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Algae Might Not Be as Green as Crops for Biodiesel

John Davis

We’ve talked a lot about the potential of turning algae into biodiesel, especially how it could be better for the environment than more conventional feedstocks, such as farm crops like soybeans and canola. But researchers at the University of Virginia are casting some doubt on that assumption.

This story on Greenbang.com says their new study finds that growing algae for fuel is more energy- and water-intensive than other biofuel crops, including switchgrass, canola and corn … plus, it could produce more greenhouse gasses:

clarens“Given what we know about algae production pilot projects over the past 10 to 15 years, we’ve found that algae’s environmental footprint is larger than other terrestrial crops,” said Andres Clarens, the study’s lead author. “Before we make major investments in algae production, we should really know the environmental impact of this technology.”

But algae for biodiesel could still be a green venture if it is grown in ponds behind wastewater treatment facilities. That would also provide a source of feedstock that isn’t competing with food sources. The bottom line is: we need to look a little bit before leaping too far into algae-based biodiesel.

algae, Biodiesel

Tobacco Tapped for Biodiesel

John Davis

TJUResearchers at a school in Philadelphia have figured out how to get more oil from a decidedly non-food source: tobacco leaves.

Professors from the Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson University have found out how to increase the oil in tobacco plant leaves, and according to this school press release, that might just be the next step in using the plants for biofuel:

According to Vyacheslav Andrianov, Ph.D., assistant professor of Cancer Biology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, tobacco can generate biofuel more efficiently than other agricultural crops. However, most of the oil is typically found in the seeds – tobacco seeds are composed of about 40 percent oil per dry weight.

Although the seed oil has been tested for use as fuel for diesel engines, tobacco plants yield a modest amount of seeds, at only about 600 kg of seeds per acre. Dr. Andrianov and his colleagues sought to find ways to engineer tobacco plants, so that their leaves expressed the oil.

“Tobacco is very attractive as a biofuel because the idea is to use plants that aren’t used in food production,” Dr. Andrianov said. “We have found ways to genetically engineer the plants so that their leaves express more oil. In some instances, the modified plants produced 20-fold more oil in the leaves.”

The researchers work appeared online in Plant Biotechnology Journal.

Biodiesel, Research

FFV Powered by Waste at Washington Auto Show

2010_wa_autoshowThe Washington Auto Show, operating as the “Public Policy Show”, plans to showcase many new and exciting automobiles. For the first time, flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) powered by government waste will be displayed by Novozymes, the world’s largest enzyme producer for advanced biofuels.

novozymesAccording to their press release, the group will offer an opportunity of a Ride n’ Drive on January 26 — a test drive of a Chevrolet HHR powered by E85 made from paper waste. The Ride ‘n Drive will allow media, government officials and other VIP guests can to drive the vehicle between 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Novozymes will make an address to the crowd from 2:35 – 2:45 p.m.

The Washinton Auto Show will officially begin January 27 and conclude January 31. It will take place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at 801 Mount Vernon Place, N.W. in Washington, DC 20001. Novozymes will display a FFV Ford F150 inside the convention center on these days.

Car Makers, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Culver Makes Case for Biodiesel Incentive in DC

John Davis

ChetCulverThe governor of a state that has a big stake in the biodiesel biz traveled to Washington, DC to make the case for renewal of the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive.

Iowa Governor Chet Culver testified before a Senate Subcommittee just how important the incentive is to the Iowa biofuels industry, an $8 billion operation supporting about 80,000 jobs:

“This is an exciting time for our country and we have to keep those industries alive that have had a positive environmental and economic influence on our country,” Governor Culver said, who is Chair of the Governors‚ Biofuels Coalition.

IowaBiodiesellogowebThe Iowa Biodiesel Board commended Governor Culver on the testimony. “Governor Culver clearly recognizes the important role biodiesel plays, both nationally and at home in Iowa,” said Randy Olson, Executive Director of IBB. “We applaud his leadership and hope for that same level of support in Iowa for state biodiesel legislation.”

At the same time, the IBB also made the case to state lawmakers back in Des Moines to support the proposed Iowa Biodiesel Fuel Quality Standard measure, which would require petroleum companies to blend 5 percent biodiesel (B5) into the state’s diesel fuel. That is expected to create demand for 45 million gallons of Iowa-made biodiesel annually.

Biodiesel, Government

USDA, Navy to Work on Advanced Biofuels

John Davis

VilsackNavyThe USDA and the Department of the Navy (DoN) have agreed to work together to develop advanced biofuels and other renewable energy systems.

