UNL Begins Expansion for Algae Research

Joanna Schroeder

UNL scientists will begin growing algae in bags like these later this year as part of their research into algal biofuels. George Oyler / courtesy photo.

Algae research continues to get a lot of focus. University of Nebraska-Lincoln has announced that it will expand its algae research center this year, dedicating more space in the Beadle Center greenhouse for the work. As reported by Biomass Magazine, the university received $1.9 million in federal funding for it current research in alternative energy and is anticipating additional funds.

Scientists, using natural algae strains, will begin by growing algae in bags. From there, they will move to oblong ponds. Along the way, they hope to achieve three goals as identified by Paul Black, a lipid biochemist at UNL who will be participating in the study: identify the best strains for maximum oil production; identify optimal growing conditions; and modify the algae for maximum cell density.

Currently, the research team is working with a photo bioreactor that is designed to increase cell density per unit volume from about two grams per liter to eight to 10 grams per liter, by exploring maximum light and carbon dioxide conditions, Black said. Cell density is important because their is a possibility of making it simpler to harvest the algae. “You’re in essence, fooling them,” said Black.

Another area of concentration is optimizing oil extraction. According to Black, the team has used organic solvents and is also looking at using carbon dioxide and high pressure.

Although there is no immediate timeframe for the establishment of tangible results, Black anticipates some compelling data to be forthcoming within a year.

algae, Biodiesel, Research

Has Gas Use Peaked?

Joanna Schroeder

It appears as if two things peaked in 2007…our economy and our thirst for driving. According to an article in McClatchy Newspapers, U.S. gasoline consumption peaked in 2007 and has not only not recovered, but never will – even after the recession ends. According to Steve Everly, the author of the article, there are several reasons why.

1) Federally mandated fuel economy increases.

2) The number of vehicles on the road will hit a plateau. Get this. There are 4-5 cars on the road for each person in the U.S. including children who can’t legally drive.

3) There will be enough alternative fuels to cover increased fuel needs (which up until 2007 grew each year since we discovered our love for driving using petroleum).

“We’re on a slow but inexorable path away from petroleum,” said James Williams, an analyst with WTRG Economics, an oil and gas consultancy. “This is a big deal.”

While this is good news for consumer pocketbooks, this is not such good news for oil companies who will lose billions of dollars each year from declining gas sales. According to the article, many oil companies are looking at adjusting their refinery capabilities, including the possibility of shutting some of them down. But this doesn’t mean petroleum will disappear. The Energy Information Administration predicts that by 2035, petroleum still will provide 88 percent of the fuel for cars and light trucks.

I’ll let you decide if this is good or bad news.


biofuels, Commentary, Energy

Free Biodiesel Music

Chuck Zimmerman

Emily Richards and Jason BrockIn case you can’t tell, I’m a big fan of the music of Emily Richards and Jason Brock since I first met them at a National Biodiesel Conference years ago. The photo is from one of the screens that was displaying them during their time on stage at the conference.

Emily announced that she and Jason have been working on a music project since last year’s conference. They’re using a service called CCMixster and have published the first of three albums. This first one is available for a free download right now. It’s already on my iPhone.

Emily says they wanted to create an album of music on biodiesel. They created a project called, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Remix” or R4. They had about 50 musical contributions from the CCMixter community. The Brown album is the first of what will now be 3 albums. You can learn more about how the R4 project worked with this link.

After the final general session concluded I interviewed Emily and Jason along with CCMixster member Bob Nunnally. Jason describes the CCMixster community and how it fits in well with the biodiesel community.

You can listen to Emily’s comments about the new album project and their performance of one of the songs, Harmony, here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/nbb/nbc-10-harmony.mp3]

You can listen my interview with Emily, Jason and Bob here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/nbb/nbc-10-brown-album.mp3]

National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Audio, Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference

More Thoughts On RFS-2

Chuck Zimmerman

Larry SchaferWith RFS-2 being such an important topic to anyone in the industry right now I conducted another interview on the subject with Larry Schafer, The Diamond Group. Larry moderated one of the panel discussions on the subject at the National Biodiesel Conference.

He says that the EPA has published the regulatory rules on line and there are a number of forms that will need to be completed for purposes of registration. NBB will conduct a number of webinars on the subject before July 1st which is the date set for the regulatory requirements of RFS-2. He encourages companies to get registered as soon as possible. All plants will need to be registered even if they were under the older RFS program. He says registration will take a while but there is time to get registered before the new start date. He encourages you to go to the EPA website for more information now.

I realize there are still a lot of questions about RFS-2 but as Larry says, the rules were just published last week and everyone is working hard to get up to speed on them and what they mean.

You can listen to my interview with Larry below.

