NEC 2027

Delay on E15 Waiver “Troubling”

Joanna Schroeder

The E15 waiver was a hot topic during Commodity Classic and for good reason: EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, in response to a question asked during a Congressional hearing, said she felt they’d be ready to make a decision late summer. Originally, the EPA was to have ruled on the E15 waiver, that would waive the Clean Air Act to allow up to 15 percent ethanol in motor vehicles, by the beginning of last December. At that time, they deferred to mid-summer – now they are saying possibly by end of summer.

“Though without giving a date, clearly that date has passed and that’s troubling I think, and we’ve got to keep the pressure on,” said Brian Jennings, the Executive Director of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) during an interview with DomesticFuel during Commodity Classic.

According to Jennings, Robert White with the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the EPA is doing more work on small engines and the effect of ethanol blends on catalytic converters. This despite the large number of research already available.

“But it does seem frustrating to us that they keep looking for some sort of excuse to delay or not to make the decision when we feel the preponderance of evidence, so far, and as it continues to come in, is going to justify this,” continued Jennings.

Both Vilsack and White agree and feel that the E15 waiver will pass – especially since the Renewable Fuels Standard mandates 36 billion gallons of ethanol by 2022 and the E10 blend wall is approximately 14 billion gallons and White notes that there are 22 billions gallons above the blend wall that need to find a home.

“E15 is great, but it’s still a band aid for the real issue and the sticking point is going to come very soon and the problem we’ve been facing for well over a decade is you simply can’t flip a light switch for this infrastructure to be there,” explained White.

You can download (mp3 file) or listen to a Robert’s interview here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/commodity-classic/WhiteE15.CC10.mp3]

You can download (mp3 file) or listen to Brian’s interview here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/commodity-classic/JenningsE15.CC10.mp3]

ACE, Audio, blends, Commodity Classic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Higher Ethanol Blends Score a Victory

Joanna Schroeder

It’s been a long road, but according to a company statement released by Dresser Wayne, Underwriters Laboratory (UL) has approved the use of the company’s Ovation Eco Fuel dispenser for the use ethanol blends up to 25 percent (E25). This is great news as the ethanol industry waits to hear if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will rule in favor of the E15 waiver, which would allow up to 15 percent ethanol blends to be used in conventional vehicles.

“Motorists continue to call for greener fueling solutions and retailers are demanding technologies that will help them stay in front of the market opportunity while managing regulatory changes,” noted Scott Negley, Director of Alternative Energy Products at Dresser Wayne. “Our Eco Fuel dispenser is in use across North America and is designed to handle the higher blends without modifications.”

UL has been working to certify various pump dispensing equipment for use with higher ethanol blends even though there has been widespread use of these components to dispense E85 for more than a decade. Should the E15 waiver be passed, retailers who have installed the Eco Fuel dispenser will not have to modify or upgrade any equipment. For those consumers looking to use more than E15 and own a flex-fuel vehicle, will be able too use any blend of fuel between E10-E85.

“UL’s certification of this dispenser for up to 25 percent ethanol use is an important step forward and will help expand the use of ethanol,” said Renewable Fuels Association Director of Market Development Robert White. “With EPA expected to approve 15 percent ethanol blends sometime this year, this announcement provides some comfort to gas station owners facing increased ethanol blending. Likewise, it provides comfort to stations looking to install blender pump technology offering a wide range of blends from 10 up to 85 percent.”

There have been several recent announcements from the ethanol industry to increase the number of blender pumps across the country. The RFA is working alongside the American Coalition for Ethanol and numerous state corn groups to install 5,000 blender pumps in the next three years as part of its Blend Your Own Ethanol campaign. Growth Energy recently announced that it is offering funding for blender pump installation between $2,500-$5,000.

blends, Company Announcement, Ethanol

Ethanol Report on What’s Wrong With RFS2

Cindy Zimmerman

In this edition of “The Ethanol Report,” we hear from Geoff Cooper, Vice President of Research and Analysis for the Renewable Fuels Association, about what is right and what is wrong with the rule for the expanded Renewable Fuel Standard released early last month by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Ethanol Report PodcastThe good news is that the RFS2 improves upon the rule EPA proposed last year, and that it is much better than what California is using to determine lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. The bad news is the continued reliance on the non-scientific indirect land use change. EPA’s new calculations determined that corn ethanol was better than they first thought when it comes to indirect land use change, so they cut that penalty in half, while they totally eliminated it for sugarcane ethanol – a move that has RFA mystified.

This podcast was recorded at the recent National Ethanol Conference, where RFS2 was the main topic of discussion. We reference a presentation done at the conference by EPA’s Sarah Dunham, which you can find in a previous post here on Domestic Fuel.

You can subscribe to this twice monthly podcast by following this link.

