the Federal GSA schedule. The system is the first EPA certified product enabling existing cars and light duty trucks to be legally converted to run any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to E85.

To date Flex Fuel U.S. has the capability to convert the Chrysler Charger/300, the Ford Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis/Town Car vehicles and will soon announce a light duty truck. The product can be installed on the vehicle in 2 hours, requires only moderate technical expertise and doesn’t void the warranty on the vehicle. The product is backed by a 24 month warranty covering defects in parts and materials. The owner is fully protected when using higher concentrations of ethanol in the vehicle.

“We believe this new technology provides a valuable tool for fleet managers because it allows vehicles to be retrofitted into alternative fuel at a very low cost. Also if you need a vehicle that’s not offered from the OEM as flex fuel capable, our system can be used.” says Don Althoff, CEO of Flex Fuel US. “Flex Fuel US has a proven track record of success converting vehicles over the last three years. This includes successful fleet demonstration project at the City of Chicago and one underway through the State of Iowa’s DOE Energy Independence Grant. We have proven we can reliably develop, install, and operate E85 conversion systems across multiple vehicle manufactures and engine platforms.”

Flex Fuel US is rolling out conversion systems to federal, state, and municipal fleets to accelerate conversion of legacy vehicles. “We look forward to developing E85 conversion products on vehicles that are not available in Flex Fuel models such as fuel efficient compacts, hybrids and high performance vehicles.” Says Mitch Sremac, founder and inventor.

E85, Equipment, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News

Record Corn Crop and More Ethanol Production

Cindy Zimmerman

Some weather issues over the past month caused USDA to slightly lower the forecast for this year’s corn crop, but it is still expected to be a record at 13.16 billion bushels.

The average yield was lowered due to average 162.5 bushels per acre, down 2.5 bushels from the previous month and 2.2 bushels below last year’s record of 164.7 bushels. Forecasted yields decreased from last month throughout much of the Corn Belt, Tennessee Valley, and Delta. Yields were up from August in the lower portions of the Southeast.

USDA is also forecasting increased ethanol production and lower ending stocks with higher prices for corn. “We have seen increased demand so we boosted our ethanol production for the current year, which means our ending stocks have gone down a bit,” said USDA Chief Economist Joe Glauber. “We’re now looking at ending stocks of corn of 1.1 billion bushels and a season average price of $4.40 a bushel – that’s a big increase.”

USDA added 35 million bushels to the 2009-10 corn used for ethanol for a total of 4.535 billion bushels to reflect the actual production numbers through August. Outlook Board Chairman Gerry Bange says they also increased the estimate for 2010-11 but not as much as some might expect. “What we’re thinking is that with the current rise in corn prices we’ve seen and with the gasoline price coming off we might expect somewhat of a slow down in the rate of increase for ethanol production, so we’re carrying a number at 4.7 billion bushels for 2010-11, which is up nearly four percent,” said Bange. USDA lowered total 2010/11 corn demand by 50 million bushels.

According to Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Research Geoff Cooper, the changes in this latest USDA report were expected and speculators have been running up the corn prices lately.

“The recent flurry of activity in the corn market is undoubtedly being driven by the resurgence of speculators. Hedge and index funds are descending on the corn market in numbers not seen since the spectacular commodities bubble of 2008,” Cooper wrote in a blog post on the E-Xchange. “The movements of the market become sufficiently more exaggerated when this many speculators are in the game. The highs are higher, the lows are lower, and everything happens faster.” He notes that the Friday prior to the crop report coming out, a record 556,034 corn futures contracts (the equivalent of 2.8 billion bushels of corn!) changed hands, marking the single busiest day in the corn markets since the Chicago Board of Trade began trading grain in 1877.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, USDA

Iowa Wins the Grid Iowa Game 35-7

Joanna Schroeder

Iowa has won the Grid Iron Game. I’m sure this is no surprise to most people….this year anyway. The final score was Iowa 35, Iowa State 7. Earlier today, I asked many of the Iowa corn growers who would win the game and I must admit, the majority picked Iowa.

But the real winners today are the football fans who have had the opportunity to learn more about how much their daily lives are impacted by corn and the farmers who grow it as part of the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day promotion.

From the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed, you have been touched by corn. It’s in your toothpaste, your breakfast cereal and even the milk you pour on top. It’s in your fuel and in your tires and in the plastic containing your water. It’s also in your hair products and the carpet fibers in your office floor. Every day, Iowa corn farmers, and corn farmers around the world make the things you enjoy possible with their hard work and dedication. Each year they are meeting the country’s and the world’s demands by growing more corn per acre using less inputs and less land. Pretty amazing.

So let’s take a moment to thank our corn farmers and congratulate the University of Iowa for a game well played and give some props to ISU who played with a lot of heart.

We’ll see you next year and you’d better bring your game, Iowa, because the game is in Ames and ISU will be bringing it on!

You can see pictures from game day in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.

corn, E85, Education, Ethanol, food and fuel, Video