Ethanol Promotion Events

Cindy Zimmerman

Farmers CooperativeKansas flex-fuel motorists can take advantage of bargain prices while pumping up the local economy at an E85 grand opening in Manhattan, Kansas on Friday. E85 will be available for $1.85 a gallon at the Farmers Cooperative Association in Manhattan.

The first 50 cars to fill up with E85 will receive an IndyCar® Series #17 Team Ethanol diecast car. Free hot dogs and pop will be available to consumers throughout the entire promotion.

Kum & GoNext week, on Tuesday, Kum & Go, the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board are partnering for an ethanol promotion event in Johnston.

IA Corn“This event is meant to celebrate ethanol use in Iowa and to ramp up excitement for ISU’s homecoming week,” said Jerry Main, a corn grower and chairman of the Usage and Production Committee at Iowa Corn. “This event marks a great set of anniversaries: Iowa State is celebrating 150 years and Iowa Corn has been promoting ethanol for 30 years. I am also glad to see the partnership between Iowa Corn and Kum & Go benefiting Iowa consumers.”

In Iowa, 75 percent of consumers use ethanol blends, and the market is growing for E85 fuel in flexible fuel vehicles.

corn, E85, Ethanol, News

“e” Marks the Spot in Illinois

Cindy Zimmerman

Representatives from the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) were on hand last week to introduce the “e” brand to Illinois at an Illinois Corn Marketing Board event in the Village of Northbrook.

EPIC’s Director of Operations, Robert White, says significant developments such as the Renewable Fuels Standard in the Energy Bill, higher gasoline prices and positive media coverage of ethanol have created a high level of consumer interest in ethanol.

IL Corn Branding“Switching to the new labels is voluntary but it enables fuel retailers to capitalize on growing consumer awareness and the national brand-building activities that are being spearheaded by EPIC,” said White. “More and more consumers are seeking out ethanol-enriched fuel and this branding program will help consumers find it simply by looking for the brand image that will be consistent from pump to pump and from city to city across Illinois — and, eventually, across the entire United States.”

Pictured are: Mark Lambert, Illinois Corn Marketing Board Communications Director; John Novinson, Northbrook Village Manager; Robert White of EPIC at the podium; and John DeRosa, Environmental Programs, American Lung Association of Illinois.

corn, EPIC, Ethanol, News

Report Highlights Future of Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

NWFA National Research Council report released today examines policy options and identifies opportunities for new agricultural techniques and technologies to help minimize effects of biofuel production on water resources.

While many media reports have focused on the potential effects increased corn ethanol production could have on water supplies and quality, the report was focused on identified options for addressing those concerns.

National Wildlife Federation Senior Program Manager for Agriculture and Wetland Policy Julie Sibbing says the report highlights the need for a new Biofuels Innovation Program in the next Farm Bill.

“The report notes that cellulosic biofuels, produced from native plants like switchgrass, should have less impact on water quality per unit of energy gained,” Sibbing said in a statement. “It suggests the adoption of public policies that encourage production of energy from cellulosic alternatives. America’s water resources will be under even greater pressure in a warming climate. Moving to non-irrigated, native crops to produce ethanol will go a long way towards helping to safeguard our water resources.”

RFARenewable Fuels Association president Bob Dinneen noted that the ethanol industry is already moving in many of the directions the study suggests.

“As this study accurately points out, U.S. ethanol producers are rapidly developing and implementing technologies that are improving the already green footprint of the industry,” Dinneen said. “Better efficiencies at today’s ethanol biorefineries are reducing water use, improving water recycling methods and utilizing wastewater supplies to further lessen the impact, if any, a biorefinery may have on local water supplies.”

Dinneen adds that the ethanol industry is evolving so rapidly it will be unrecognizable from its present form five years from now. “Technological evolutions will provide for more efficient use of natural resources like water, further reduce already low emissions from biorefineries, and allow us to produce ethanol from less resource-intensive sources in addition to grains.”

Cellulosic, Ethanol, News

Iowa Lawmaker Proposes 20% Renewable Standard

John Davis

As Iowa Governor Chet Culver wants to make the Hawkeye State the renewable energy capitol of the world, one legislator says he will propose legislation to achieve that goal.

hatch.jpgThis story on WHO-TV (Des Moines) says Senator Jack Hatch says he will propose a 20 percent renewable energy standard for the state when legislature comes back together during the next session:

“If we let this slip away, renewable energy, and I’m talking soy biodiesel, ethanol, wind, everything, we’ll be facing a train wreck in this state,” Chris Peterson, President of the Iowa Farmers Union said. “We need to move forward with renewable. It’s a must to revitalize the rural economy.”

Hatch made the announcement during a meeting with the Sierra Club and the United Steel Workers Union.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News, Wind

Biodiesel Blender Holds Open House in Iowa

John Davis

MagellanU.S. Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) was among those attending a a grand opening and open house this week at Magellan Midstream Partners’ biodiesel blending facility in Mason City, Iowa.

This article in the Mason City Globe Gazette says the new facility is the first biodiesel blending system located inside a petroleum terminal in Iowa:

Sen. Charles Grassley“This is a perfect example of cooperation between energy companies — of companies working arm in arm instead of in competition with one another to solve a problem,” said Grassley.

Magellan plays a significant role in Iowa’s biodiesel infrastructure as the majority of diesel in Iowa flows through its system, and this terminal to blend biodiesel is a big part of that.

Don Wellendorf, president and chief executive officer of Magellan, says the Clear Lake facility is part of the “critical infrastructure in the local, state and regional economy.”

