ACE Conference 2026

BMW Shows New Biodiesel-Ready Vehicles in Frankfurt

John Davis

It’s one of the biggest auto shows in the world, and biodiesel-ready cars from one of the world’s biggest makers seem to be getting some good attention at the venue.

Biodiesel Magazine reports that the 63rd International Auto Show underway Frankfurt, Germany has opened with several interesting diesel debuts from BMW… and all are compatible with biodiesel:

Vision Efficient DynamicsReceiving a lot of attention is the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car. This futuristic vehicle is a diesel hybrid plug-in, but costs a fortune to make. The powertrain provides acceleration to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.8 seconds, and its average fuel consumption is near 62.6 miles per gallon, BMW reported. “This is a very far look into the future,” [Dirk Arnold, BMW product communications manager] said. “Maybe this would be possible for production with some completely new diesel engine or other new technology, but for the next five years the advantage of combining diesel and electric systems is relatively low compared to the tremendous cost.”

One of BMW’s brands, the popular sports hatchback Mini, is entering the diesel market with a new model being presented in Frankfurt. “The broad range of new models is being rounded off by the world debut of the Mini One D, a new entry-level diesel consistently upgrading the Mini portfolio of particularly economical and efficient models,” BMW said.

“Engineers have been working continuously with the technical aspects of biodiesel, and blends of seven percent to 12 percent work in our motors with no problem at all,” Arnold told Biodiesel Magazine on the opening morning of the show.

Nearly 750,000 visitors are expected at the show, which has a focus this year of environmental sustainability, including the production of clean diesels.

Biodiesel, Car Makers

University of Georgia to Make Biodiesel from Biomass

John Davis

TomAdamsResearchers at University of Georgia will be turning forest and agricultural waste into biodiesel.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that the school has licensed technology to Sacramento, Calif.-based Tolero Energy LLC to turn the waste into the green fuel:

The process turned waste biomass — dead trees, agricultural waste and lumber byproducts — into a liquid fuel to power conventional engines. The biomass is heated at carefully controlled high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. The vapors produced rapidly condense into a bio-oil that can be added to biodiesel or petroleum diesel. Other by-products are gas and bio-char, which can be used as a soil amendment.

The ultra-low-sulfur biofuel does not require additional refinement or processing before blending with biodiesel and petroleum diesel, UGA said.

Tolero CEO Chris Churchill said the company will focus on the transportation fuels market as it completes development of the UGARF bio-oil technology. He expects to make a product based on the technology available in the first half of 2010.

Tolero will also be turning cellulosic biomass, such as agricultural waste and waste wood pallets, into transportation fuels, heating fuels, soil enhancers and industrial products.

Biodiesel, biomass

Ethanol in the Classroom

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Renewable Fuels Foundation (RFF) are partnering with teachers and the National FFA Organization to provide tens of thousands of high school students information about the opportunities available to them in the field of renewable fuels.

RFF“America’s energy future rests squarely in its high school classrooms today,” said Mike Jerke, chairman of the RFF and General Manager of Quad County Corn Processors in Galva, Iowa. “It is these future scientists, engineers and dreamers that will supply both the manpower as well as the brain power necessary to break our addiction to fossil fuels. We are proud to be partnering with the National FFA to make these students aware of the vast opportunities offered by a robust renewable fuels industry.”

FFAThe curriculum was designed to provide FFA members with details about the nature of the renewable fuels industry today and focuses on the ethanol production process, the benefits of ethanol production, the interplay between renewable fuels and agriculture, and wide range of other issues. The lessons are available through the Team Ag Ed Learning Center, a website designed to provide agriculture teachers with new and exciting instructional materials, tools and resources.

“Agricultural education and FFA must grow to meet the changing needs of agriculture in an energy-driven economy,” said Will Waidelich, director of the National FFA Educational Programs Division. “These lesson plans and on-line student modules will provide FFA members and agricultural educators tools to help meet this need.”

The RFF is also offering 10 scholarships to cover the cost of the registration fee for the National Ethanol Conference. More information is available here.

