NEC 2027

New North Releases Cellulosic Feasibility Study

Joanna Schroeder

woodwasteNew North, Inc. has recently released Phase 2 of a study on the feasibility of cellulosic ethanol plant in Niagara, an area in Northeast Wisconsin. Phase 2 demonstrates the availability of feedstocks to the plant, primarily wood resources, should the plant be able to produce ethanol using a diversity of feedstocks. The news is positive as many local community members and companies have expressed interest in providing feedstocks to the plant.

Phase 1, which was released this past July, studied the surrounding biomass resources in order to determine if a cellulosic plant could be sited in the region. Both parts of the report were conducted by Resource Analytics. The study also notes the possibility of creating switchgrass supplier cooperatives in conjunction with the establishment of an ethanol plant over the coming years.

“As second generation biofuels emerge as a fuel source, the New North is well positioned to take advantage with the resources and infrastructure necessary to create them,” said Jerry Murphy, Executive Director of the New North, Inc. “This study has demonstrated that a cellulosic ethanol facility at the former Niagara paper mill site has a great deal of promise for potential investors.”

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Research

Advanta Believes in Sorghum for Ethanol

advantaAdvanta US believes sorghum will become the most versatile feedstock for ethanol production. As a global seed company that has a direction toward research, they have seen a stream of similarities and advantages verses other readily known ethanol production methods such corn, sugar and switchgrass.

According to a press release from Advanta US, “As the world leader in sorghum, including bioenergy sorghums, Advanta is intimately involved in developing the biofuels industry worldwide,” says John Oppelt, Advanta US Manager of Business Development.

“Although the starch-to-ethanol method of ethanol production using corn or grain sorghum has gained the lion’s share of agriculture’s attention to date, the sugar-to-ethanol and cellulosic ethanol methods hold the greatest advantage in conversion and green footprint. Advanta is building upon the advantages of sorghum and currently is marketing hybrids we’ve developed for biofuel and bioenergy conversion around the world. Sorghum is the only crop offering multiple pathways to ethanol.”

Advanta is a global seed company headquartered in India with offices in Argentina, Australia, India, Thailand and the U.S.

Cellulosic, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Solar, Wind Latest Additions to Green Education

John Davis

mortarboardThere’s an old saying that goes, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” While it might be true that college does cost, there are some cheaper options out there. And more of those options are including solar and wind degrees from the less expensive community college route.

This article from CNN Money says that more of the more-affordable two-year schools are offering degrees in the ever-growing renewable energy sector:

In part the increase in demand at junior colleges is due to the recession: Many students can no longer afford pricey four-year colleges and are opting to attend two-year programs instead.

And the schools are about to receive a surge of funding thanks to the Obama administration, which has placed the country’s 1,200 two-year institutions at the heart of its recovery strategy, allocating $12 billion over the next decade to help modernize the system.

Already green partnerships between big industry and junior colleges are popping up around the country:

MesalandsCCGE has donated a small wind turbine to Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, N.M., and has plans to hire graduates of the school’s new wind energy technician program. And at Milwaukee Area Technical College, local industrial giant Johnson Controls (JCI, Fortune 500) is building a 2,500-panel solar education farm where students can learn to become photovoltaic installers and designers.

In helping put together the programs, companies are also building a pipeline of potential employees. “Johnson Controls’ headquarters is nearby, and it’s looking for thousands of people,” says Joseph Jacobsen, Milwaukee Area Technical’s associate dean of environmental studies. “The baby boomers are retiring, and it’s going to need new employees.”

The article goes on to say that the increase in people getting the green technical degrees is also building a demand for instructors with practical experience who can teach what this next generation of workers needs to know.

Of course, these programs join some of the biodiesel and ethanol degrees already out there (see my post about the masters degree in bioenergy at the University of Illinois from March 23, 2009).

Solar, Wind

Biofuel Jet Fuel Picked as One of Pop Sci’s 100 Best

John Davis

The world’s first jet fuel made from 100 percent renewable canola and soybean oil that has pushed a rocket to 20,000 feet has been picked as one of the top 100 innovations of the year.


This press release from the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) says the groups’ green fuel was tapped as the Best of What’s New Award from Popular Science Magazine in the aviation and space category in the current issue of the publication:

“This is our favorite editorial project of the year because we get to comb through thousands of new products and technologies and then recognize the most outstanding 100 with awards,” said Popular Science Editor-in-Chief Mark Jannot.

“We are truly honored and excited to be recognized by Popular Science,” said EERC Director Gerald Groenewold. “This is a tremendous example of the type of practical, cutting-edge technologies the EERC is commercializing on a continual basis, as well as a perfect example of our ability to partner with private industry and government entities worldwide,” he said.