“Our investment in biodiesel blending infrastructure at the Clear Lake terminal is underpinned by customer demand and the renewable fuel policy requirements passed by Congress and the state legislatures in Iowa and Minnesota,” he said.

Biodiesel

Pepco Whips Up Renewable Wind Energy for D.C. Hotel

John Davis

Pepco Energy ServicesGusts of energy from Pepco Energy Services are securing an environmentally-conscious energy commitment for Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington D.C. The Willard has awarded Pepco a contract to provide the hotel with 100% wind renewable energy credits.

The one-year contract which began in June calls for Pepco Energy Services to provide the 332-room Willard InterContinental Washington nearly 7.1 million kilowatt hours of 100% wind renewable energy certificates.

Under this contract, Pepco Energy Services will provide renewable energy certificates from Sterling Planet. Electricity produced from renewable resources reduces the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2), a key greenhouse gas. Wind energy is particularly effective in reducing greenhouse gases, because there are no air emissions associated with operating wind generators.

Energy, Wind

Technology Management Develops World’s First Soybean-Powered Fuel Cell

John Davis

Technology ManagementOhio has a lot of it, and now, one company has a breakthrough way of using it. Technology Management Inc., based in Cleveland, Ohio, says it’s committed to “creating clean technology solutions for the emerging energy shortfalls of the 21st century.” That commitment has paid off as TMI offers a first in fuel cell systems technology worldwide, using Ohio’s largest cash crop to generate electricity.

Technology Management, Inc. (TMI)  has successfully demonstrated the world’s first kilowatt-scale solid oxide fuel cell system that generates electricity using vegetable oil from soybeans.

“We believe this is the first time a complete farm scale fuel cell system has ever been shown to convert unblended soybean oil into renewable electricity outside the laboratory,” said Benson Lee, president and CEO of Technology Management, Inc.

The project received contributions from the USDA Biomass Initiative Program, the Ohio Soybean Council and Ohio’s Third Frontier Project.

The new fuel system technology is a touted success born out of TMI’s partnership with Ohio State University’s Biomass to Energy Program to create localized energy and marketable biofuels from examining the conversion of various biomass waste and organic matter.

Agribusiness, Energy, News, Production, Research

Benefuel Unveils New Fats-to-Biodiesel Plant Plans

John Davis

BenefuelChicago-based biodiesel refinery builder Benefuel, Inc. will build the world’s first industrial-scale biodiesel refinery that uses a novel solid catalyst to convert low-grade fats and vegetable oils into biodiesel. The 10-million-gallon plant is to be built in Seymour, Indiana in conjunction with Seymour Biofuels.

This company press release says the plant will eliminate the need for water in the refining process and produces a market-ready glycerin by-product:

The catalyst, developed in collaboration with leading chemical engineers from India’s prestigious National Chemical Laboratory, can turn virtually any vegetable oil or high free fatty acid (FFA) animal fat directly into biodiesel without the need for costly pre-processing.

Thanks to the unique nature of the Benefuel catalyst, the operators of the new Seymour plant will realize significant production savings through the purchase of the lowest-cost feedstock. As an added economic benefit, the glycerin by-product of the Seymour refinery will have an initial purity of more than 98%, making it market-ready for use in other applications.

Production is expected to start later in 2008.

Biodiesel

Consulting Firm Added to National Wind

John Davis

National WindMinneapolis-based National Wind has acquired Romuld Wind Consulting… a wind resource assessment and energy analysis firm from Grand Forks, North Dakota. The new division, called National Wind Assessments, will help the company work with customers and and current development projects.

This company press release has more:

“The addition of Romuld Wind Consulting is a great opportunity to further build our business toward a single source entity that can seamlessly provide the services needed to create utility-scale (50 megawatts plus) wind projects,” says Leon Steinberg, National Wind’s CEO. “An experienced wind energy assessment expert, like Romuld, is a rare commodity. The rapid growth in wind energy has created a shortage of experienced service providers in some key areas, such as wind energy assessment. We have secured this scarce resource for our projects and those of our customers.”

Romuld Wind Consulting founder Kevin Romuld, who has consulted on more than 50 wind projects across the U.S. and Canada, will join National Wind as vice president leading the new division:

“I am excited to be part of National Wind, one of the wind industry’s fastest growing companies,” says Romuld. “We are committed to providing all of the resources required to better serve our existing customers and to expand our services.”

Wind

PA Opens 45 MGPY Biodiesel Plant

John Davis

lakeeriepiclogo.GIFPennsylvania has opened a 45-million-gallon-a-year biodiesel plant on the shores of Lake Erie… hence the company name Lake Erie Biofuels.

This press release from the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection says the plant will help the state shed its $30-billion-a-year foreign energy dependence while putting more people to work:

“The opening of this facility also shows that companies are eager to invest and grow in Pennsylvania. With our commitment to renewable energy technologies, more and more investors and developers are looking to Pennsylvania. We’ve become a leading destination for alternative and renewable energy projects, and with Governor Rendell’s Energy Independence Strategy, we’ll see an additional $3.5 billion in new economic growth and 13,000 new jobs,” [said Department of Environmental Protection Regional Director Kelly Burch].

Rendell’s PennSecurity Fuels Initiative requires the state to make and use nearly 1 billion gallons of biofuels when certain production capacities are met. It includes a 10 percent ethanol and 2 percent mandates with the biodiesel mandates going up to 20 percent when a 300-million-gallon annual biodiesel production level is attained. The Energy Independence Strategy also invests $850 million toward developments in Pennsylvania’s alternative and renewable energy industries.

Biodiesel