Education, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Wind, Solar Advocate Picks Up Heinz Award

John Davis

thomas-smithA man called “one of the most effective renewable energy advocates in Texas” is being honored with an award that has a focus this year on the environment.

Thomas “Smitty” Smith… known for his work in putting together the Texas Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) that is now being adopted all across the country and has made Texas a leader in wind energy creation, as well as putting it on the path to lead in solar energy… has been honored as a recipient of a Heinz Award and will receive a $100,000 prize:

Since 1985, Mr. Smith has served as director of the Texas office of Public Citizen, a consumer and environmental group active in areas concerning energy, environment and other socio-economic issues. His efforts in passing the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP), his work on expanding solar energy generation and the passage of the RPS are three of his most noteworthy accomplishments…

Mr. Smith co-founded Solar Austin, a program that advocates for the use of solar power to accelerate the city’s transition to clean, renewable energy. As a result of organizing citizens and collaborating with city council and Austin Energy executives, the city’s electric utility set a goal of 100 MW for the installation of solar energy by 2020 which was the largest in nation at that time and offered the highest incentives in the country for installing solar panels on customers’ homes. In addition, Austin Energy is planning a photovoltaic solar power plant that would be the largest installation of tracking solar photovoltaic panels the United States. Largely due to his efforts to garner support for the legislation in 1999 and 2005, Texas has become the nation’s leader in installed wind energy. As a result, over 9,000 people have been employed building wind plants.

Said Teresa Heinz, chairman of the Heinz Family Foundation: “When we hear “Texas,” we don’t think renewable energy. We think oil-refineries and wells. But thanks to Heinz Award recipient Thomas Smith, the Lone Star state is leading the way in both energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy like wind and solar.

Smith joins nine other award recipients in the 15th annual version of the awards named for the later Senator John Heinz.

Solar, Wind

Valero Announces Biodiesel Venture

John Davis

ValeroLast week, I told you how petroleum company Valero Energy Corp. could be looking at getting into the biodiesel business (see my post from Sept. 11, 2009). Now, it looks like the company is doing more than just looking.

This story from the San Antonio Business Journal says Valero has teamed up with Darling International Inc. to develop an animal fat biodiesel plant in Louisiana:

San Antonio-based Valero and Irving, Texas-based Darling plan on building a biodiesel facility on a site adjacent to Valero’s St. Charles refinery near Norco, La. The facility will have the capacity of producing 135 million gallons per year. Proposed development costs were not disclosed.

The planned facility will convert grease — animal fats and used cooking oil supplied by Darling — to commercially viable renewable diesel. Valero is North America’s largest independent oil refiner. Darling is a food processing by-products recycling company. Darling recycles used restaurant cooking oil and by-products from beef, pork and poultry processers into usable products for the agricultural, leather and biodiesel manufacturing industries.

The companies are expected to apply jointly for a U.S. Department of Energy backed loan from an $8.5 billion fund that promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Biodiesel

Big Oil Predicts Big Growth for Ethanol, Biodiesel

John Davis

The largest oil and gas producer in the country is predicting that in 20 years, there will be more ethanol and biodiesel than gasoline and diesel produced in the U.S.

LandisBloomberg.com reports that Katrina Landis, head of BP’s alternative-energy unit, made the claim that biofuels will replace about 25 percent of gasoline and 8 percent of diesel in 2030, raising American biofuel production by more than four times what it was per day in 2007:

Gasoline producers are entering the U.S. ethanol business as the government promotes use of the corn-based fuel to curb dependence on oil imports. Valero Energy Corp., the largest U.S. refiner, paid $477 million in March for seven ethanol plants owned by bankrupt producer VeraSun Energy Corp. Biodiesel, for use in diesel-powered engines, is made from vegetable oils and animal fats.

BP Alternative Energy has earmarked $8 billion for project investment in the decade through 2015. BP, which expects biofuels to account for 11 percent to 19 percent of the world’s transport-fuel market by 2030, supplied about 10 percent of global biofuels last year, according to company estimates.

Expansion in biofuels, along with solar, wind-power and carbon-capture and storage projects, will help BP reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, blamed for global warming, Landis said.

