National Science Board Calls for More Green Energy

John Davis

nsf1A 25-member panel of researchers that advises the President and Congress on science and engineering issues is calling for more development of sustainable and clean energy sources to transition the country away from fossil fuels.

The National Science Board has released a draft report entitled “Building a Sustainable Energy Future” for public review and comment:

The NSB recommends that the U.S. government develop and lead a nationally coordinated research, development demonstration, deployment, and education (RD3E) strategy to advance a sustainable energy economy that is significantly less carbon-intensive. A sustainable energy economy values environmental and ecosystem stewardship as well as clean, equitable, reliable, renewable, safe, secure, and economically viable energy strategies and solutions.

The NSB offers priority guidance for the National Science Foundation (NSF) to increase its emphasis on innovation in sustainable energy technologies and education.

“Together, these approaches can help to promote national security by increasing U.S. energy independence, ensure environmental stewardship by reducing energy and carbon intensity, and generate continued economic growth through innovation in energy technologies and increases in green jobs,” said Dan Arvizu, co-chairman of the NSB’s Task Force on Sustainable Energy.

The NSB warns that without concerted international action, there would little change in the global energy mix in the next 25 to 50 years.

You can read the NSB’s report and comment here.

Government, Science

Biodiesel By-Product Excellent Swine & Poultry Feed

John Davis

Biodiesel producers are looking for a market for a big by-product of the green fuel they make… livestock producers need a high-quality feed. Seems like they need to find a way to get together. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are finding a new use for the glycerin produced during biodiesel refining.

This article from the April issue of USDA’s Agricultural Research Magazine says animal nutritionist Brian Kerr, who works at the ARS Swine Odor and Manure Management Research Unit at Ames, Iowa, William Dozier, formerly in the ARS Poultry Research Unit at Mississippi State and now with Auburn University, and Iowa State University colleague Kristjan Bregendahl are looking into how to use crude glycerin as a livestock feed supplement:

biodieselfeedKerr led studies that examined how crude glycerin feed supplements affected swine energy use. In five different experiments, he supplemented the diets of starter pigs and finisher pigs with different levels of crude glycerin…

Pigs fed the crude glycerin were able to digest it efficiently, and it provided them with a supply of caloric energy that basically equaled that of corn grain. A followup study showed no effects on weight, carcass composition, and meat quality in pigs fed diets containing 5 percent or 10 percent crude glycerin from weaning to market weight.

Meanwhile, Dozier and Bregendahl evaluated the use of glycerin supplements in poultry feed. They used 48 egg-laying hens and 1,392 broilers in 4 research studies.

After feeding four levels of crude glycerin to laying hens, Bregendahl determined the AME in the crude glycerin to be 3,805 kcal/kg. He also compared feed consumption, egg production, egg weight, and egg mass (calculated by multiplying egg production and egg weight) and found no significant differences among the four groups.

The scientists say the research has been successful, as the data shows that crude glycerin is an excellent source of energy for pigs and chickens and doesn’t harm animal performance, carcass composition, or meat quality. They do caution that while the glycerin is a great feed supplement, there are some issues that could limit its use, such as small methanol and salt levels.

But overall, this could be a real win-win situation with livestock producers finding a way to cut feed costs and biodiesel producers finding a way to add value to their products.

Biodiesel

POET Uses Less Water

poetAccording to a POET press release, POET Biorefining in Bingham Lake, Minnesota, has used a new technology wich will eliminate water discharge providing a more efficient way to produce ethanol.

poet_binghamThe 35 million gallon per year facility currently uses less water than average plants. Bingham Lake facility used 3.42 gallons of water to produce one gallon of ethanol. With zero-liquid discharge, that is cut by 23 percent, to an estimated 2.64 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol.

“This process is yet another way POET is working to continue making ethanol production more efficient,” POET CEO Jeff Broin said. “Zero-liquid discharge technology benefits the plant, the community and all the area water users.”

Additional POET facilites use innovative ways to cut water use including: Corning, Iowa; Portland, Indiana; and Big Stone, S.D. POET plants on average use 3 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol.

Ethanol, News, POET

Dallas Landfill to Provide Green Gas

John Davis

cleanenergyA landfill in Dallas, Texas will soon be the source of renewable biomethane that will be burned to create electricity.

This story posted on the Environmental Protection Web site says that Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has inked a 15-year deal through its subsidiary, Dallas Clean Energy, to sell the biomethane produced at the McCommas Bluff landfill:

Beginning this month, the biomethane will be sold at fixed prices that increase in 2010 and 2011 and then remain fixed over the remainder of the agreement. The price for the “green” gas was not disclosed but represents a significant premium to the prevailing price for conventional natural gas.

The agreement calls for the sale of up to 4,500 MMBtus per day of biomethane from April 2009 through September 2010 and between 5,000–6,000 MMBtus per day of biomethane through March 2024. The actual volumes sold will depend on the gas recovery rates from the landfill and successful expansion of the gas processing facilities.

Shell Energy North America will act as the purchaser and supply the biomethane to the end-user—a utility that will use the biomethane in power generation to help meet applicable Renewable Portfolio Standards. Atmos Energy Corporation will provide intrastate transportation services from the gas processing plant.

littlefair“This gas sale agreement validates selling renewable biomethane as a valuable, low-carbon fuel. It provides Clean Energy with a sound, long-term revenue stream and also supports expansion of the plant’s production capacity for additional gas sales, including potential use as vehicle fuel,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, Clean Energy president and chief executive officer “Many of our largest customers are showing interest in biomethane for their fleet vehicles as it is one of the best alternative fuels to meet new Low Carbon Fuel Standards coming in California and other states.”

The McCommas Bluff landfill gas operation is among the biggest landfill gas operations in the country. Officials estimate it will continue to produce quality methane gas for 30 years after its closing in the year 2042.

Miscellaneous

Oh Takes Reins of Biodiesel Leader REG

John Davis

reglogo2The nation’s leader in biodiesel making and making biodiesel plants has a new leader of its own.

Biodiesel Magazine reports that Renewable Energy Group’s Daniel J. Oh, Chief Operating Officer, is taking over as President of the Iowa-based company:

danielohMr. Oh takes the reins from Nile Ramsbottom, who has served as Renewable Energy Group’s president since the company’s incorporation in 2006. Mr. Ramsbottom’s leadership helped launch REG as a premier producer and marketer of high quality biodiesel. In the nine years Mr. Ramsbottom has served at REG and its predecessor West Central Cooperative, the company’s biodiesel business has grown from a 1 million gallon-per-year batch plant to a network with the more than 300 million gallons of annual production capacity. Mr. Ramsbottom has agreed to forgo full retirement to help strengthen REG’s global presence. The new global sales position will be based in St. Louis.

Of the transition Renewable Energy Group Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Stroburg said: “Our board of directors appreciates Mr. Ramsbottom’s willingness to continue in this new and critical role as he shifts from his position as REG’s president and prepares for a personal and professional transition after his 65th birthday in May. In this new position, Mr. Ramsbottom will continue pursuing relationships and business with national and international biodiesel customers and large feedstock producers.”

Jeffrey Stroburg stays on as REG’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, with Jeff Pattison remaining as Chief Financial Officer.

Biodiesel

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