CNN Starts Biodiesel-Fueled Road Trip

John Davis

At a time when fuel prices are through the roof, a major American news organization is sponsoring a road trip across the country… running on biodiesel.

CNN.com producer Cody McCloy and web developer Brian Hardy jumped in a 1978 International Harvester Scout and kicked off the two-week trip on Friday, going from San Francisco to Atlanta. Starting Monday morning at 9:40, they’ll be blogging about their adventure on the green fuel on CNN.com Live. This article tells a little bit about what you can expect to see from the trip… and it won’t just be about biodiesel:

During our road trip, we’ll blog and report about what kind of mileage we’re getting with biodiesel fuel and how easy it is to find places that sell it.

Biodiesel is just one of several biofuels powering more and more U.S. cars and trucks. Mesa, Arizona, for example, has switched its fleet of 1,000 municipal vehicles such as fire engines and street sweepers to biodiesel and other green fuels such as ethanol, and compressed natural gas. Video Watch for details on benefits of biodiesel fuel »

Some biofuels are less expensive per gallon than gasoline — cutting the average cost of gas by 20 to 35 cents per gallon, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. An average American family can save up to $300 per year by using ethanol, according to the DOE Web site.

Now while they’re about half right when they say biodiesel is a mixture of diesel and vegetable oil, they do get it right when they point out the green fuel is biodegradable and is cleaner than petroleum-based diesel.

Should be an interesting trip to follow. You can see an interactive map here, and as I mentioned earlier, they’ll be blogging on CNN.com Live starting Monday morning.

Biodiesel

New Company Looks to Lead U.S. Hydrogen Market

John Davis

A new company has been formed that looks to lead the U.S. hydrogen market.

Eden Hydrogen Inc. is the product of the merging of two American subsidiaries of Australian-based Energy Ltd… Hythane Company of Denver, Colorado and HyRadix of Des Plaines, Illinois. This story from the Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch web site says the new company will be headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois.

“Eden Hydrogen is a milestone in our growing capacity to deliver integrated hydrogen solutions to customers in the U.S. and globally,” said Greg Solomon, Executive Chairman, Eden Energy Ltd. based in Perth, Australia. “We have captured the hydrogen supply chain within a single, efficient company.”
Robert Gray has been named Chief Executive Officer of Eden Hydrogen Inc. He was formerly Chief Executive Officer of Eden Innovations Ltd. and a past president of HyRadix. Roger Mamaro, President of Hythane Company, will lead global operations and Dave Cepla, President of HyRadix, will lead global sales and marketing for the new company.

“As consumers in the U.S. and around the world demand cost effective and clean alternatives to petroleum, the market for hydrogen-based fuels and technologies is rapidly expanding,” said Robert Gray, CEO, Eden Hydrogen Inc. “Eden Hydrogen is uniquely positioned to provide economical onsite hydrogen generation, delivery, and storage.”

The announcement comes on the heels of a study that recommends the government spends $55 billion over the next 15 years to help hydrogen vehicles are competitive with their petroleum-fueled counterparts on American roads.

Hydrogen

Free Webinar Offered: Improving Your Bottom Line With Ethanol

LugarU.S. Senator Dick Lugar yesterday announced that the International Trade Association at the U.S. Department of Commerce has organized a free webinar titled, “Improving your bottom line with ethanol,” on August 12, 2008, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

According to the announcement, the web-based seminar will provide U.S. petroleum retailers with information on the current market for E85, ethanol conversion logistics and government programs that advance E85 distribution within the United States.

“America needs to transform our transportation sector and cut our oil import bill by establishing biofuels that are available to every motorist in the country. With just 103 E85 pumps in Indiana, too few Hoosiers have access to this competitively priced, high-performance, homegrown fuel. We need to ensure that virtually every new car sold in America is a flexible fuel vehicle and that at least one quarter of American filling stations have E85 pumps,” Lugar said.

