Top Guns Could Soon Fly on Top Biofuels

John Davis

fa18Some of the world’s best and brightest fighter pilots soon might be headed off to war running on a fuel that used to be reserved for green peaceniks.

This article in the Navy Times says the U.S. Navy could be testing non-petroleum based fuels in F/A-18E/F Super Hornets as early as next year:

A team of chemists at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., is testing alternative fuel formulas using items such as algae, weeds, animal fats and liquefied coal.

Their goal is to create an alternative version of today’s jet fuel, known as JP-5, which could be easily transported and burned by today’s fleet.

“If we have done our job properly, the sailor will not notice the difference,” said Rick Kamin, the fuels lead for the Navy Energy Coordination Office. “It’ll all be JP-5 when it gets to the ship, and they’ll only know it as JP-5m.”

The Navy says it has a dual goal in instituting the green energy initiative: to reduce environmental concerns and to reduce the need for foreign oil. Maybe, then, some of those warriors won’t have to go off to fight after all.

biofuels

NREL & Google Launch Alternative Fuel Map

John Davis

nrelmap2Don’t know where to buy your biodiesel? Un-enlightened about ethanol’s whereabouts? Perplexed about propane? Well, a new tool from the National Renewable Energy Labs and Google could help you be a more active alternative fuel buyer.

Ecogeek.org reports that the two have launched TransAtlas, an interactive map that shows all existing and planned alternative fuel stations across the country:

The mapping tool allows you to view each type of fuel station as a layer, so you can view one at at time or all fuel types simultaneously. The seven alternative fuels mapped are hydrogen, propane, electric, liquified natural gas, compressed natural gas, E85 and biodiesel.

The tool also allows you to view vehicle density layers for hybrid-electric, flex-fuel and diesel cars. Electric and hydrogen stations are far behind fuels like E85 and biodiesel, but their locations correspond pretty neatly with the areas where those cars are being driven. I’d like to think that if more of those types of stations are built in more areas, the corresponding vehicles will follow.

This should help solve the problem that too many well-intentioned, potential alternative fuel-using people are having: not being able to find their favorite green fuel.

Biodiesel, E85, Ethanol, Hydrogen, News, Propane

Missouri Utility to Buy Iowa Wind Power

John Davis

pioneer-prairieMissouri’s biggest utility has struck a long-term agreement with an Iowa wind farm to buy enough power for 26,000 homes.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that AmerenUE will buy 102 megawatts of wind power beginning September 1:

The utility entered a 15-year agreement for about a third of the output from the second phase of a 300-megawatt Pioneer Prairie wind farm, owned by Houston-based Horizon Wind Energy LLC. That’s enough to power 26,000 homes.

horizonwindenergy1The deal satisfies a commitment to add 100 megawatts of renewable generating capacity by 2010, AmerenUE said.

“We will still be looking for opportunities as we increase the amount of renewable resources in our generating portfolio,” AmerenUE Chief Executive Warner L. Baxter said in a statement.

The wind farm started operation just after the beginning of this year and is located in the northern part of the Hawkeye State.

Wind

Boeing Biodiesel Study Backs Up Earlier Claim

John Davis

boeing11About three weeks ago, Boeing officials proclaimed that biodiesel is just fine to use in aircraft. Now, they’ve backed up that claim with a study that proves biodiesel’s effectiveness in flight.

Forbes reports that the Boeing study was released during the Paris Air Show and found that a series of tests by Japan Airlines, Air New Zealand and Continental Airlines has shown that the green fuel performed “as well or better” than traditional petroleum-based jet fuel:

The green fuels met benchmarks for standards such as freezing point, viscosity and fuel density, Boeing said. The tests also found the blends had greater energy content by mass than regular jet fuel, meaning they could help airlines use less fuel per mile. In the three test flights, the fuel blend was half regular fuel, half biofuel.

“This is a huge, huge validation of where biofuels can go,” says John Plaza, the chief executive of Imperium Renewables, a Seattle biodiesel company that supplied fuel for a Virgin Atlantic test flight last year. (That flight wasn’t included in Boeing’s tests.) Plaza stressed, however, that jet biofuels are created with more sophisticated processing techniques than traditional biodiesel, which is also derived from plants but powers cars, trucks and ships.

Still, “this is technology we’re interested in pursuing,” Plaza said in an interview with Forbes. Imperium’s main plant in Washington state is not producing any biodiesel now but hopes to start up again if demand picks up and the credit market thaws.

Boeing officials say they want to subject the biodiesel to international testing standards so that it can be used in commercial airline operations in the next few years.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel Gets Sweet Smell of Success in Stinkweed

John Davis

fieldpennycressWhile it might have been something that farmers have tried to keep out of their fields, stinkweed could prove to be a successful product for those growing feedstocks for biodiesel.

This article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution says stinkweed… also known as field pennycress… might just be the ticket for those trying to find a non-food stock for the green fuel:

Past promises of cheap fuel grown on American soil have sometimes become, um, stuck in the weeds as prices for commodities such as corn and soybean oil rose. But a number of researchers believe that this winter weed with oily little seeds has an advantage in that it is not a food crop.

“Our intention is to create a crop that has a niche and does not displace anything else that is already growing,” said Steve Vaughn, a plant physiologist with the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill.

Soybeans, like corn, are a commodity in demand for food and fuel. Prices for soybean oil have more than doubled since 2005, giving the industry added incentive to experiment with other potential sources of fuel.

