Russia Calls for More Regulation In Global Ag Exports

Joanna Schroeder

logo_engAfter becoming one of the top three wheat exporters in 2008, Russia is now determined to play a pivotal role in the flow of worldwide agriculture markets. Russian Federation’s President Dmitry Medvedev has proposed closer coordination between global grain exporters and said, “excessive protectionism had encouraged speculation in global grain markets,” during the World Grain Forum which took place over the weekend in Saint-Petersburg. This challenge was spurred in part by the number of people globally  who are stricken with extreme starvation: 1 billion.

Russia is also the second largest oil supplier and intends to get into the biofuels game. However, Medvedev said to the more than 1,000 forum attendees that the country would only support sustainable fuels developed from non-food sources.

“The technology now exists and we think the world community has to find a compromise between the issues of energy and food security,” Medvedev said in Rueters’ article Kremlin urges grain exporters to tackle world hunger. “The growth of biofuels should not become a reason for a growing deficit of food grain.” The country plans on more than doubling its agriculture land and production over the next few years.

Syngenta Chief Operating Office Crop Protection, John Atkin was also a speaker during the World Grain Forum and during his presentation emphasized the critical role of technology in meeting current and future global food needs.

“The world must work together, Atkin said, “to accelerate technology adoption. We could already realize significant yield
potential within the next three years by comprehensively deploying existing technologies.”

biofuels, conferences, food and fuel, Food prices

EPA Hears Concerns at RFS Hearing

Cindy Zimmerman

Numerous biofuels representatives testified at a day-long hearing Tuesday in Washington DC on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rulemaking for the Renewable Fuels Standard.

ncga ruh National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) testified that corn growers have serious concerns about assumptions in the proposed rule regarding indirect land use changes. Ethanol Committee Chairman Steve Ruh says EPA has failed to take into account modern agricultural practices and biotechnology that are increasing both corn yields and ethanol production.

“Over the past nine years, a time when ethanol production grew dramatically, for every bushel required for the increased ethanol market, 2.89 new bushels were grown on the same acres, thus requiring no additional acres be brought into production for the purpose of ethanol,” Ruh testified.

POET VP for science and technology Dr. Mark Stowers told EPA that the model for calculating indirect land use changes is “flawed and has no basis in law or science.”

Stowers urged EPA officials to visit a modern ethanol plant to “obtain real data about the industry, rather than relying on unproven models, hypotheses and assumptions.”

About 60 people testified at the hearing yesterday, split about evenly between those who supported the rule and those who wanted to see changes.

corn, Ethanol, Government, NCGA, POET

Lean, Mean AND Green Marines

John Davis

usmclogo1While I’ve always admired U.S. Marines for their ability to go anywhere, anytime, under any conditions – and kick some serious butt!!! – you have to admire the way they are also looking out for the environment.

This article from the San Diego News Network says Marines at nearby Camp Pendelton are adopting lots of alternative energy choices, including some hydrogen-powered vehicles and a filling station:

The base is also participating in a study with General Motors to test its prototype hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, called the Chevy Equinox, which cost a cool $1.2 million apiece. Workers are putting the finishing touches on a hydrogen fuel dispensing station next to Interstate 5, which will be the only one of its kind in San Diego County once it’s up and running, said Camp Pendleton fleet manager Jim Seaman.

“In my opinion, that’s where we’re going,” said Seaman of the fuel cell vehicles, which are used by base personnel for administrative errands. “The question is how long to get them and what type of fuel vehicles will we use until we get to hydrogen? These other vehicles and fuel types are just bridges until we get to hydrogen fuel cells.”

The base is also expecting to receive a 12-person hydrogen fuel cell van from the state of California, which will be used as a shuttle between Camp Pendleton and San Diego.

Base officials decided to put the hydrogen fuel station just off Interstate 5 so that in the future, it may be opened for access by the general public, as part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “hydrogen highway” initiative.

Other efforts by the Marines at Camp Pendelton include using wind and solar power and fueling some of their vehicles with natural gas.

Sempre fidelis and, now, sempre viridis (Always faithful and, now, always green).

Government, Hydrogen, Solar, Wind

Greenhunter Energy’s Stock Sees Huge Jump

John Davis

greenhunterThe stock in a company that seemed to be wiped out by Hurricane Ike last year has taken a dramatic jump. While Texas-based renewable energy company Greenhunter Energy Inc won’t say anything about Tuesday’s 62 percent surge in price, this story in the Wall Street Journal tries to clear up some of the mystery of why Greenhunter closed at $1.86:

The company, which focuses on the renewable energy sectors of wind, hydro, solar and biofuels, saw shares rise an additional 16% to $2.15 in after-hours trading.

The company said that its policy was “not to comment on unusual market activity.”

Pavel Molchanov, an energy analyst with Raymond James, said the market could be reacting to speculation that the company has made progress with its credit negotiations with its primary lender, WestLB AG, a German-based commercial bank.

