GE Inks Wind Turbine Deals at Home & Abroad

John Davis

GEWindAmerican manufacturing giant General Electric is striking some big deals in the alternative energy field, especially wind power.

TransWorldNews.com reports deals in China and Oregon … with potentially more deals to come … are bolstering the company’s green energy sector:

General Electric announced they will provide 88 turbines for three projected wind projects in the Hebei and Shanxi Provinces of China. The new deal positions China to potentially surpass the U.S. as the global leader in wind energy by adding 132 megawatts of wind power capacity to the nation.

Thus far, GE has already arranged to provide 895 units of 1.5 megawatt wind turbines to the world’s most populated country. Over the next decade they plan to add an addition 150 gigawatts of winpower.

Just a month ago, GE inked a similar $1.4 billion contract with an Oregon wind farm and looks to capitalize on President Barack Obama’s $2.3 billion initiative to create 17,000 “green” jobs in U.S.

Wind

Ford Hybrid Wins Car of the Year

John Davis

NAIAS1Yesterday, I told you how electric vehicles were all the rage at this year’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Michigan going on now through January 24th. Well, Ford’s Fusion hybrid is the toast of the town (and, really, the toast of the entire automotive world) as it has picked up the coveted Car of the Year award.

The Detroit Free Press has details:

Fusion1Jurors stressed that the Fusion hybrid drove more like a “normal car” than many hybrids, but still had strong fuel efficiency.

Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at Edmunds’ Auto Observer, was part of the jury and voted for both Ford vehicles.

“The Fusion completely raises the bar on hybrids,” said Krebs, noting the smooth transition from running on gas to electric power. The Fusion hybrid, already a strong Camry competitor, won drivers over with its 41 m.p.g. in city driving. The Fusion beat out the other finalists, the Volkswagen Golf and the Buick LaCrosse.

While the Fusion hybrid is winning the hearts of critics, it’s also winning over ordinary consumers. Ford Fusion sales … both gasoline and hybrids … were up more than 22 percent last year, with about one-fifth of those sales being hybrids.

Car Makers, Electric Vehicles

Cold Puts Minnesota Biodiesel Mandate on Hold

John Davis

CindyEly1As a guy who is from the Upper Midwest, I can tell you that the kind of cold that the Dakotas, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota have experienced the last couple of weeks was a “special” kind of cold. Forty or 50 below zero is Jack-London-Call-of-the-Wild-spit-freezin’-in-mid-air kind of cold. So, it’s no wonder that the cold has put Minnesota’s 5 percent biodiesel mandate … the only cold weather state with a requirement that aggressive … on hold, at least until it warms up.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press says worries that the fuel would gel in the extreme cold prompted the change:

The Commerce Department waiver begins Friday and continues through March 31. It came after the Minnesota Biodiesel Council and the Minnesota Petroleum Marketers Association expressed concerns that 5 percent biodiesel mixed with the diesel fuel most used in farm equipment, so-called No. 1 diesel, could lead to clogged fuel filters in extreme cold weather, according to a release from the Commerce Department.

“We’ve heard of problems in southwestern Minnesota and northern Minnesota. Many of the problems have been reported by the agricultural sector,” Commerce spokeswoman Nicole Garrison-Sprenger said.

The trucking industry, which uses No. 2 diesel mixed with biodiesel, has reported no cold weather complaints, she said. The B5 mandate still applies to No. 2 diesel.

No. 2 biodiesel starts to form solids that clog filters at 0 to 15 degrees. And even though No. 1 biodiesel can run much colder — it doesn’t start to gel until minus-40 to minus-50 degrees — the state lifted the mandate on No. 1 biodiesel to ensure farmers get a fuel that they know works, at least until the cause of the problem can be determined, Garrison-Sprenger said.

When Minnesota had a 2 percent biodiesel mandate, that also got suspended due to cold weather clogging, but that was due to past poor quality of the fuel.

Biodiesel

Franklin Fueling Systems Submersible Pumps Now UL Approved

franklin_fuelingFranklin Fueling Systems has annouced that their submersible turbine pumps (STPs) are now Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listed for use in applications containing ethanol concentrations up to 85 percent. According to their press release, their FE Petro STP passed a 16-week testing procedure with the high ethanol blend.

