The Relationship Between Biomass Harvesting and Soil

Joanna Schroeder

As the cellulosic industry gets closer to bringing cellulosic ethanol to market, there have been some concerns regarding how biomass harvesting will affect soil health and yields. These very issues were discussed by Dr. Stuart Birrell a professor at Iowa State University, whom with his team, have been studying soil sustainability as it relates to biomass harvesting.

His latest research has been in partnership with POET’s Biomass division, who is now in the midst of the largest biomass harvesting of light corn stover and corn cobs in the world. Birrell notes that to determine how much biomass a farmer can remove from his field without having adverse effects, it is important to the farmer to understand the health of his soil.

Birrell said during Project Liberty’s BIomass Harvest Kickoff, that there is a lot of variability in fields. In some fields, a farmer won’t be able to remove much, if any biomass whereas in other fields, he may remove more. On average, POET is asking for 1 ton from each field, which averages out to around 20-25 percent of the total biomass. However this could change in the future as bushels per acre increases. In fact, seed companies are predicting that within the next 15 years, corn harvests will double and this feat will be achieved without putting any additional land into production.

Birrell also noted that biomass harvesting may encourage some farmers to move to no-till techniques, which help reduce the amount of carbon released from the soil.

So ultimately, how will a farmer know how much biomass he can remove from his field? With some new technology that Birrell’s team is working on – variable rate removal machines. As a farmer is harvesting his biomass, the machine will automatically adjust how much biomass is removed based on certain soil health characteristics. This will ensure that soil health is not jeopardize by removing too much biomass.

biomass, Cellulosic, corn, Ethanol, POET, Video

Soybean Board-sponsored Tractor Pull Set for this Weekend

John Davis

The United Soybean Board (USB) and the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) have teamed up for a tractor pull this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 27 & 28, at the Jaycee’s Cole County Fairgrounds. Some of the tractors involved in the pull will be using biodiesel, as will much of the support equipment. The video below is from last year’s event in Jeff City.

Todd Gibson, the director of the USB and a soybean farmer from Western Missouri’s Carroll County, says this will be his first professional tractor pull he’s attended, and he’s satisfied to leave his own equipment back home. “I’ll let the big boys take care of it.”

The pullers, many of whom are associated with agriculture, will be available for the public to meet and talk to about the performance of soy biodiesel.

NOTE: This updated version of this story changes the part about the tractors in the competition using biodiesel. While some of the tractors MAY use biodiesel, they’re not REQUIRED to do so. Much of the support equipment will still use soybean-based biodiesel in their operations.

Biodiesel, Soybeans

Purdue Study Advocates Variable Ethanol Tax Credit Rate

Cindy Zimmerman

A new study from Purdue University finds that a variable rate for the ethanol blenders tax credit could cost the government less and provide more security for producers than current fixed rates.

The study, by Purdue agricultural economist Wally Tyner, concludes that a variable rate would insulate producers from risk because as oil and ethanol prices drop, the subsidy for producers would increase. The government would save money because the rate would go down when oil prices are high.

The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), which currently pays blenders a fixed rate of 45 cents per gallon of ethanol, will expire at the end of the year. Congress will have to decide whether to create a new fixed rate, implement a variable rate or go with no subsidy at all.

Tyner said his study, which was published in the October issue of the journal Energy Policy, shows that a variable rate would be the most beneficial since it still lowers risk for producers and could entice new cellulosic ethanol production. “We could see ethanol plants close if the subsidy isn’t renewed in some form,” Tyner said.

Under a variable rate, there would be no tax credit for blenders at $90 per barrel of oil. The subsidy would kick in at 17.5 cents per gallon when oil is at $80 and increase 17.5 cents for every $10 decrease in oil prices.

However, Tyner noted that the study’s findings are irrelevant if the Environmental Protection Agency does not increase the amount of ethanol that can be blended with gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent. He said without that increase, the United States is at the ethanol blend wall, the point at which growth in ethanol production has to stop because the maximum amount possible is being purchased and used by consumers. The EPA is expected to make a decision on the blending limit this fall.

Ethanol, Ethanol News

Jasper Alternate Fuels Adds Propane

Joanna Schroeder

Jasper Alternate Fuels, a division of Jasper Engines & Transmissions, has signed an agreement with Icom North America to install and service their JTG propane liquid-injection fuel system on commercial fleet vehicles. Jasper added the new technology to its line-up due to the increasing market demand for propane fueled vehicles.

“Jasper has more than 40 highly-skilled installation centers across the U.S. to perform either liquid propane gas or compressed natural gas conversions on commercial vehicles,” said Ed Zoglman, Jasper Alternate Fuels division manager.

