Biodiesel-Fueled Beetles Give Green Rides in Paradise

John Davis

Hawaii is already known as a lush, green, tropical paradise, but one rental car company on the islands is turning that green up a notch.

This article from BNET.com says the Bio-Beetle company in Maui focuses on biodiesel vehicles and looks to expand into electric vehicles one day:

President Shaun Stenshol presides over a 20-car fleet that includes diesel-powered Beetles, Jettas, Golfs and a Jeep Liberty, plus some Toyota Prius hybrids, in the bustling central city of Kahului. The office, which doubles as a cat shelter and the headquarters of the recycling business Stenshol also runs, was busy on a recent weekday – 18 of Bio Beetle’s cars were rented.

This is a business that caters to the tourists flocking to Maui, and Bio Beetle offers rates ($49.99 to $75 a day) that are on par with more established services. It also offers free pickups and drop-offs at the airport and popular tourist destinations. The company advertises 30 to 45 mpg from the 100 percent biodiesel it sources locally from Pacific Biodiesel. The “buy local” and “freedom from oil” pitches are a big part of Bio Beetle’s appeal.

Stenshol, who relocated to Maui in 1998 and started his company in 2003 with a single diesel Beetle he found on a used car lot, has applied for a State of Hawaii grant to help him buy electric cars and set up charging stations. EVs, he says, will nicely complement his biodiesel cars, though he worries about the 100-mile range being a challenge.

The article goes on to say that Hawaii has tapped into $4 million in federal stimulus money for people in the state who buy electric vehicles or chargers after August 1st. There’s word that Korean automaker CT&T wants to build a plant on the islands to assemble as many as 10,000 electric vehicles a year.

Biodiesel, Electric Vehicles

Blender Pump Opens in ND

Grand Forks, North Dakota is now offering flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) owners the choice at the pump. The Valley Dairy station at 2401 S. Columbia Road is offering the ethanol blends of E20, E30, and E85.

According to the American Lung Assn. of North Dakota, a grand opening celebration will be held Aug. 24 and 25 at the Grand Forks facility. A ribbon cutting will take place at 10 a.m. on August 24 and ethanol-blend fuel discounts on August 25 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. During the promotion, E85 will be priced at $1.85 a gallon, the price of E30 will be discounted by 30 cents, and the price of E20 will be discounted by 20 cents. There will also be in-store specials throughout the week.

“Only flex fuel vehicles should use E85 or high blend ethanol fuels, because they are specifically designed for them,” said Lisa Thurstin, a manager for the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest’s Clean Air Choice program. “There are more than 41,000 flex fuel vehicles already on the road in North Dakota, and more models that can use cleaner-burning E85 as well as gasoline are coming out every year. If you are driving one, we hope you will come out to Valley Dairy on Wednesday and try one of these new fuel choices.”

The fuel promotion is being sponsored by Valley Dairy and members of the North Dakota Clean Air Choice Team including the North Dakota Corn Council, North Dakota Renewable Energy Council, North Dakota Department of Commerce, North Dakota Ethanol Council, North Dakota Ethanol Producers Association, General Motors Corporation, U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities and American Lung Association in North Dakota.

Currently, the state of ND has 67 E85 outlets including 44 ethanol mid-blend pumps.

E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

E85 in Marion, Illinois

Cindy Zimmerman

The 212th E85 station has opened in Illinois.

Russell Oil Company worked with Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Blender Pump program to bring E85 fuel to their ROC One Stop in Marion, Ill. “We wanted to provide a quality fuel that is better for the environment, supports our local farmers, as well as help us to increase sales and fuel margins,” said manager Jonathan Russell. “We appreciate the support of Growth Energy, the availability of informational materials, signs and the advice we have been given to promote the sale of E85.”

Growth Energy offers funding to retailers to assist in ethanol blender pump infrastructure. Grants of $2,500 and $5,000 are available to vendors who wish to install new or convert existing equipment for ethanol fueling, in addition to any Federal or state grants or incentives a retailer may be eligible.

E85, Ethanol, Growth Energy

Scottish Turn Whiskey Waste into Butanol

Joanna Schroeder

Did you know that the Scottish have a $6.2 billion a year whiskey habit? I didn’t until I came across an article in the Guardian about how researchers in Edinburgh Napier University are researching turning whiskey waste into butanol. During the whiskey distillation process, two main waste products are created – pot ale, a liquid, as well as draff, which are the remains of grains used when distilling the alcohol. These are now being turned into biofuel.