The EERC’s fuel was created from completely renewable crop oils, such as canola and soybeans. Developed through a variety of existing contracts, the fuel was vigorously tested at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and meets all of the screening criteria for jet propellant-8 (JP-8) aviation fuel, a petroleum-based fuel widely used by the U.S. military. One major advantage of the EERC’s renewable fuel is that the fuel can be tailored to meet a wide variety of mission-specific requirements.

The fuel is so good it successfully launched a rocket above the Mojave Desert outside of San Diego, California. As you can see in the video at the top of this post, the rocket hit an amazing speed of nearly Mach 1 (the speed of sound) and reached an altitude of about 20,000 feet.

Check more of Popular Science’s Best of What’s New Awards, including some other green projects, at www.popsci.com.

biofuels

RFS2 Confusion Clouds Mass. Biodiesel Mandate

John Davis

MassMap1A 2 percent biodiesel mandate beginning next year and increasing to 5 percent in 2013 in Massachusetts has hit some glitches … thanks to confusion over what the next Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) might bring …. but it could now be moving forward.

Biodiesel Magazine reports the measure has come under fire because it only allows waste-derived biodiesel, a provision put into the mandate thanks to what lawmakers thought the EPA would allow under RFS2. But despite a pronouncement by the Massachusetts Oilheat Council (MOC) in its Nov. 13 newsletter that the requirement has had a “spell of relative silence,” some progress could be at hand:

On Sept. 30, MOC president Michael Ferrante sent an email to Dwayne Bregger, director of renewable and alternative energy development in the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, asking specifics regarding the mandate, to which Bregger replied, “Do know that we are moving forward with the Early Action Year beginning July 2010. We anticipate the EPA RFS2 protocol for greenhouse gas reductions to be available by the end of this year and that we will find it acceptable for adoption for [the Massachusetts] program. At that time, DOER will be able to qualify all biofuels (regardless of feedstock) that can demonstrate the 50 percent GHG reduction.”

The state’s exclusion of soy and other virgin oil biodiesel in its mandate was based on EPA’s proposed RFS2 rule, which was flawed in methodology used to calculate GHG emissions from crop-based biodiesels. In Bregger’s response to Ferrante, he wrote, “The eligibility of biofuels from agricultural feedstocks will depend on whether they meet the 50 percent GHG reduction criterion as per the Protocol, which we will adopt (most likely EPA RFS2 protocol).”

Bregger also said, “Tracking the biofuels (and differentiating “advanced”/qualified biofuels from others) into [Massachusetts] and then through the [Massachusetts] market is an area that we are much engaged in now. We will need to complete those procedures and then move into draft regulations.”

It’s another example of how the flawed thinking the EPA put into RFS2 is causing some anxiety in the green fuels sector. Let’s hope someone can get this mess straightened out before it starts to hit more mandates across the country.

Biodiesel, Government

Biodiesel Board Selects Leadership

John Davis

NBB-logoMembers of the National Biodiesel have chosen who will represent the trade association on its governing board and leadership committee.

In this NBB press release, NBB vice chair Gary Haer of Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group said the green fuel “is one of our nation’s valuable tools to fight greenhouse gas and enhance energy security,” and the the board’s leadership reflects the diversity and wide spread benefits of the association:

Officers elected to lead the board are:

* Ed Hegland, chairman, Minnesota Soybean Promotion and Research Council (farmer)
* Gary Haer, vice chair, Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (producer)
* Ed Ulch, secretary, Iowa Soybean Association, (at large)
* Jim Conway, treasurer, Griffin Industries (renderer/producer)

Biodiesel board members also voted to fill eight board member spots. Board members elected to the Governing Board include officers and:

* Darryl Brinkmann, American Soybean Association (at large)
* Kris Kappenman, ADM (producer)
* Bob Metz, South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council (at large)
* Ron Marr, Minnesota Soybean Processors (at large)

Greg Anderson, Denny Mauser, David Womack, Robert Stobaugh, Greg Hopkins, Doug Smith and Dave Lyons also serve on the Governing Board.

Biodiesel, NBB

Chief Ethanol Celebrates 25 Years

chief_ethanol_fuelsChief Ethanol Fuels is celebrating their 25th anniversary this month in Hastings, Nebraska. An open house will be held on Monday, November 23 at the plant and will include keynote speaker, Senator Ben Nelson.

The site was originally constructed by American Diversified Corporation and then bought by Chief Industries in 1990. It was the first production facility in the state. In the past 25 years, production has increased from 10 million gallons per year to approximately 70 million gallons per year today, thanks to several expansions that began in 1993 and continuous improvements today.

Todd Sneller, administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, said that the Chief Ethanol Fuels plant was Nebraska’s initial stake in the ground in terms of declaring ethanol as a major economic development initiative for the state. “Nebraska has a unique combination of corn, cattle and ethanol,” said Todd Sneller, administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board. “Agriculture is the economic engine that drives Nebraska, and ethanol is adding value in very powerful ways that reverberate throughout our state. It is important that we continue to support and develop this industry for the good of Nebraska and for the good of our nation. Chief Ethanol Fuels has been a pioneer and leader in the state’s ethanol industry.”