“There is a certain peace of mind that comes with a third-party approval like the UL listing. Our customers know that our equipment has been put through some very demanding testing in order to achieve that listing. They can be confident when they put our STP in the ground to pump ethanol blends that it will perform to the highest degree,” said Jay Walsh, Vice President of Business Development for Franklin Fueling Systems. Franklin Fueling enhanced their product by replacing soft or yellow metals with stainless steel to obtain the UL certifiation.

“This UL listing marks a significant achievement for the FE Petro brand as well as the industry itself,” said Walsh. “We feel that this type of future fuel compatibility will only increase across the petroleum equipment industry moving forward. With the EPA showing its support of higher ethanol blends and the current administration’s commitment to strengthening the ethanol fuel infrastructure and vehicle fleet, we feel it is only a matter of time before the demand for products that are UL listed for high concentrations of ethanol blend will begin to significantly increase.”

At this time, there is no E85 complete dispensing unit that is UL approved. The industry expects approval the second quarter of 2010.

blends, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Record Corn Crop for 2009

Cindy Zimmerman

There may still be corn left standing in the snow, but USDA says the 2009 corn crop was a record setter.

cornIn today’s crop production summary report, USDA projects U.S. corn production at a record 13.2 billion bushels, up from 12.9 billion bushels projected in USDA’s December forecast and 1 percent above the previous record of 13.0 billion bushels set in 2007. The corn yield is estimated at a record 165.2 bushels per acre in 2009, 2.3 bushels higher than the December forecast and 4.9 bushels above the previous record of 160.3 bushels per acre set in 2004.

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) says this proves the amazing productivity of the American farmer. “The unparalleled productivity of America’s farmers continues to amaze even the most skeptical of critics,” said RFA president Bob Dinneen. “Despite unfavorable weather conditions from start to finish, farmers produced considerably more corn than the food, feed, and fuel markets are demanding. Such gains in productivity undermine any claims that U.S. biofuel production will require new lands in other nations to come into production. There can be no question that American farmers have both the capability and the can-do attitude to feed the world while simultaneously helping reduce our nation’s reliance on imported oil.”

For calendar year 2009, the U.S. is expected to produce 10.6 billion gallons of ethanol and more than 30 million metric tons of livestock feed from 3.8 billion bushels of corn.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Farming, RFA

Electric Vehicles to Dominate Detroit Auto Show

John Davis

Electric vehicles will be the big talk of this year’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Michigan.

Design News says the event, which takes place over the next two weeks, will give more than 500,000 visitors the chance to see the latest and greatest in auto technology, including the green-powered ones.

electricavenue1One key for the giant exhibition, traditionally a showplace for production vehicles, is the addition of a 37,000-sq-ft display area called Electric Avenue. The new area will serve as an expo for 12 manufacturers of electric vehicles, ranging from traditional automakers, such as Nissan and Mitsubishi, to entrepreneurial firms, such as SSI Racing and Saba Motors. Electric Avenue will be sponsored by Dow Chemical Co., which is involved in the development of electric vehicle battery technology.

“It’s an excellent venue for the public to see some of the vehicles that you don’t normally hear about,” noted Bill Perkins, president of Detroit Auto Dealers Assn. (DADA).

The article goes on to say that Electric Avenue will be complemented this year by a display area known as EcoXperience, which will provide visitors with a look at the battery and electric motor technology that’s making its way into the auto industry.

Car Makers, Electric Vehicles

Investigators Find Cause of Biodiesel Plant Explosion

John Davis

imperium-logoCompany investigators say they have found the cause of the explosion last month at the Imperium Renewables biodiesel plant near Grays Harbor, Washington state.

The DailyWorld.com reports a 10,000-gallon glycerin neutralization tank became over-pressurized to the point of an explosion when sulfuric acid caused an unexpected exothermic reaction:

“Personnel were unaware of the potential for such a reaction,” spokesman John Williams wrote in the release, “and the processing equipment itself was not designed with physical or mechanical safeguards to prevent an oversupply of sulfuric acid.”