The webinar’s schedule is as follows:

2:00-2:05: Introduction of the Webinar Session and the Presenters
2:05-2:25: U.S. Market for E85 Capable Vehicles
2:25-2:45: Ethanol Conversion Options, Logistics, and Contracts for Fuel Provisions
2:45-3:05: Government Assistance and Incentives for Ethanol Conversion
3:05-3:30: Industry Comments and Q&A Session

To subscribe to the event or for more information, contact Shannon Fraser by Wednesday, August 6, 2008 at Shannon.Fraser@mail.doc.gov.

E85, Energy, Ethanol, Government, News

California Plant to Make Ethanol from Waste

Cindy Zimmerman

BlueFire Ethanol Fuels of California has been given the go-ahead to build the nation’s first commercial biowaste-to-ethanol facility in Los Angeles County.

Blue Fire EthanolThe county’s regional planning commission unanimously agreed to issue a zoning permit to BlueFire Ethanol to build a $30 million facility in Lancaster, located north of Los Angeles. The plant will be built next to a landfill and construction is scheduled to begin in the fall.

BlueFire Ethanol selected the Lancaster location because an estimated 170 tons of biowaste material, including woodchips, grass cuttings and other organic waste, already passes by the property every day. The plant is also designed to use reclaimed water and lignin, a byproduct of the production process, in order to produce its own electricity and steam.

The new facility will use BlueFire’s commercially-ready concentrated acid hydrolysis technology process which could convert the waste into as much as 3.2 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, News

New Alliance for Food and Fuel

Cindy Zimmerman

Alliance For Abundant Food and EnergyA group of major players in the agribusiness sector have joined together to highlight the ability of American agriculture to meet both food and energy needs.

The Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy includes Archer Daniels Midland, DuPont, John Deere, Monsanto, and the Renewable Fuels Association.

The alliance asserts that “By growing more crops and developing more efficient ways of processing them, we can produce enough food to meet the world’s needs. The Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy understands that innovations in Agriculture can support the development of greater productivity, enabling farmers to effectively supply both the world’s growing food and energy demands.”

The companies involved have contributed towards a fund that will be used for national advertising and lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill.

Ethanol, Farming, Food prices, News

Run on Biodiesel, Keep Your Warranty

John Davis

With the rising interest in biodiesel and the increasing popularity of biodiesel-fueled vehicles (as we reported last Tuesday, July 22nd), consumers need to know how they can use the green fuel and still keep their manufacturer’s warranty.

Recently, biodiesel received ASTM approval for meeting standards for fuel use. That means that any biodiesel that meets that standard is as safe as regular diesel fuel. But some auto manufacturers and dealers are being a little hesitant in giving biodiesel a thumbs up for use. This story from the gas2.0.org web site has tips from the Northwest Biofuels Association to make sure that those car makers will honor their warranties, even if you use biodiesel:

* Whether or not a biodiesel blend is “recommended” by your automaker is separate from the question of whether the use of biodiesel affects engine warranty coverage. Make sure you know exactly what your automaker specifies.
* Because vehicle warranties only cover parts and workmanship, fuel is not covered under any vehicle warranty.
* Conversely, if consumers that use biodiesel have an engine failure unrelated to the use of biodiesel and the cause is found to be faulty parts or workmanship, then the failure would be covered by the warranty.
* If a customer brings in a vehicle that has used biodiesel and the customer is told that the warranty is voided solely because the customer is using biodiesel, this violates the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
* A vehicle’s warranty cannot be voided solely due to the use of biodiesel.

The association included the tips with a letter written in collaboration with Oregon auto dealers and Oregonian biodiesel distributors.

Biodiesel, Car Makers

Tennessee Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Planned

Cindy Zimmerman

DuPontDaniscoDuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol and the University of Tennessee Research Foundation have announced a partnership to construct an innovative pilot-scale biorefinery and state-of-the-art research and development facility for cellulosic ethanol in Vonore, Tenn.

