FEW Seeking Nominations for Industry Awards

Joanna Schroeder

fuel-ethanol-workshop-sublogoThe 25th anniversary of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) is fast approaching – June 15-18, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. Two awards will be presented this year to outstanding industry professionals: The High Octane Award and the Award of Excellence.

The High Octane Award is chosen by the industry and honors a person who has helped the ethanol industry mature and progress over the years. In general, the award is presented to an individual who has made a big impact on the ethanol industry. BBI will then announce the nominees and the industry will vote to determine the winner.

People can also submit nominees for The Award of Excellence. A qualified nominee is an individual who has published papers and/or made significant research, technical advisory and development contributions in the ethanol industry. The award winner will ultimately be chosen by committee, led by Dr. Kevin Hicks.

Deadlines for submitting nominations is May 1, 2009, and awards will be presented during the general session. For more information visit www.fuelethanolworkshop.com.

conferences, Distillers Grains, Ethanol

New Study Rates Ethanol Water Usage by State

Cindy Zimmerman

Water usage for ethanol production varies dramatically depending on the state, according to a new University of Minnesota study.

irrigated cornThe study, published in this week’s edition of the journal Environmental Science and Technology, is the first to compare water use in corn-ethanol production on a state-by-state basis. The authors used agricultural and geologic data from 2006-2008 to develop a ratio showing how much irrigated water was used to grow and harvest the corn and to process it at ethanol plants.

Among the major ethanol-producing states, Iowa uses the least water, with about six gallons of water used for each gallon of ethanol. On the other end of the spectrum, California – which produces only a tiny fraction of the nation’s ethanol but irrigates most of its corn – uses about 2,100 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol.

The study “highlights the need to strategically promote ethanol development in states with lower irrigation rates and less groundwater use,” the authors say. The study was funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy and by the Legislative Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources.

Ethanol, Research

Ethanol Report on Global Biofuels Policy

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol Report PodcastThe need for renewable fuels to replace fossil fuels is becoming more and more of a global necessity.

This edition of the “Ethanol Report” features information about the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) and the organization’s goals for providing scientific information about life cycle assessment and greenhouse gas reduction, as well as the importance of expanding biofuels production for developing countries. Comments are from GRFA spokesman Bliss Baker, International Energy Agency (IEA) report author Don O’Connor, and Canadian Renewable Fuels Association president Gordon Quaiattini.

Read the entire report here.

You can listen to “The Ethanol Report” on-line here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/rfa/ethanol-report-30.mp3]

Or you can subscribe to this podcast by following this link.

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol Report, International, RFA

Save the Carbon Cycle

Joanna Schroeder

menu_05Carbon dioxide has become an enemy of the Earth for its role in contributing to global climate change. One man wants to stop this unfair protrayal of “our friend carbon”. Dr. Norman Airs, the executive director of The Carbon Awareness Institute is on a crusade to save the carbon cycle.

He has appeared on a TV show produced by My Emissions Exchange several times and he wants another chance to defend the carbon cycle. Check out his video and maybe you’ll want to save the carbon cycle too.  BTW – if you defend CO2 you’ll be saving the planet just in time for Earth Day….

Energy, Environment, Video

One Earth Energy Ethanol Plant to Open in June

one_earth_energyAs so many ethanol plants have closed in recent months, invester-owned ethanol start-up One Earth Energy LLC is planning to begin production on June 11, 2009. The 100 million gallon plant is located near Gibson City, Illinois.

One Earth Energy, LLC officially organized as an Illinois based Limited Liability Company in November 2005. By acquiring ethanol mills on the cheap, big oil and other players could undercut firms such as One Earth Energy, which spent $166 million to build a plant for distilling corn into fuel.

“The challenge to compete with those new ownerships is they have a lower cost of production because they have less debt,” said Steve Kelly, president of One Earth Energy. Heavy debt loads and historically high corn prices have been lethal to independent ethanol firms.

According to the Los Angeles Times, before launching One Earth Energy, Steve Kelly worked down the road for the Alliance Grain Co. He estimates that the co-op stored about 3 million bushels of corn when he joined it in 1988. The figure reached almost 30 million bushels in 2005, so Alliance needed an outlet for its corn, and One Earth Energy was born.

“It always made sense to me to have the vertical integration, be part of that consumption chain after it leaves the farmer and the storage point,” said Kelly, noting that Alliance will supply One Earth Energy with corn.

Ethanol, Facilities

New City to Run on Plentiful Florida Sunshine

John Davis

The city of the future will rely on the absolutely oldest source of power in the solar system… the sun.
babcockranch

Plans for Babcock Ranch, a 19,500-home city powered entirely by zero-emission solar energy northeast of Fort Myers in Southwest Florida, were recently announced by developer Kitson & Partners as the world’s first city running only on the power of the sun. This Miami Herald story has details:

It will include the world’s largest photovoltaic power plant, which will be operated by Florida Power & Light. Buildings will be certified green and surrounded by thousands of acres of open space.