Listen to or download the podcast here:

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, Indirect Land Use, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

Wisconsin Researchers Unlock Biomass Sugars for Fuel

John Davis

A team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have figured out how to get the the sugar molecules trapped inside inedible plant biomass, a key step in the creation of cellulosic biofuels.

This press release from the school says the process, featured in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, converts up to three-quarters of the sugars locked up in raw corn stover into simple, fermentable sugars … an attractive alternative to the enzyme-based approaches currently favored by biofuels researchers:

“Our chemical process is extremely efficient,” says Ron Raines, a UW-Madison professor of biochemistry and chemistry. “It also has marked advantages over the existing processes-both chemical or enzymatic-for producing sugars from biomass.”

Working under a strong federal mandate, scientists across the nation are developing next-generation biofuels from inedible plant materials such as corn stover, switchgrass and wood chips. Unlike most ethanol on the market today, these so-called cellulosic biofuels would not be derived from food sources, potentially reducing the stress on food systems. But the complex structure of plant material keeps cellulose’s energy-rich sugars locked up in tangled webs, making the process of converting it to fuel difficult. In recent years, scientists have been trying to find and engineer enzymes that can break down the sugars more efficiently, potentially opening the door to the commercial production of fuel from cellulose.

Raines’ chemical approach, which he developed with graduate student Joe Binder, a doctoral candidate in the chemistry department, on the other hand, relies on a mixture of an ionic liquid and dilute acid-both of which can slip past lignin-to dissolve the long chains of sugars in biomass and break them up into individual molecules of glucose and xylose.

The article goes on to say that the researchers were able to get about the same amount of sugar out of the biomass as the more-expensive enzymes usually used. This could significantly cut the cost of cellulosic ethanol, helping move that industry forward.

biofuels, biomass, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Fargo to Host Free Biodiesel Workshop

John Davis

Breathing easier is what the American Lung Association is all about, and that’s why the group’s North Dakota chapter has teamed up with the North Dakota Soybean Council, North Dakota Office of Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency, Red River Valley Clean Cities Coalition, and the North Dakota Department of Commerce to offer a free workshop on clean-burning biodiesel, Friday, March 26th, from 9-11:30 a.m. at the Ramada Plaza Suites and Convention Center in Fargo:

The Red River Valley Clean Cities Coalition, established by the U.S. Department of Energy, is offering a free workshop on biodiesel and diesel fuels, presented by nationally recognized fuel expert Hoon Ge of MEG Corp. , Minneapolis. Ge will discuss recent refining changes in traditional petroleum diesel, how to recognize and respond to problems with diesel fuels, and the growing role of biodiesel in North Dakota’s transportation industry.

Registration and parking are free, but seating is limited. Contact Kelly Marczak at 651.268.7590 or Kelly.Marczak@lungmn.org to register.

Biodiesel

Algae Assoc. to Hold Seminar on Using Wastewater

John Davis

Our friends at the Mid-South Chapter of the National Algae Association are holding another seminar. This time the talk will be “Algae: Mining Wastewater for Nutrients, Fuel, and Fertilizer” at the Holiday Inn Research Center in Huntsville, Alabama on March 26, 2010.

I caught up with the chapter’s president, Tamra Fakhoorian, to talk about this information-packed workshop that will explore using wastewater streams to grow the algae for end-products to include biodiesel.

“Algae production is gaining momentum all over the world, and I want to ensure the algae industry gets off on the right foot regarding sustainability,” says Fakhoorian.

She adds that using wastewater to grow algae is a win-win-win situation: getting oil for growing biodiesel and end-products industries, minimizing the impact on fresh water sources, and saving the environment.

You can hear more of my interview with Fakhoorian below.

Fakhoorian has some pretty good experts slated for this one-day workshop, including:

Mark Zivojnich/Hydromentia
Aron Stubbins/ Old Dominion University- Deputy Director of Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium
Dr. Michael Baron
Chuck Pardue/Algae Bioenergy Solutions, LLC
Luke McConnell/Renewergy, LLC
Bob Vitale/WaterWheel Factory
Victoria Kurtz/Fluid Imaging

For more information, contact Fakhoorian at 270-328-8314 or e-mail her at tamraf.naa@wk.net. Also you can check out the Web site: www.nationalalgaeassociation.com and click on the Mid-South Chapter link. Registration is available at the door.

algae, Biodiesel

Ethanol 2010: Emerging Issues Forum

There’s only one week left to get the early registration discount for the Ethanol 2010: Emerging Issues Forum. The event will be held at the Magnolia Hotel on April 8 and 9 in Omaha, Nebraska.

The fifth annual forum features a number of experts on topics including marketing, transportation, RINS and lifecycle emissions of the ethanol production process. This two-day conference is designed to encourage dialogue between speakers and participants, and seating is limited to 125.