According to DuPont Danisco, the pilot-scale biorefinery will develop the commercial package for the partnership’s leading cellulosic ethanol technology. The project will also utilize UT’s world-class expertise in cellulosic feedstock production and co-product research, as well as its work with Tennessee farmers to develop the first dedicated cellulosic energy crop supply chain for cellulosic biorefineries utilizing switchgrass. The facility design will incorporate the flexibility to operate on two different non-food biomass feedstocks, including corn stover, cobs and fiber, and switchgrass.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, News

Ethanol Experts Available

Cindy Zimmerman

The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) has unveiled a new Renewable Fuels Experts Database to help fight public misconceptions about ethanol. EPIC is the first organization to offer such a media resource containing experts from the renewable fuels industry.

EPIC ExpertsThe database is an online tool that allows journalists to find experts by searching keywords or a category list such as alternative blended fuels, state of the industry and cellulosic ethanol. More than 65 experts are currently in the database with detailed biographies, published works and links to view recent TV, radio and print interviews with more resources added every day.

EPIC, Ethanol, News

RFS Restrictions Could Delay Cellulosic Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

Members of a House Agriculture subcommittee are expressing concerns that restrictions under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act could be detrimental to the development of second generation ethanol using biomass.

The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research held a hearing to review the RFS implementation and agriculture producer eligibility. Chairman Congressman Tim Holden (D-PA) said restrictions in the definition of “renewable biomass” under the RFS limit the participation of private forestland owners.

“As our economy diversifies its energy supply, it is critical we take advantage of all potential sources of renewable biomass,” Holden said. “Unfortunately, the RFS contains some restrictions that could delay and threaten meeting the aggressive targets for cellulosic ethanol in the RFS and hold us back from achieving energy independence.”

Robert Meyers EPAEnvironmental Protection Agency Deputy Assistant Administrator Robert Meyer noted that the new law does “limit the crops and crop residues used to produce renewable fuel to those grown on land cleared or cultivated at any time prior to enactment of EISA, that is either actively managed or fallow, and non-forested. EISA also requires that forest-related slash and tree thinnings used for renewable fuel production pursuant to the Act be harvested from non-federal forest lands.” This was just one of the many complexities he outlined in the challenge EPA has in implementing the RFS in a timely manner.

Meyers said EPA began working on implementation of the law immediately once it was signed by the president in December, but he was hesitant to be definite about when that might finally be accomplished, saying only that they hope the final rule to be finished “some time this fall.” Complicating the matter still further is the request for a partial waiver of the RFS submitted by Texas Governor Rick Perry, which EPA has delayed making a decision on due to the volume of comments received.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Government, News

Postal Service Delivering on Alternatives

John Davis

Your mail could be delivered using green energy.

This story from NPR says that the U.S. Postal Service has the largest fleet of alternatively-fueled vehicles in the country… 43,000 strong. And that’s just the beginning of its green efforts:

It’s using solar cells to power some buildings. It’s using eco-friendly packaging.

It’s so hip, it even has a vice president of sustainability.

Walt O’Tormey, USPS vice president of engineering, says this independent federal agency is pushing harder than most to move away from petroleum.

“We’re exploring all the alternatives in the marketplace for us, just to get out of gas consumption,” O’Tormey says. “And we know we owe the environment … to come up with a technology that does not impact the environment.”

This summer, the Postal Service is testing the latest generation of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles with General Motors.

“We’ll test anything!” O’Tormey says. “Propane, compressed natural gas, biodiesel, electric. We have electric vehicles delivering packages in midtown Manhattan, and we have plenty of test sites, from the Grand Canyon to Alaska.”

Considering that each one-cent increase in the cost of petroleum-based fuels costs the USPS $8 million more, it’s no wonder officials want to burn anything but non-renewable sources. Maybe it will help keep down the price of a stamp.

Biodiesel, Hydrogen, Propane, Solar