According to the company, Icom’s liquid-injection systems can be installed on virtually any gasoline vehicle with multi-point injection. Research has shown that as compared to conventional fuels, propane lowers emissions and provides an increase in fuel economy, drivability and overall performance. In part these benefits are achieved because propane is less expensive.

Today, the technology has not been approved for use in California and so Icom is working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to obtain certification and once that is achieved, they will pursue the same certification with the California Air Resources Board.

“Jasper Alternate Fuels is well-respected throughout the propane industry as a leading conversion source for propane and CNG powered engines,” said Ralph Perpetuini, CEO of Icom North America. “As interest in propane as an alternative fuel continues to grow, it will lead to increased business for both of our companies and enable the further expansion of the propane vehicle industry in the USA.”

News, Propane

Biodiesel Company Lands California Energy Grant

John Davis

A California-based biodiesel company has won a nearly $900 thousand grant from that state’s Energy Commission.

Biodiesel Industries “ARIES© Bioenergy Project” is a multi-year project using algae to produce biodiesel in an integrated energy system monitored by the ARIES platform. ARIES, which stands for Automated Real-time, Remote, Integrated Energy System, was developed with Aerojet to incorporate advanced automation control capabilities:

ARIES© is a highly automated, transportable biodiesel production unit with the capability to be controlled from a remote location. These features ensure reliable process control and optimal production yields in a sustainable system that can be readily and widely deployed. Under this grant, the system will be adapted to fully integrate algaculture, anaerobic digestion of waste products and self-generated combined heat and power. This unique approach will enable the production of biodiesel to be self-sustainable, produce excess renewable energy and substantially reduce greenhouse gases.

The work will be done at Naval Base Ventura County at Port Hueneme, California.

Biodiesel, Government

Biofuel, Biotech Companies Sequence Jatropha Genome

John Davis

A company that breeds better seeds for biofuels has teamed up with a biotech company to sequence the jatropha genome … a plant touted as the possible future of biofuels feedstocks.

Officials at SG Biofuels have announced that they and Life Technologies Corporation have completed sequencing the Jatropha curcas genome to 100x coverage, using the SOLiD™ 4.0 System by Life Technologies:

The sequence significantly accelerates the identification of key traits for the oilseed-producing crop and advances its development as a high yielding, low-cost source for next generation biofuel.

Working in strategic alliance with Life Technologies, SG Biofuels will use the sequence to generate a high quality Jatropha reference genome. The genome will be compared to sequences generated from SG Biofuels’ germplasm library of more than 6,000 unique Jatropha genotypes – the largest and most diverse collection of Jatropha germplasm in the world – to identify molecular markers and trait genes to accelerate development of elite cultivars with vastly superior yields and profitability. This work will also advance the introduction of transgenic plants with further improved traits.

“The value of a Jatropha reference genome is enhanced significantly by having a diverse collection of plant material for comparison,” said Kirk Haney, President and Chief Executive Officer of SG Biofuels. “The sequence adds a powerful new tool to our development platform, allowing us to rapidly unlock the true potential of Jatropha as the most profitable and sustainable biofuel feedstock.”

“Working with SG Biofuels to sequence the Jatropha genome is an important part of our broader synthetic biology strategy to provide technologies for the development of next generation renewable energy,” said Wendy Jozsi, Director of Synthetic Biology at Life Technologies. “There is significant opportunity to use advanced molecular techniques in the optimization of plant-based biofuels, especially Jatropha, for increased yields and a faster development cycle, ultimately leading to new sources of energy.”

The non-edible jatropha is native to Central America and grown on marginal lands, providing a fuel source that does not compete with the food supply or the land to grow that food supply.

biofuels, Biotech

KL Energy & Petrobras Partner on Bagasse Project

Joanna Schroeder

KL Energy Corporation and Brazil-based Petrobras have announced a new joint development agreement to optimize KL Energy’s cellulosic ethanol process technology for the conversion of sugarcane bagasse feedstock to ethanol. As a component of this partnership, Petrobras will invest $11 million to adapt KL Energy’s demonstration facility to use bagasse. The money will also be dedicated to validating the company’s optimized process.

In addition, the technology will be integrated into one of Petrobras’ Brazilian sugarcane mills and is scheduled to go online sometime in 2013. Once the plant is operational, it will produce approximately 15 million liters per year.

Miguel Rossetto, CEO of Petrobras Biocombustivel, said, “Petrobras views cellulosic ethanol as a very promising technology to substantially increase the ethanol output by some 40% without increasing the planted area output and further improve the carbon footprint of its sugarcane mills. This agreement with KLE will considerably accelerate this development effort and we are optimistic about the commercial potential of the optimized technology platform.”

The initial agreement is for the two companies to work together for 18 months and provides a mutually exclusive agreement to jointly develop cellulosic ethanol from bagasse. The agreement also gives Petrobras the option of securing a technology license for the use of KL Energy’s technology within the Petrobras Group.