”We’re out to prove that it works economically,” developer Syd Kitson told The Miami Herald. “And it’s the right thing to do for the long-term solutions in this country.”

Though researchers are working to create storage capability for sunlight-generated power, solar electricity at present is available only during daytime hours.

Kitson’s concept is that FPL’s 75-megawatt solar generator will produce more power for the state’s electric grid while the sun shines than the city will use in 24 hours. That means Babcock Ranch will have to rely on conventional power sources for the evening, but its net effect will a solar-only city.

The solar panels will sit on 350 acres within the development. More than half of the city’s 17,000 acres will be permanently protected as greenways and open space, the developer said, and will adjoin the 73,000-acre Babcock Ranch Preserve that has been purchased by the state.

The city is expected to cost around $300 million to build, and Florida Power & Light says it will add just 31 cents to the average consumer’s bill to pay for it. Considering the city is expected to add 20,000 permanent jobs plus all of the thousands of temporary jobs during construction, it seems like a great investment to me. And besides, you can only use all that sunshine for just tanning for so long!

Solar

Iowa Spends Green to Grow Green Algae for Biofuel

John Davis

iowaenergyindepenceThe State of Iowa is making a major investment to grow algae for biofuel at a southwest Iowa ethanol plant.

Fox News has details:

The 18-member Iowa Power Fund Board approved the $2,085,000 grant this week to assist in the commercialization of algae production technology.

The effort is a joint venture of four companies based in Nebraska, Tennessee, Rhode Island and Ireland.

Kevin Lynch, the chief executive of BioProcessAlgae, says the grant will fund an algae production project at an ethanol plant in Shenandoah, Iowa. The company will test its photobioreactor design there.

Officials expect that if the project is commercially viable, the money will be paid back. Now there’s a REAL stimulus package.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News

Hybrid Electric Terminal Tractor Hits the Market

John Davis

phettA Longview, Texas-based maker of terminal tractors has introduced a hybrid electric version of the vehicle.

This press release from Capacity of Texas announces the PHETT… Pluggable Hybrid Electric Terminal Tractor:

“As a leader in the terminal tractor industry, we are pleased to offer our Pluggable Hybrid Electric Terminal Tractor. Developed and built in Longview, TX, through a grant from the Texas Environmental Research Consortium and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, this product will change perceptions and reduce operational expense of terminal tractors. The PHETT(TM) will also reduce emissions at all Ports, Intermodal Yards and Warehousing/Distribution Centers not only in North America, but throughout the world,” stated Phillip Ford, President of Capacity of Texas.

The PHETT is a charge sustaining series hybrid that utilizes a constant and efficient rate generator to supply power, reducing fuel consumption by 60% and audible db by 30%. With the lowest operational cost per hour, the PHETT also incorporates an AC traction motor and on-board grid-charging system. Integration and introduction of this technology into the flagship Capacity Trailer Jockey(R) line included review and redesign of front & rear axles, steering system, frame structure, suspension and isolation of components as well as adjustments for cab interior space requirements; all resulting in optimum performance and design for terminal tractor applications.

Capacity of Texas is the biggest American owned manufacturer of terminal tractors in North America.

Miscellaneous

Show Me Ethanol Raises Funds to Stay Alive

showme_ethanolAlthough the ethanol plant said it needed $10 million to stay in business just four months ago, Show Me Ethanol in Carrollton, Mo. has reached a loan agreement and will afloat after raising $5.9 million from shareholders.

The group that financed the construction of their 55 million gallon per year plant, FCS Financial, formed another agreement with the ethanol plant. Show Me owed its biggest shareholder, Ray-Carroll Grain Growers of Carrollton, $15.5 million on forward purchase contracts. Ray-Carroll agreed to cancel $2 million of that debt, accept a $1.5 million payment and convert the remaining $12 million into a promissory note. Show Me was able to count the $2 million in debt cancellation as part of the $5.9 million in new capital.

Show Me Ethanol posted a net loss of $18.98 million just two weeks ago, including a $14.1 million loss on forward contracts to purchase corn.

Miscellaneous

Univ. of GA Partners with Ceres on Switchgrass Study

ceresThe University of Georgia will soon be collaborating with Ceres, Inc. to study high yielding switchgrass techniquest. The crop can yield 6 to 10 dry tons in the Southeast, is considered an ideal product for biofuels.

switchgrass“This project allows us to expand our internal and collaborative plant breeding activities in a region where we believe the industry will have a strong presence,” said Ceres plant breeding director Jeff Gwyn, Ph.D. “There’s a lot of headroom for improvement and I’m confident that working together we can continue to drive up yields at a robust pace,” he said.

A press release from Ceres notes that plant breeders, agronomists, support scientists and the Noble Foundation will collaborate on this project to develop improved seed varieties.

In December, Ceres launched the first switchgrass and sorghum varieties developed for bioenergy, which are sold under the company’s Blade Energy Crops . Ceres has established the largest field-trial network for dedicated energy crops in the United States, including more than a dozen leading universities and institutions.

Cellulosic, Ethanol