“We are now taking steps in BP to build the cost of carbon into everything we do; every project we consider, whether that be in exploration, refining or retail,” Landis said.

You can read the text of Landis’ speech here.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

Enerkem Breaks Ground on Waste-to-Biofuels Facility

John Davis

EnerkemCanadian company Enerkem has broken ground on a new energy research facility.

This company press release says the advanced waste-to-biofuels facility is a partnership with the City of Edmonton and the Government of Alberta,:

The research facility, a collaboration between Enerkem, the City of Edmonton and the Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI), will focus on the conversion of various types of waste from industrial sectors and from the municipal sector, to produce green transportation fuels and chemicals. It will be adjacent to the commercial waste-to-biofuels production facility, which will soon begin construction and will at term produce 36 million litres of ethanol per year.

“Enerkem is proud to take part in this unprecedented project that will keep more waste out of landfills, will reduce GHG emissions and will allow for the production of green transportation fuels,” said Vincent Chornet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enerkem. “The joint energy research facility and our commercial waste-to-biofuels production facility, demonstrate our company’s leading position in waste processing and in the production of advanced biofuels.”

The facility is expected to be done by the first part of next year.

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

State of SD Adds 3 E85 Dispensers

The state fleet in South Dakota will soon be able to fuel up with E85 at three new dispensing units. The sites will be in Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Pierre to assist with the Department of Transportation.

About 1,270 of the state’s fleet are E85 compatible and purchased about 32,640 gallons of the clean, alternative fuel at private facilities in 2009. The new E85 sites should bring the gallons consumed up considerably.

govmike_rounds“It makes it more convenient for state employees to get higher ethanol blends, and it should increase our use of those higher ethanol blends to an estimated 250,000 gallons per year,” said Governor Mike Rounds. “It also will benefit South Dakota’s ethanol producers and the farmers who grow the corn that’s used to make ethanol.”

Funding for the three ethanol tanks comes from a $280,000 energy grant that is part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus package.

There are 93 publicly accessed E85 and blender pump stations in the state of South Dakota.

E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government

Mascoma and Chevron Team for Cellulosic Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

An agreement between Mascoma Corporation and Chevron Technology Ventures will provide feedstock for conversion to cellulosic ethanol and by-products.

mascoma_logochevronAccording to a press release, Mascoma has entered into a feedstock processing and lignin supply agreement with Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV), a division of Chevron U.S.A., Inc. Under terms of the agreement, CTV will provide various sources of lignocellulosic feedstock to Mascoma, which will then convert the feedstock to cellulosic ethanol producing lignin as a by-product.

The project will last for two years, and Mascoma is hopeful that the developed technology may be suitable for a wide variety of feedstocks.

Cellulosic, Energy, Ethanol, Ethanol News

1Hour Flex Launched

Joanna Schroeder

A new U.S. based company called Alkol, has launched 1Hour Flex, a technology, according to the company, that allows any car to run on any amount of ethanol (E85) or gasoline. The conversion is reported to take less than one hour. The company has its roots based in Brazil where there are more flex-fuel vehicles on the road than anywhere else in the world. It’s this Brazilian history that the company says makes its complete system better than any other.

alkolsystem

1Hour Flex has three components: an Electronic Converter that alters fuel injectors timing; Ignition Remapper which alters the spark plugs firing time; and a Cold Start System, which allows the engine to quickly start in cold days. Although the system could be installed at home, the company recommends having a certified technician install the technology.

Al Costa, CEO of Alkol said, “Flexing a car improperly can lead you to a number of problems, such as the engine failing when most needed; ridiculously high fuel consumption which basically nulls any savings you could get from the new fuel; fuel injectors clogging; even the fuel pump burning up, etc. That´s why we focus on installing whatever we know that the car will need to properly work without the customer having to do anything.”

1HourFlex is a complete system versus partial systems others offer and is fully automated. In addition, Alkol claims its ignition remapper system has no parallel and is a key component of the effectiveness of the technology. The company is slowly entering the U.S. market and is looking to a price of around $900 for the entire system including installation. The company is also looking at installing E85 pumps at the conversion locations.

E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News