“The rise in commodity prices has really driven us to focus on other alternatives,” said John Fox, Innovation’s chief executive officer. Innovation relies primarily on animal fat to make biodiesel at its Newark, N.J. refinery.

The article goes on to point out that in addition to the non-food sources, researchers are also looking at increasing the yields of a more traditional feedstocks, such as soybeans.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel Board Expands Web Presence to Facebook

John Davis

nbbfacebookOn the heels of its successful launch on YouTube earlier this year, the nation’s premier biodiesel advocacy group has expanded its Web presence with the launch of the National Biodiesel Board’s Facebook page.

This press release from the NBB explains how the board will use this newest medium as another outlet for biodiesel information and discussion:

higginsWith more than 100 million users logging on at least once each day, Facebook is the fourth-most trafficked Web site in the United States. Increasingly more people are turning to the Internet for information than any other media source – including television and newspapers.

“We’re using Facebook to communicate the promise of biodiesel to a wider audience and using facts to correct any misconceptions,” said NBB Director of Communications Jenna Higgins. “Our Facebook group is a valuable tool in our effort to help consumers understand what biodiesel is: a sustainable, cleaner alternative fuel that promotes food security and strong global environmental benefits.”

Higgins compares these new social media outlets to the modern version of the water cooler where discussions about the green fuel can take place. Check it out!

Biodiesel, NBB

E85 Comes to Sacramento

e85-nozzleIn recent weeks, the city of Sacramento has added 25 E85 fueling locations. The city is now boasting as being the nation’s ethanol epicenter, at least west of the Mississippi.

California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols, recently unveiled the E85 fueling facility at a Valero on Madison Avenue. She said, “This is a test market for the state. We’re in the early stages of the revolution. Consumers will see a lot of new fuels coming onto the market.”

carbThe clean burning alternative is selling for $.66 less per gallon than regular unleaded at the Valero. Sasha Faught of Natomas, who owns a flex-fuel Chevy Tahoe, has been using E85. “I want to be green,” she said. “Let’s face it, we’re using up our resources. It’s smart to get on with it.”

The new E85 dispensers were funded mainly by a grant administered by the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. The grant from the California Resources Board totaled $3.5 million.

There are currently 23,000 flexible fuel vehicles registered in Sacramento that can use E85.

E85, Environment, Ethanol, Government, News

2009/2010 AFV Buyer’s Guide Now Available

Joanna Schroeder

afv_nobg_smallThe 2009/2010 Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) buyer’s guide is now available from the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVi). This easy to use guide helps fleet managers who are looking for information on alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles make informed decisions.

The Guide is divided by vehicle class, from Class 1 through Class 8. Other sections include Small Volume Manufacturers, Engine Manufacturers, OEM Contact Information, Industry Listings, a Cross Reference Directory and Industry Acronyms. The Guide includes basic specifications for all the known and commercially-available AFVs, engines and advanced transportation technologies.

“Oil prices are beginning to climb again and, every time that happens, AFVi is inundated with requests for information on non-petroleum vehicle options that will lower fuel costs,” said Annalloyd Thomason, Executive Director of AFVi. “The Buyers’ Guide is a direct response to requests from purchasers who want an easy to understand purchasing directory of currently available AFVs.”

The Guide is available for purchase exclusively through AFVi at www.afvi.org.

Company Announcement, Miscellaneous

Sudanese Government Opens First Ethanol Plant

Joanna Schroeder

The Sudanese government celebrated a milestone today with the opening of its first ethanol plant. The facility will produce 65 million litres and will expand to 200 mlpy within two years. The government is an investor in the plant which is using products from the local sugar mill as its feedstock.

sugarcane_fields2_63919In addition to the launch of the ethanol refinery, the government has developed an aggressive plan to expand the country’s sugar production from 800,000 tons per year to over 10 million tons per year. The increased sugar production could support both increased sugar exports and approximately 18 new ethanol plants.

The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance praised the Sudanese government for their efforts to build a sustainable biofuels industry. “This is a sound sustainable model for energy security and economic development,” said Bliss Baker, Global Renewable Fuels Alliance spokesperson.“ The plan will require significant and scarce investment dollars and a continued commitment from the national government to be completely successful.”

The hope is that this plant will not only be a successful economic driver for Sudan, but that other countries will follow their model of developing sustainable biofuels.

Company Announcement, Ethanol

National Biomethane Summit to be held in Sacramento

Joanna Schroeder

4462_cows_in_field_det_520Cows often get a bad rap for emitting methane – a global warming gas. Maybe we shouldn’t be so hard on Elsie the milk cow since her production of methane can be harnessed for energy.  Not sure how to go about converting animal waste to energy? Then consider attending the first National Biomethane Summit being held in Sacramento, CA on June 23, 2009.

The National Biomethane Summit will offer a full day’s focus on applications, equipment, and emerging technologies in the sciences of landfill gas, dairy waste methane recovery, and wastewater treatment. Speakers include representatives from the California Air Resources Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture and state and local politicians.

According to the conference’s website, the goal of NBS is, “to showcase fuels and technologies, policies and actions, and other ongoing efforts that will enable California to meet its goals to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions, strengthen its transportation fuel supplies, and establish a long-term sustainable market for cleaner-burning fuels.”

The only thing they forgot is how to convert human waste to biomethane. Well maybe next year.

biomethane, conferences