“Even though the company hasn’t given specific updates with discussions with the lender, which are ongoing, its possible the market is anticipating a positive resolution to those discussions that would alleviate the company’s liquidity crisis,” said Molchanov.

The jump comes after Greenhunter’s stock dropped to its lowest level… just 91 cents… last Thursday.

Miscellaneous

Purdue: B20 Just As Good As Ultra-low Sulfur Diesel

John Davis

A 20 percent blend of biodiesel runs just as good as No. 2 ultra-low sulfur diesel. That’s the findings of a new study from Purdue University that showed no statistical dropoff when semis run the green fuel:

lumkes-biodiesel“In terms of performance, reliability and maintenance costs, it was basically a wash,” said John Lumkes, the assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering who led the study. “The only differences are environmental and economic.”

The study, which compared two 10-vehicle truck fleets using the ultra-low sulfur fuel and B20, was released in the journal Applied Engineering in Agriculture. Trucks used for comparisons in the yearlong study had the same engines, similar miles already on them at the start and drove nearly the same number of miles over the year.

The only statistical difference related to the B20 was that it lowered the oil viscosity between maintenance intervals in engines slightly more than the ultra-low sulfur diesel. But even so, Lumkes said the oil still had sufficient viscosity so as not to damage engine parts.

“They were still within the range of what is acceptable before you need an oil change,” he said.

Lumkes and his researchers ran 10 trucks more than 1.5 million miles and found no appreciable difference in fuel economy, fuel test results, engine oil analysis, and service and maintenance costs. The only difference was that the B20 costs about 13 cents more per gallon than the ultra-low sulfur diesel. But Lumkes says the the real value of the test shows that engine manufacturers don’t have to worry that biodiesel will cause abnormal engine wear.

Biodiesel

Ethanol and Biodiesel Testimony Presented at EPA Hearing

Cindy Zimmerman

EPAThe Environmental Protection Agency’s public hearing on the proposed rule for the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) is now underway in Washington, DC.

The first testimony presented was from Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen, who expressed the ethanol industry’s major concerns about the agnecy’s attempt to measure greenhouse gas lifecycle analysis including international indirect land use changes. “There is so much uncertainty in trying to account for international impacts that it renders the regulatory process incapable of determining a specific number,” said Dinneen. “We have concerns about some assumptions EPA has made. We think they have greatly underestimated increases in yields, underestimated impact of distillers grains, underestimated or used very conservative assumptions with regard to bushels of grain per acre – all of which will have a significant impact on this analysis.”

Listen to Dinneen’s testimony here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/rfa/epa-hearing-dinneen.mp3]

Manning Feraci of the National Biodiesel Board presented testimony at the hearing on behalf of the biodiesel industry. “We recognize that statute requires EPA to consider significant indirect emissions when calculating a renewable fuels emission profile,” said Feraci. “This does not require the EPA to rely on faulty data and unrealistic scenarios that punish the U.S. biodiesel industry for wholly unrelated land use decisions in South America.”

Listen to Feraci’s testimony here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/nbb/epa-hearing-feraci.mp3]

The EPA hearing will continue all day today and then the agency will be holding a workshop on the RFS on Wednesday and Thursday.

Audio, Biodiesel, Energy, Environment, Ethanol, Ethanol News, NBB, RFA

Additive to Help Burn Biodiesel in Newer Engines

John Davis

chevronoronite1One of the issues with burning higher blends of biodiesel in newer diesel engines that use post-injection for controlling emissions is significant engine wear with methyl ester dilution in the engine oil crankcase.

This story from Biodiesel Magazine says Chevron Oronite Company LLC has developed a unique engine oil additive to help combat that engine wear when using B20:

Fuel dilution has always been an issue with diesels, but never more so than with post-injection. Petrol diesel dilutes engine oil too, but it volatilizes off and eventually is released through the breather system. For biodiesel, however, the story is significantly different.

Biodiesel has a higher and narrower boiling range than petroleum diesel, and its physical properties lead to larger droplet sizes exiting the fuel injectors. This means that, while the petrol portion of the blend vaporizes and follows its destination to the exhaust stream as the piston is at the bottom of the cylinder, the methyl ester fraction—with its higher, narrower boiling range and larger droplet size—remains in liquid form collecting along the exposed surface area of the cylinder wall, and as the piston rises, much of the biodiesel bypasses the rings to enter the crankcase. Once in there, the biodiesel does not volatilize off like mineral diesel does. With the heat of the crankcase, there is concern about oxidation of the oil/biodiesel mix and engine wear resulting from the organic acids.

“In the case of biodiesel, once it gets in the crankcase and as it starts to degrade, it forms organic acids and starts to polymerize,” said Gary Parsons, global OEM and industry liaison manager for Chevron Oronite. “The organic acids can aggressively attack certain metals, particularly lead in the lead bearings. And then as it polymerizes and oxidizes, it can lead to increased deposits in the engine—in particular, deposits on the pistons.”