National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Audio, Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference

Kia’s Ray Plug-In Hybrid Debuts in Chicago

John Davis

A pretty bold concept car from Kia Motors that should be as green as it is cool looking has made its debut at this year’s Chicago Auto
Show.

The Detroit News reports that the Kia Ray Plug-in Hybrid concept was rolled out during a press conference this week and is the latest offering from the company’s global alternative fuel and powertrain research program:

The Kia Ray concept is a boldly styled four-seat compact sedan built on the Kia Forte platform that demonstrates a prospective plug-in hybrid configuration from Kia. It is designed with lightweight and recycled materials, and has hexagonal roof-top solar cells embedded in the glass roof panel to power extra lighting or climate control systems.

The Kia Ray is the fifth vehicle from the Irvine Calif.-based Kia Design Center America to be shown in the past year. The latest design from KDCA follows award-winning Kia vehicles Soul, Forte, Forte Koup and the all-new 2011 Sorento CUV.

Kia is offering an “EcoDynamics” sub-brand for its fuel-stretching and emissions-cutting technologies.

If anyone has a chance to go to this show (going on now through Feb. 21) and see this car first hand, let me know what you think.

Car Makers, Electric Vehicles

World’s First Hybrid Biomass-Solar Refinery Announced

John Davis

A Colorado company has come up with a way to harness to power of the sun to unlock the energy in biomass.

This post from the CalFinder blog says Sundrop Fuels has developed the world’s first hybrid solar-biomass refinery that uses concentrated solar power (CSP) to heat plant scraps and wood chips to create biofuel:

The use of solar power to reduce consumption of biomass at the refinery should considerably improve their product’s energy balance, i.e. energy put into production versus energy pulled out. Sundrop’s SurroundSun reactor technology is similar to relatively new Power Tower tech now used to create solar thermal electricity. In fact, Sundrop has licensed CSP technology from well-known start-up eSolar to make their prototype biorefinery a reality.

Instead of using mirrors to reflect sunlight and to heat water or molten salts in a central tower, Sundrop Fuels’ design will use that solar energy to heat biomass to very high temperatures. The solar heat “blasts organic materials with super high temperatures…tearing apart the materials at the molecular level…which creates a synthetic gas that can be formed into gasoline or diesel,” said Sundrop CEO Wayne Simmons.

Sundrop officials admit they will have to burn some biomass to hit the temps needed, but the process will get about 30 percent of the heat needed from the sun.

The company is hoping to find some investors for a demonstration project and another $100-150 million to build an 8-million-gallon-a-year plant.

biomass, Solar

Biodiesel Provisions Laid Off from Jobs Bill

John Davis

So close … but yet so far. A provision in the U.S. Senate’s jobs bill that would have restored the $1-a-gallon biodiesel blending credit … and preserved about 23,000 jobs on its own … started the day in the employment measure. But it found itself in a position many looking for jobs are familiar with: last hired, first fired.

The Hill reports that the provision, sponsored by Iowa’s Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican, didn’t make the cut as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, pared-down the jobs package to omit several energy provisions:

“Clearly, the National Biodiesel Board is disappointed that Senate leadership decided to pull the biodiesel tax incentives from the current jobs bill,” said Michael Frohlich, a spokesman for the trade group. He added that leadership should recognize that “saving 23,000 jobs that are in immediate jeopardy is inextricably linked to a true job-saving and creation agenda.”

The trade group calls the credits vital to the battered industry. Frohlich said the producers will seek to have the Senate add extension of the credits – which lapsed at the end of 2009 – to the current package or another measure soon.

“This really is an immediate need to this industry,” he said.

Extension of the credits is a top priority for Grassley, the Finance Committee’s top Republican. Iowa has over a dozen biodiesel plants, according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.

Jill Kozeny, a spokeswoman for Grassley, said there is biodiesel production in 44 states overall. “They are losing jobs since the credit expired at the end of the year, and restoring the credit as quickly as possible is essential to saving these renewable energy jobs,” she said.

The bottom line is Grassley will have to go back to work to find another way to get the renewal up for a vote, perhaps attached to another one of the many jobs bills Reid’s office is promising.

Biodiesel, Government, Legislation, NBB

REG Outlook

Chuck Zimmerman

Gary HaerDuring the National Biodiesel Conference, Renewable Energy Group (REG) held an outlook conference at which they provided an overview of the company as well as a look ahead. One of the speakers was Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Gary Haer.

Gary says the new RFS-2 gives the industry a good foundation for demand. He says the industry took a step back last year but he sees good market opportunities coming. Another driver for growth will be state initiatives like those in states like Minnesota. Some are in place now or are expected at a future date. He says REG assists in these state processes with staff that work on government relations. Other drivers include the biodiesel specifications that may require labeling in some states.

Gary says that the company plans to have a free webinar available on RFS-2 on February 24th. Information about it should be available on their website.