“Brazil is the global leader in the production of affordable biofuels and biomass, and we believe that bagasse is a perfect feedstock for our process. KLE plans to be at the forefront of the emerging cellulosic ethanol market in Brazil,” said Peter Gross, President and CEO of KL Energy Corporation. “We are very excited about this opportunity and we can think of no better partner for this endeavor than Petrobras, a company globally recognized for its technological competence, social and environmental responsibility and its investments in clean energies.”

This partnership marks yet another American company to partner with a Brazlian-based company with the intention of developing biofuels.

Brazil, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Analysis Credits Ethanol With Lower Gas Prices

Cindy Zimmerman

Gas prices have hit an eight-month low and an analysis in the Washington Post today gives part of the credit to ethanol.

The main reason they say gas prices have declined is weak demand due to the economy and continued high unemployment. That comes from an American Petroleum Institute (API) news release last week, which reported gasoline demand for July, as measured by deliveries, was down .03 percent compared to the same time last year. “With unemployment high and July regular gasoline prices more than 20 cents a gallon above those a year ago, consumers likely have been shopping and vacationing less and trimmed their gasoline purchases accordingly,” said API Chief Economist John Felmy.

But, the Washington Post article notes that fuel efficiency improvements and more ethanol have also helped to moderate gas prices. “A steady increase in the biofuels component of U.S. motor fuel is another reason; the four week average for ethanol production ending Aug. 13 was 854,000 barrels a day, up nearly 18 percent from a year ago and now more than 9 percent of the volume of motor fuel, according to the Renewable Fuels Association.”

Gasoline prices have dropped a little more this month, according to the American Automobile Association, which reports this week that average retail price for regular gasoline is less than $2.71 a gallon, now just eight cents higher than a year ago.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Oil, RFA

Process Optimization Seminar Sold Out

Cindy Zimmerman

The third Process Optimization Seminar, coming up September 1-2 in Kansas City, is sold out.

The interactive seminar focused on increasing ethanol plant process efficiency and profitability is sponsored Fremont Industries, Fermentis, Novozymes and Phibro Ethanol Performance Group. They have already held two successful workshops in Minneapolis last year and Indianapolis earlier this year and they will be announcing more in the near future.

I talked with Tom Slunecka (pictured far left) of Phibro at the recent American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) conference about the seminars and why they are so popular with ethanol plant operators and managers. “There just can’t be enough education, there’s always things changing and new technologies available,” Slunecka said. “We keep the class sizes very small so about 60 people are invited each time.” Each of the four companies present a hands-on demonstration based education, such as Phibro’s section on antibiotics where they use microscopes to learn how to identify different microbes that might be present in an ethanol plant.

The big reason why the workshops are so popular, Slunecka says, is because ethanol plant margins are razor thin. “So if you can squeeze out a percent, or even a half a percent more alcohol from your same inputs, it will dramatically change your plant,” he said. “We’re talking about hundreds and hundreds of thousands of added revenue that a plant may be missing out on.”

Listen to my interview with Tom here: Tom Slunecka Interview

ACE, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Lack of Biodiesel Incentive Closes Another Plant

John Davis

Just in case you forgot (fat chance of that!), the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive has not been renewed after expiring at the end of 2009. And an estimated 23,000 biodiesel workers (and counting) have been laid off nationwide. The latest victims are workers at a biodiesel plant once touted as the largest in New England.

This Times Argus article says the Swanton, Vermont Biocardel biodiesel refinery has been shuttered because of the lack of the credit … and most likely won’t be coming back:

The state’s economic development authority is now in the process of trying to recover more than a half-million dollars it provided to the facility in low-interest loans, according to officials. State tax credits were also awarded to the company that built the plant, Biocardel, a subsidiary of a Canadian company, although the credits were never used.

The expiration of a federal tax credit for the production of biofuels at the end of 2009 has hammered the industry nationally and the Biocardel facility in Vermont is one casualty. The company does not have plans to reopen the facility.

Jo Bradley of the Vermont Economic Development Authority said that the plant has closed.

“We are trying to negotiate some kind of settlement for the balance of our loan,” she said. “When the federal credits were not renewed it was a blow to the industry as a whole. It made it much more difficult for them to survive.”

Stephen Daigle, who was the general manager of the Vermont plant, said Friday it was frustrating to see the plant just get to the verge of ramping up production last December after nearly two years of preparing and research and development, only to have the tax credits expire and Congress fail to restore them in the months since.

“People tried to help us as much as possible,” Daigle said. “It’s sad because I think Vermont as a green state would have supported it very well.”

The plant was to produce eight million gallons of biodiesel a year.

Biodiesel, Government, Legislation