Guest speakers include USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager; RINstar founder Clayton McMartin; Marty Ruikka of PRX Geographic on feedstock supply and demand issues; and Trevor Hinz of ICM on enhancing production efficiency and capacity.

The Nebraska Ethanol Board will be hosting the forum. The Ethanol Board assists ethanol producers with programs and strategies for marketing ethanol and related co-products. The Board supports organizations and policies that advocate the increased use of ethanol fuels – and administers public information, education and ethanol research projects. The Board also assists companies and organizations in the development of ethanol production facilities in Nebraska.

To register for the conference, click here.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Deleware Introduces Clean Jobs Act

Joanna Schroeder

Earlier this week, Governor Jack Markell announced that he would be seeking legislation aimed at creating new green jobs, help home and businesses secure energy from alternative sources and spur the growth of emerging industries such as solar and wind power. The Clean Jobs Act would add a longer-range target to the state’s existing Renewable Portfolio Standard which sets a target for the state to receive 30 percent of its energy supplies from renewable energy by 2029.

“The purpose of the initiative – the Delaware Clean Energy Jobs Act – is simple: to create quality jobs, expand local manufacturing and establish Delaware as a national leader in the adoption of renewable energy,” Markell said. He continued, “To restore our economic promise and prosperity, the State can and will lead by example when it comes to creating efficiencies, supporting jobs and being good stewards of our environment.”

Solar power would get a boast in The Clean Jobs Act, which, if passed, would support nearly 300 MW of new solar photovoltaic systems by 2029. In addition, it would facilitate the installation of more than 1000 MW of utility-scale wind power by 2029. Hundreds, if not thousands, of new jobs would be created to fulfill this piece of legislation, and additional jobs would be created by prioritizing Delaware renewable-energy projects and incentivizing the use of locally manufactured systems.

Markell made the announcement at Motech Americas, a solar company in Newark. Motech Americas currently employs more than 70 people and is in the process of expanding manufacturing capacity. They are expected to add 75 more jobs before the end of the year. Markell was joined by many other state leaders and concluded, “We are working closely with our neighboring states to create a vibrant mid-Atlantic clean energy market, but we also want to maximize capital investment and quality jobs in Delaware. We can move more rapidly, respond to opportunities more quickly and get people back to work.”

Energy, Legislation, Solar, Wind

Brazilian Ethanol Powers IndyCar Series Again

Cindy Zimmerman

brazil indyThe IZOD IndyCar Series makes its debut this weekend in South America with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 powered by Brazilian ethanol.

The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) has renewed its fuel supply agreement with the Indy Racing League for the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season, which opens on Sunday, March 14, with a race in Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo. Under the new agreement, the IZOD IndyCar Series will continue to utilize sugarcane ethanol to fuel its race cars, including at its signature event, the Indianapolis 500.

The agreement calls for UNICA to cover the cost of approximately 200,000 liters (53,000 gallons) of the 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol to be used by in 2010 by the IZOD IndyCar Series as well as the renewable diesel for the fleet of trucks that delivers cars, related gear and fuel for all races. The deal also calls for UNICA’s Sugarcane Ethanol brand to be featured at all Indy events.

Sugarcane ethanol will fuel 16 of the 17 IZOD IndyCar Series races in the 2010 season, including the Indianapolis 500. The only Indy race not covered by the series’ commitment to use primarily sugarcane ethanol is the Iowa Corn Indy 250, which will utilize locally-produced ethanol made from corn under a separate sponsorship arrangement.

At the inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300, to be run on a street circuit in São Paulo, Brazil, the ethanol will be supplied by one of UNICA’s member companies, Copersucar S.A., Brazil’s largest sugar, ethanol and bioenergy conglomerate, with 36 associated sugar and ethanol mills.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Indy Racing, International, Racing

Register Early for FEW and Win an iPod

Cindy Zimmerman

FEW 2010The preliminary agenda for the 2010 Fuel Ethanol Workshop has been announced, along with incentive to register early. Register by March 16 to save $200 and be entered in a drawing to win an iPod Touch. The winner will be announced on March 17.

The 26th Annual Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo features more than 120 industry professionals delivering presentations across five topic tracks. This year’s line-up was assembled from over 240 abstracts which were vigorously reviewed by a panel of nearly 40 industry professionals. The result is a compilation of presenters addressing our industry’s most current concepts, processes, technologies, challenges, and opportunities. Topics as varied as plant optimization, advances in fermentation, carbon monetization, and industry salary trends are all available in this one, content-packed event.

The 2010 FEW will be held June 14-16 at the America’s Center in St. Louis.

conferences, Ethanol, Ethanol News