This USDA press release says the agreement is part of the government’s plan to build a clean energy economy, create new jobs and reduce American dependence on foreign oil, while building a strike force that will run on green power in the near future:

Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus emphasized how partnering with USDA supports his vision for energy reform. Mabus’ overarching goal is to increase warfighting capability. “In order to secure the strategic energy future of the United States, create a more nimble and effective fighting force, and protect our planet from destabilizing climate changes, I have committed the Navy and Marine Corps to meet aggressive energy targets that go far beyond previous measures.”

From a strategic perspective the objective is to reduce reliance on fossil fuels from volatile areas of the world. Tactically, on the battlefield, the costs of transporting fuel is exponentially increased; in extreme cases a gallon of gasoline could cost up to $400. Mabus continued “Even more serious and sobering, we are putting our Sailors and Marines in harms way as fuel convoys often meet a lethal enemy.”

In two years, the Navy wants to have a Green Strike Group composed of nuclear vessels and ships powered by biofuel and a Great Green Fleet that has nuclear ships, surface combatants equipped with hybrid electric alternative power systems running on biofuel, and aircraft running on biofuel by 2016.

biofuels, Government

Timing Key with this Year’s Biodiesel Conference

John Davis

2010NBBlogoOutside of location, location, location (for real estate, at least), the three most important words in business might be timing, timing, timing. You get both when you attend the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo, Feb. 7-10 in the Dallas-Forth Worth area (actually Grapevine’s Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center).

The NBB points to location, in the 30 biodiesel plants that make Texas home … and timing, as the EPA is expected to implement the new Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS-2) just before the conference and Congress soon could renew the $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive:

Soon to be finalized, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS-2) will set new minimums for biodiesel use. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB), which hosts the seventh annual conference beginning February 7th, has invited regulators to Grapevine to explain the complex compliance issues of the new program to stakeholders from across the country.

The biodiesel tax credit, which expired at the end of the year, has helped nurture the industry from a niche market favorite to a widely used alternative fuel that is chipping away at global warming.

“The tax credit is the biodiesel industry’s single most important market driver, and the RFS-2 is the safety net that insures energy investors of demand for our American made, sustainable fuel,” [Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board] said. “Without that market certainty, as well as other factors like the steep fall in oil prices, 2009 was a very difficult year.
bogo
“However, I am convinced that 2010 promises to bring stability to the industry and at the very least gets us back to where we were in 2008,” he said.

Jobe said the opportunity to learn about the new RFS is the most important reason biodiesel stakeholders will not want to miss this year’s conference and expo at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, but stressed there will be much more to see and do.

Don’t forget, you can still bring a friend for free to the conference. The NBB is offering a “buy one, get one free” registration when both people are registered at the conference hotel. Get more information here.

Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference, NBB

“Green Coal” to Debut at UK Biomass Conference

John Davis

EBWUKAn energy source made from biomass that’s touted as “magic coal from the steam cooker” will make its debut at the Energy from Biomass and Waste conference January 26-27, 2010 at the Royal Horticultural Halls & Conference Centre in London, England.

This press release says “Green Coal,” invented the German company the G+R Technology Group, will be produced at the first industrial production plant for biocoal:

GRTechIt took nature millions of years – by means of simple chemical processings mankind is in the meantime capable to solve the issue within just a few hours: biowastes, crop residues and organic wastes result in highly efficient combustibles, at the same time offering a profitable benefit to the environment. Compared to brown or black coal, the “Green Coal” Gco(c) is completely CO2-neutral and will contribute to a considerable reduction of CO2 emissions.

Fossile energy sources such as gas, oil and coal are finite, expensive, make us dependent and strongly impact the environment. Renewable energies therefore presently face a boom, also in the UK. The green active coal might be a genuine alternative to solar cells, wind turbines and others. The Green Coal Gco(c) production process was for the first time described in 1913 by the German chemist and Nobel laureate Friedrich Berguis. Recently it was rediscovered by the Max-Planck-Institute and is currently considered as alternative hope for the future when it comes to climate. The production process – the so-called Hydrothermal Carbonisation (HTC) in technical terms – is simple in principle and reminds you of cooking: all kinds of organic biomass are put into a kind of steam cooker, water is added as kind of converter and finally the mixture is heated. After a couple of hours the Green Coal Gco(c) emerges.