Sneller added that the outlook for the sustainability of the ethanol industry is good. “Corn producers continue to grow more corn on less land and with less water—and ethanol producers continue to squeeze more ethanol out of a bushel of corn with less energy and less water,” he said. “Efficiency will improve profitability and will continue to position ethanol as a key component in America’s energy and economic future.”

Senator Nelson’s remarks will begin at 1:00 p.m. on November 23 followed by Bob Eihusen, president of Chief Industries and Duane Kristensen, general manager of Chief Ethanol Fuels. Tours of the plant will then follow.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Cellulosic Biorefinery Begins Construction

zeachemZeaChem, Inc. has announced that they will work with Hazen Research, Inc. out of Golden, Colorado to construct a new cellulosic biorefinery.

According to their press release, ZeaChem is meeting its deployment milestones and moving forward to advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals production,” said Jim Imbler, president and chief executive officer of ZeaChem. “We have a dedicated energy feedstock supplier, we have raised necessary capital, we have completed the initial design package and are finalizing the detailed engineering and design package. Initiating construction of this front-end fermentation unit operation demonstrates that ZeaChem is accelerating deployment of its unique hybrid biorefining technology.”

hazenThe front-end fermentation unit scales up production of the naturally occurring bacteria, called an acetogen, which ZeaChem uses in its fermentation process. Acetogens are highly robust and, unlike yeast, produce no carbon dioxide (CO2) during the fermentation process, allowing ZeaChem to realize a significant efficiency and yield advantage. ZeaChem has successfully produced acetogens at the lab scale for over 1,000 fermentation trials of sugars as well as hydrolyzate derived from cellulosic biomass. The facility will have capacity to produce 250,000 gallons of biofuel per year.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Algenol, Linde Partner On CO2 Management Technology

Joanna Schroeder

DSalgaeAlgenol Biofuels, in partnership with The Linde Group, have agreed to collaborate in a joint project that will attempt to identify the optimum management of carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen for Algenol’s algae and photobioreactor technology. The goal is to develop cost-efficient technologies that capture, store, transport, and supply CO2 for the production of third-generation biofuels out of carbon dioxide, salt water and algae as well as remove oxygen from the photobioreactor.

“Producing fuels or chemicals from algae is a promising way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dr Aldo Belloni, member of the Executive Board of Linde AG. “A cost-efficient supply of CO2 is a key factor in this biofuel chain. As a pioneer and leading company in CO2 capture, transport and supply we are delighted to be a key player in major projects in the algae-to-biofuel area.”

The technology will serve two purposes: to reduce atmospheric concentrations of C02 and to deliver sustainable low-cost alternative biofuels. Algenol has developed proprietary technology to produce advanced biofuels using algae, CO2, salt water and sunlight. One of the major benefits of producing biofuels from algae is that the algae consumes CO2 from fossil fuel sources, such as combustion flue gases from coal-fired power plants.

In other news, earlier this month, The Linde Group, in partnership with Waste Management, commissioned the largest landfill gas (LFG) to liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in the U.S. in Livermore, Cali.

algae, Environment, News

Biodiesel Board Asks Congress to Extend Tax Incentive

John Davis

NBB-logoAn important tax incentive on biodiesel is about to expire, and the National Biodiesel Board is scrambling to get it renewed.

Biodiesel Magazine reports that the NBB is lobbying lawmakers to renew the $1-per-gallon biodiesel tax incentive, which encourages biodiesel use by making it competitive with petroleum diesel fuel. NBB argues that if the incentive is allowed to expire on December 31, 2009, biodiesel will become cost prohibitive, and domestic production and use of the green fuel will end:

“The biodiesel tax incentive is working. Since its enactment in 2004, U.S. biodiesel production has reached commercial scale, and the nation has realized the job creation, environmental and energy security benefits that come with the expanded production and use of biodiesel,” stated Manning Feraci, NBB’s vice president of federal affairs. “These benefits will simply be lost if the credit lapses.”

During visits with lawmakers, biodiesel industry leaders expressed strong support for S. 1589, the Biodiesel Tax Incentive Reform and Extension of Act, introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Charles Grassley (R-IA), and H.R. 4070, companion legislation introduced yesterday by Representatives Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and John Shimkus (R-IL). This legislation would reform the biodiesel tax incentive by changing the current blenders excise tax credit to a production excise tax credit. This will improve administration of the incentive, eliminate potential abuses and improve tax compliance. The proposals would also extend the biodiesel tax incentive for five years, providing the certainty entrepreneurs need to create jobs and expand the use of biodiesel.

The NBB also points out that biodiesel fits with the Obama Administration’s policy of creating green jobs, while cutting carbon emissions.

Biodiesel, Government, Legislation, NBB