Imperium CEO John Plaza said in the release the company is planning to install new mechanical safeguards to prevent a similar increase in the acid ratio from reacting in the future.

“We are taking steps to make sure this cannot, and does not, ever happen again,” he said.

Company officials say they are working on getting the plant back online but didn’t give a timeline as to when the repairs would be complete.

Biodiesel

Arizona Biofuels Workshop

pinal_energyPinal Energy, Arizona’s first ethanol production facility, will be holding a biofuels workshop on Tusday, January 12, 2010 to assist station owners in converting stations to install biodiesel and/or E85. The workshop will be held at the Hilton Phoenix Airport.

The agenda includes: Mark Ellery from Caljet; Introduction to Biofuels by Andrea Martincic of Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association (APMA); E85 and Biodiesel Basics by Colleen Crowninshield, Clean Cities; Regulatory Requirements by Duane Yantorno of ADWM; All About Ethanol by John Skelley of Pinal Energy; Arizona’s Biofuel Conversion Program by Mark Ellery of Caljet; and Conversion of Existing Infrastructure by Brent Erikson of Cochise.

Currently, there are 28 E85 fueling facilities in the state of Arizona to fuel the nearly 115,000 flexible fuel vehicles in the United States. This workshop is intended to assist in bringing more stations to fuel the surplus of vehicles.

Biodiesel, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

DMC Green Launches First Alternative Fuel Dealers’ Group

dmc_greenDMC Green, Inc. have organized their first alternative/renewable fuel dealers’ group to support the growing number of DMC Green fuel program dealers now in operation in California. According to their press release, under the DMC Green brand, these dealers currently offer ethanol, biodiesel and electric car charging in addition to their major oil company fuel brands.

Launched at an inaugural kick-off meeting on January 6, 2010 in Sacramento, the DMC Green Dealers’ Group brought together DMC Green’s research support teams to support existing gas station dealer-owners that have purchased the turn-key DMC Green alternative/renewable fuel installation package. The open forum meetings are scheduled to take place 4 times per year.

“DMC has been a very supportive partner and their program has exceeded my expectations”, says Robert Takhar, owner of Robert’s ARCO in Woodland, CA. “Vehicle traffic has definitely increased which increases our fuel sales as well as sales in our AM/PM convenience store.”

The DMC Green Dealer’s Group meetings provide a working discussion round-table where dealers can stay abreast of the rapid growth and regulatory changes in the green fuel market and where dealers can share experiences with their peers. “More importantly, these meetings help us find ways to increase dealer profitability through our research programs.” says Andy McCargar, Director, Market Development for DMC Green.

Biodiesel, blends, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Brazil May Reduce Level of Ethanol Blends

Joanna Schroeder

Ethanol pump at a Petrobras station in Sao Paulo

Ethanol pump at a Petrobras station in Sao Paulo

With a shortfall of sugarcane due to excessive rain, Brazil’s Agriculture Minister Reinhold Stephanes announced that they are considering reducing the amount of mandatory ethanol blended with gasoline. Today, all stations are required to sell gasoline mixed with a minimum of 20-25 percent ethanol. If enacted, the change could take effect as soon as this week but Stephanes has not disclosed what the new percentage will be.

Above average rainfall plagued Brazil over the past few months, slowing down the harvest, and ultimately, some sugarcane was left in the field. Consequently, the region of Sao Paulo, the number one producing state of both sugarcane and ethanol, saw its ethanol production numbers down by 8.3 percent compared to last year. According to UNICA, (Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association) the region will product 5.86 billions gallons from this harvest.

The rain has also caused ethanol prices to rise at the pump leading to a reduction in hydrated ethanol sales, a trend that began surfacing in June 2009. According to UNICA, this reduction, “is a consequence of higher hydrous ethanol prices at the pump resulting from a combination of weather-related difficulties during the harvest and the approaching inter-harvest period which normally lasts from December to April the following year.”  In addition to Brazil being “energy independent,” the country also boasts the largest fleet of flex-fuel vehicles in the world.


Ethanol, Ethanol News, International