The engine oil additive Chevron Oronite developed is designed to counter the effect of the acids, so they don’t aggressively attack the metal; and also to prevent oxidation and formation of deposits.

The product is commercially available and marketed under the Oronite Lubricating Oil Additive trademark. The article points out that greater use of biodiesel is necessitating the additive’s greater use.

Biodiesel

Gentlemen, Start Your Biodiesel Engines!

John Davis

It’s not quite the Indy 500, but don’t tell that to the guys racing in the New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race! It’s the fourth year for the popular feature of the Country Music Association’s 2009 Music Festival, June 10-14, 2009 in Nashville, TN., and some of the participants are looking for revenge.

The race (which you can see some of last year’s race in the video above) will feature, among others, National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe, who is making his third appearance in the race that features “celebrities” from many professions driving a New Holland compact tractor through an obstacle course of road cones on June 14th:

Jobe, who placed 3rd in the 2008 race, has his eyes set on moving higher in the ratings. One of his main challengers from 2008 is his friend and biodiesel supporter Chuck Leavell, environmentalist, conservationist, author, and 27-year keyboardist for the Rolling Stones. Leavell placed 5th in 2008, but only seconds on the clock separated the two friends. His eyes are also set on placing higher. Adding to the action is country music artist Michael Peterson, also a strong biodiesel supporter, who is hosting the competition for New Holland.

“New Holland is once again taking an industry-leading role in its support of biodiesel,” said Jobe. “They have already led the industry in supporting 100% biodiesel in all of the engines they manufacture, but they are not resting on those achievements. They continue to promote the biodiesel for its benefits to the nation’s energy supply, food supply, and agricultural sector.”

Now, if you can’t be at the race, you can still see live coverage of the event over on our sister Web site, AgWired.com. The coverage begins with preliminary interviews at approximately 10:30 a.m. (Central Time) on Sunday, June 14, 2009. The race will begin at 11:30 a.m. and conclude at approximately 1:30 p.m. See you there!

Biodiesel, New Holland

USDA Meets Obama Biofuels Objective

Cindy Zimmerman

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says USDA has met President Obama’s 30-day directive to expedite and increase the production of biofuels.

Vilsack“Further developing the biofuels industry helps create jobs and stimulates rural economies, an important part of getting our economy back on track,” Vilsack announced. “President Obama and I are committed to advancing clean and renewable energy as it creates jobs domestically and boosts tax revenues at all levels of government.”

Among the objectives USDA was asked to accomplish on May 5 were biofuels provisions of the energy title of the 2008 Farm Bill, including providing loan guarantees and grants for biorefineries, expediting funding to encourage biorefineries to replace the use of fossil fuels in plant operations and encouraging production of next-generation biofuels.

USDA is also launching the Biomass Crop Assistance Program for the collection, harvest, storage, and transportation of biomass for conversion facilities.

biofuels, Energy, Government, USDA

19th Annual EPAC Conference in Bozeman, MT

epacThe 19th Annual Ethanol Producers and Consumers (EPAC) Conference, Fuel, Food and the Future, will be held at the the Best Western Grantree Inn, Bozeman, Montana June 29 and 30, 2009. This educational conference will allow attendees to network with and learn from nationally recognized authorities, and participate in discussions of the emerging technologies in first generation Biofuels, also Biofuel Co-product research and use and the Future Biofuel feedstocks and opportunities.

Monday, June 29 at 1:00 p.m. speaker presentations begin with the session “Barley as a Fuel Feedstock”. Presenters will include Craig Shealy of Osage Bio Energy, Clifford Bradley, Montana Microbial Products, Butte, and Tom Blake, MSU Research Professor. This will be followed by Biofuel Projects, Opportunities & Challenges with William Hagy, Under Secretary for Rural Development, USDA, Washington DC; John Urbanchuk, Economist, LECG, Pennsylvania. Yellowstone National Park Ranger, Jim Evanoff will then speak to Fuel Performance, Park use of Biofuels and the Clean Cities Program.

Tuesday July 30, the conference includes sessions that build on research and development of the innovative use of distillers grains. Presentations will expand discussion of distillers grains for medical and food use that was presented at the 2008 conference as well as present additional research currently being done on the beneficial value of biofuels coproducts. A biodiesel fuel session will follow with presentations from Joe Jobe, Executive Director of the National Biodiesel Board, and Camelina for Biodiesel with Alice Pilgeram, MSU Researcher and Biofuel Impact and Update for Montana by Howard Haines, MT DEQ.

The final conference session includes presentations on Biomass Energy through Anaerobic Digester, Algae Biofuel, Conversion and Advanced harvest and Collection of Biomass and Advanced Integrated Biofuels with animal production.

Conference sponsors include Abengoa Bioenergy, CHS, Fagen, Inc. KATZEN International, National Biodiesel Board, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Montana Wheat & Barley committee and Prime Biosolutions.

For additional information and/or to register the 19th Annual EPAC Biofuel Conference, visit www.ethanolmt.org.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, NBB, News