G+R Tech also says the Green Coal method could be applied to all organic residues and biowastes, even animal wastes and sewage sludges.

If anyone has a chance to see this technology next week in England, let me know if this is what it seems to be on the surface.

biomass, International

Winter & Double Crops Increase Biofuels Opportunities

Joanna Schroeder

TomRichardI recently wrote about the potential of energy crops for biofuels, but there are many more opportunities including the biofuels value of planting winter crops or double crops. Last week during the AG CONNECT Expo, I spoke with Dr. Tom Richard, associate professor with Pennsylvania State University, who discussed the opportunities for biofuels and agriculture through the planting and harvesting of winter crops and double crops.

For many decades farmers have been encouraged to plant cover crops as an effort to reduce soil erosion, capture nutrients and improve soil quality. These cover crops are left on the ground and not marketed. The only difference with a double crop, explained Richard, is that it is marketed and becomes a second crop for the year.

“What we’re finding now with the biofuels industry is there’s potential to use what we’ve thought of as cover crops as double crops and actually market the material,” said Richard. “The above ground biomass could be a winter grain like winter rye, winter wheat or winter barley or could be an oil seed like winter canola or could be summer crop.”

Richard also explained that by going to a double crop or a winter crop, you will increase the net energy of the biofuel produced. The reason for this is that you are taking advantage of the sunlight and nutrients for a wider, longer growing season and a farmer can actually increase the productivity of that single piece of land by around 20 percent.

There are also advantages of planting winter or double crops from an environmental perspective. Most notably the roots are taking up nutrients and preventing erosion during the time of year that gets a lot of rain in many places throughout the country. The plants are also adding organic matter to the soil.

I asked Richard what the country needs to do to encourage farmers to begin growing these double or winter crops and he noted that subsidy programs are not enough. “We think a combination of some environmental subsidies plus a market for that second feedstock, that energy crop, will combine to make it a very attractive option.”

Listen to my interview with Tom below.

AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, feedstocks

How to Create Effective Biofuels Public Policy

Joanna Schroeder

One of the biggest challenges for our country lies in the issue of how to create effective public policies that will grow the biofuels industry and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Dr. Antonio Bento, associate professor in the Applied Economics and Management Program at Cornell University, has been researching exactly how to do this and he shared his results during the AG CONNECT Expo last week.

ABentoFirst we must take a step back to take two steps forward. There are several policies in place that mandate the production of biofuels with the Energy Independence & Security Act having one of the greatest impacts. This act requires 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022 with 15 billion coming from corn-ethanol. Bento noted that the country is well on its way to meeting this goal yet surprisingly, “While a lot of public press has blamed the increasing food prices due to these mandates, we find very little effect. Indeed, we find the bulk of the increase in food prices comes from the fluctuation in crude oil prices and our dependence on foreign oil, and less on the land we are devoting for the production of biofuels.”

Speaking of land, Bento also notes that biofuels are disproportionately being blamed for indirect land use effects. This has to do with the fact his framework, unlike a lot of the other models out there, is really accounting for the dynamics. “In other words, we really account for the fact that overtime yields will improve, we account for the fact there’s multiple land use that could adjust and we account for the fact there will be technology progress in the industry,” said Bento.Read More

Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, politics

Sioux Falls Gets Ethanol Blender Pumps

Cindy Zimmerman

Motorists in Sioux Falls, SD now have more fuel choices at the pump with the installation of four new ethanol blender pumps at a Kings Mart gas station in the city.

BYOThrough a joint effort between the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) and the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council (SDCUC), the station now offers a variety of fuel blends including unleaded gasoline and E10, and E30 and E85 for Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs).

“This is the first location in Sioux Falls to offer a blend of 30 percent ethanol for FFV owners,” said Ron Lamberty with ACE. “The important investments made by the owners of King’s Mart, and the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council with the assistance of ACE and the “Blend Your Own Ethanol” campaign, have provided consumers with another ethanol fueling option in Sioux Falls.”

The BYO Ethanol campaign was launched last year as a partnership between ACE, the Renewable Fuels Association, the National Corn Growers Association and leading corn-producing states such as South Dakota. The campaign works to show gas station owners the benefits of blending ethanol and using blender pumps to provide choices for motorists.

The Sioux Falls blender pump location joins 40 other locations across South Dakota and around 150 nationwide. ACE offers an on-line map of blender pump sites.

ACE, blends, corn, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Flex Fuel Vehicles, NCGA, RFA