Unlike ethanol, researchers are finding that butanol gives 30 percent more power output than ethanol and can be used in conventional vehicles without engine modifications. They also like the fact that no “food” products are used in the creation – only waste and say that the process is more environmentally sustainable than other forms of ethanol production.

The European Union has set a goal that biofuels should account for 10 percent of all fuel sales by 2010 but this regulation has been under fire recently as concerns have continued to surface over using grains for biofuels in addition to land use and soil sustainability issues. In fact, England has actually scaled back on their biofuels goals and other countries are considering following suit unless they determine that other feedstocks will be more sustainable.

Regardless, turning alcohol waste into biofuels is not a new concept – Coors has been doing this in one of their breweries in Colorado for several years. Well, I can’t help but wonder if a new drinking saying will be. “I drink so that I can drive on biofuels.”

biofuels, Ethanol

Genera Energy & Alcoa Partner to Grow Switchgrass

Joanna Schroeder

Tennessee is becoming a hotbed for switchgrass activity, and one of the newest partnerships is between Alcoa, Inc, the steel giant, and Genera Energy. Alcoa has leased nearly 238 acres of land to a local farmer who is participating in an incentive program with Genera Energy. Genera Energy, along with the University of Tennessee, is  researching and developing technology to bring commercial cellulosic ethanol to market using switchgrass.

The crop was planted in June by farmer Gerald Orr, who planted three varieties of the seed including one standard and two improved varieties to determine which varieties have the highest performance. When the crop is harvested in three years, researchers have estimated that the acres could produce up to 160,000 gallons of ethanol per year.

“Participating in the switchgrass program is giving me the opportunity to put this acreage to use for something that will hopefully have long-lasting benefits,” said Orr. “I look forward to seeing the switchgrass crop continue to grow and prosper.”

Genera’s research is showing that there are some environmental benefits of the feedstock including its ability to sequester between one and two tons of carbon per acre in the soil each year. In addition, it improves soil stability and structure.

“With more than 1,600 acres of property here in Blount County, Alcoa is constantly looking for environmentally-friendly, effective uses of the land,” said Dave Hensley, property manager and interim smelting plant manager. “We are pleased that Mr. Orr is involved in this program and we believe his effort align with the ‘green’ qualities of Alcoa’s products. Recycling aluminum to save energy and offsetting oil consumption with biomass go well together.”

Most recently, Genera opened a bioenergy production plant located in Vonore, Tennessee in late 2009 and it is expected to be operational by the end of this year.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Utah Field Holds Promise for US Army’s Biodiesel Efforts

John Davis

A small patch of safflower near the Salt Lake City International Airport has caught the attention of the U.S. Army as part of the military’s efforts to implement more biodiesel into its operations.

The Salt Lake Tribune says about 20 acres of the prickly leafed crop, planted as part of Salt Lake County’s urban-farming initiative, could be a feedstock for the green fuel:

Jeffrey Ward, deputy engineer for the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, inspected the safflower crop Monday with a National Biodiesel Board representative and a consultant from the environmental engineering and restoration firm Louis Berger Group to determine whether to seed a similar program on military lands.

“We are very interested in getting biodiesel and using our lands to support our own energy needs,” Ward said. “We want to use what you have learned to potentially go onto Army installations and see what might be possible.”

It is a welcome recognition to a program pursued jointly by Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah State University, the South Davis Sewer District and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to put fallow public lands to good use.

The safflower now stands on a dusty grassland on the south side of Salt Lake International Airport — a property the city will someday use for a wastewater treatment plant. That transformation is decades away, however. So officials have decided to cultivate the land, growing a drought-resistant crop capable of producing 50 gallons of biofuel per acre.

Officials started with 20 acres, as a test. But ultimately, biofuel production is expected to spread to the entire 200-acre property.

Utah is also home to the FreeWays to Fuel program, which would plant safflower, canola, flax and other biofuel crops along highways. Researchers at Utah State University believe the country could produce a billion gallons of biodiesel a year from the roadside crops.

Biodiesel, Government, NBB

New Incentives Proposed for ND Biodiesel Plants

John Davis

Some biodiesel plants in North Dakota could be enjoying new operations incentives, if a proposed bill passes that state’s legislature and gains the governor’s signature.

The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead reports the measure, currently before the state legislature’s Energy Development and Transmission Committee, would give up to $1.5 million in incentives annually:

The amount would be determined by multiplying the number of gallons of biodiesel sold by 5 cents.

The second incentive relates to biodiesel plants operating in the state before July 2011 and with a production capacity of more than 1 million gallons.