REG has released several reports that are available for download:

“Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics” (pdf)
Steryl Glucosides Study (pdf)
Moisture Study (pdf)
Soap Study (pdf)

You can listen to Gary’s comments below.

National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference, conferences

NBB Eye On Biodiesel Award Winners Announced

Chuck Zimmerman

Here are this year’s National Biodiesel Board “Eye on Biodiesel Award” winners. These were presented during the last general session. Award descriptions were provided by NBB.

Terry TaylorImpact: Terry Taylor, Sysco Corporation.
Sysco, North America’s leading foodservice marketer and distributor, has led the way in implementing biodiesel in private industry. The company first began using biodiesel in 2005 as part of its comprehensive sustainability program. Terry Taylor, Sr., Director ˆ National Purchasing, says he saw it as a greener alternative that was a simple way to help our country also reduce its use of foreign oil. Sysco has distribution centers across the nation and in Canada and has a company policy to use biodiesel blends, wherever possible, up to B20. The company today uses about 2 million gallons annually of blended product in its fleet of 9,000 diesel tractors and straight trucks, and 11,000 refrigerated trailers.

Wayne HettlerInspiration: Wayne Hettler, St. Johns Public Schools, St. Johns, Mich.
This Michigan school bus fleet manager convinced his district to switch to B20 in 2002. It has since clocked more than 3 million miles on B20. His enthusiasm for biodiesel has helped inspire other fleets make the switch. He has talked to many school districts and other fleets from across the U.S., offering technical advice and support. Hettler also partnered with NBB to provide detailed data on maintenance. His records showed that thanks to fewer oil changes and not needing to buy fuel conditioner, his fleet saved money with biodiesel.

AOCS and Gina ClapperIndustry Partnership: The American Oil Chemists’ Society and Gina Clapper.
AOCS is a global professional scientific society in the fats, oils, surfactants, detergents and related materials fields. In keeping with its mission to be a forum to promote the exchange of ideas, information, and experience, AOCS has provided numerous opportunities for those in the biodiesel field to share knowledge, including two international congresses on biodiesel, several publications, short courses, and technical sessions at its annual meeting. Technical Specialist Gina Clapper has been instrumental in coordinating the development and approval of new biodiesel test methods. Faster, simpler, more cost-effective tests help the industry provide high quality biodiesel meeting ASTM standards at a lower cost to consumers. Clapper also has taken leadership roles within International Organization for Standardization (ISO) activities and the Biodiesel Expert Panel of the AOCS.

State Soybean AssociationsInitiative: The Iowa Soybean Association, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, and Nebraska Soybean Association.
When NBB issued a call to action for the biodiesel industry to submit comments to EPA on its proposed Renewable Fuels Standard rules, soybean farmers answered the call. These three organizations led the way for the biodiesel industry in submitting comments into the EPA. They alone generated more than a third of the 8,000 comments biodiesel supporters submitted regarding the proposed standard. The result demonstrated biodiesel’s and the Renewable Fuel Standard’s importance to a broad range of stakeholders.

Ramiro LopezInfluence: Ramiro Lopez, City of Irving, Texas.
Lopez initiated B20 in the City of Dallas in 2002. Since then he has mentored other fleets, and about a dozen fleets now use biodiesel in the area. He has also mentored fleets nationwide, and spoken at national events about his successful program. He now works for the City of Irving.

“The biodiesel industry is blessed with many champions and true believers,” said Joe Jobe, NBB CEO. “Each of these winners has helped carry the biodiesel torch, fostering understanding, mentoring others and encouraging broader use of a cleaner burning, sustainable fuel.”

National Biodiesel Conference Photo Album

Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference

New Wisconsin Wind Turbine Plant to Employ 600+

John Davis

A new wind turbine blade plant in Wisconsin is expected to put more than 600 new workers on the job.

This post on the GreenRightNow.com Web site says the Energy Composites Corp. (ECC) facility in Wisconsin Rapids got some help in the form of $238 million in municipal tax-free bonds from a pool of money created with federal stimulus dollars:

“Tax-free bonds are a critical component of our financing plan for the 535,000 square foot plant,” noted Sam Fairchild, Energy Composites’ CEO, in a statement. “Development costs for our new factory are too large for traditional Industrial Development financing programs, and the Recovery Zone Bond program, which expires at the end of 2010, is precisely the right solution at precisely the right time…

The 535,000 s.f. plant will be capable of making wind blades 65 meters in length that can supply both onshore and offshore wind farms, and will be build with “a maximum range of flexibility in production design” to be able to accomodate technological advances. The facility will partner with Mid-state Technical College, where prospective employees can get training in blade fabrication.

So at a time when we hear about how too many of the stimulus bucks are going overseas and stimulating economies overseas, it’s nice to hear about some of the money staying home and helping here.

Wind