The plant could receive incentive payments if production is increased by the lesser of 10 million gallons or 50 percent of its production capacity during a 12-month period.

The incentives are similar to what was done with the ethanol industry, said Shane Goettle, the state’s commerce commissioner and chairman of the EmPower North Dakota Commission.

Some lawmakers questioned the wisdom of the legislation that doesn’t take into account market conditions. The committee is expected to discuss the measure more next month.

Biodiesel, Legislation

BlueFire Ethanol Rebrands as BlueFire Renewables

Cindy Zimmerman

Blue Fire EthanolBlueFire Ethanol Fuels is rebranding itself as BlueFire Renewables “to more clearly illustrate the company’s vast capabilities in renewable energy,” according to the company.

“BlueFire is more than just an ethanol company. We’re happy to at last announce the expansion of our capabilities, and feel that this name captures our spirit for innovation and development of cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels,” says Arnold Klann, CEO of BlueFire Renewables, Inc. “Our goal with this name change is to demonstrate the company’s potential to vertically integrate our technology into other areas of renewable energy and help us avoid the confusion with traditional ethanol producers.”

BlueFire is capable of producing a number of biofuels, including biodiesel, bioJet Fuel and drop-in directs, and has developed relationships with key industry partners, such as Solazyme to produce biofuels from new feedstocks like algae. BlueFire Renewables is also currently in the process of developing two cellulosic ethanol facilities in Lancaster, CA and Fulton, MS.

Biodiesel, biofuels, Cellulosic, Company Announcement, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Thorntons and KY Corn to Give Away $17K in E85

Thorntons, Inc., a leading, independent gasoline/convenience-chain retailer carrying E85 fuel throughout the Midwest, is teaming up with the Kentucky Corn Growers Association (KyCGA) and the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition (KCFC) to give away $17,000 in free E85 fuel at the 2010 Kentucky State Fair.

From August 19 until August 29, flex fuel vehicle owners can visit the Kentucky corn Shack, under the Great Kentucky Cookout Tent, to pick up free E85 fuel gift cards. The first 106 who stop by the shack each day will receive a $5, $20 or $100 promotional card. These cards can be used at any of the 11 Thornton’s E85 fueling facilities in Kentucky and Southern Indiana – including the nine in the state of Kentucky, two of which will be open by the end of August.

“We are very excited about the expansion of E85 fuel in our stores,” said Matt Thornton, Chief Executive Officer of Thorntons. “We support the use of ethanol, wherever it is economically available”.

“Not only are corn farmers feeding the world’s people and livestock, they are producing enough corn for all-American fuel ethanol. While ethanol can be found in 10 percent blends in all of Louisville’s gasoline, KyCGA, Thorntons, and KCFC have partnered to increase awareness about E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline,” said Executive Director of KyCGA, Laura Knoth. “This fuel can only be used in Flexible Fuel Vehicles, but there are nearly 100,000 of these vehicles on Kentucky’s highways today, and vehicle manufacturers continue to make more.”

Growth Energy recently partnered with Thorntons to open 20 E85 stations within five states through their 2010 E85 and Blender Pump program. You can find the listing of these stations at www.E85Refueling.com.

E85, Ethanol, News

RFA Successfully Promotes Ethanol At Sturgis

Joanna Schroeder

There is nothing more American than motorcycles and Sturgis, South Dakota in the summer. There is also nothing more American than ethanol. This year, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) roared back into Sturgis for another round of ethanol promotion. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over America descend on Sturgis each summer for the largest motorcycle enthusiast event in the country.

cutcRFA’s Director of Market Development Robert White (pictured here with the Buffalo Chip poster model showing off an ethanol “Fueled with Pride” t-shirt), attended Sturgis to help oversee the ethanol promotion. “The Buffalo Chip once again provided the RFA a perfect setting to educate hundreds of thousands of riders on the benefits of ethanol, not only for their motorcycles, but for their vehicles and small engines at home,” White said. “With an attendance of more than 800,000, I cannot think of a better place to educate that many people at one time.”

The RFA partnered with the Buffalo Chip Campground and the unofficial scribe of Sturgis, the Buffalo Chip Gazette, to promote the use of ethanol blended fuels as a way to combat our increasing dependence on foreign oil. Often mischaracterized as being a problem of engines like those found in motorcycles, the Sturgis rally offered an opportunity to highlight the efficacy of ethanol-blends in all engine types through education and ethanol merchandise.

You can view photos of the event and other RFA events here.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA