Part of Diesel Pool to be Saved for Biodiesel

John Davis

A bi-partisan piece of legislation has been introduced that will dedicate some of the nation’s diesel supply to biodiesel. The Biodiesel Promotion and Quality Assurance Act of 2007, sponsored by U.S. Representatives Baron Hill (D-IN), John Shimkus (R-IL), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Kenny Hulshof (R-MO), Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (D-SD) and Sam Graves (R-MO), puts aside some of the 60 billion gallons of diesel produced in the U.S. each year for biodiesel and other biobased replacement diesel fuels.

This press release from the National Biodiesel Board says it recognizes biodiesel’s contribution as a blend component to diesel fuel as well as creating a minimum usage requirement for biodiesel and “biobased replacement diesel” that increases from 450 million gallon in 2008 to 1.25 billion gallons in 2012:

baronhill.JPG“It is critical that we move America away from foreign fuels and become energy independent,” said Representative Hill. “Biodiesel and other biobased diesel replacements offer a domestic fuel source that can be used right now to displace foreign oil. It is important for our country to move forward in an economically and environmentally responsible way, and this legislation does just that.”

The legislation has gained the praise of the NBB:

Joe Jobe“This legislation is good for America’s energy security, economic growth and the environment because it would set a floor for biodiesel demand,” said Joe Jobe, NBB CEO. “The young U.S. biodiesel industry can do more to expand America’s domestic refining capacity if this legislation is enacted. The biodiesel industry looks forward to working with Congress to pass a renewable requirement in the nation’s diesel pool as part of any effort to expand the Renewable Fuels Standard.”

Biodiesel

Biofuel Capital of Missouri

Chuck Zimmerman

Biofuel Capital of MisouriWhile I was on my way to do some field work this weekend I passed this sign driving into Audrain County, MO.

Since all you’re going to see is fields of corn and soybeans (mostly now harvested) it’s easy to see why they can make this claim.

The county is also the home to a multiple biofuels production facilities.

Biodiesel, Ethanol

Blender Pumps for Minnesota

Cindy Zimmerman

Border States CoopBorder States Cooperative has opened Minnesota’s first ethanol “blender pumps” in Ortonville, near the South Dakota border.

The blender pumps allow motorists to choose several different blends of ethanol from the legally mandated 10 percent up to 85 percent.

Border States Cooperative officials say they put the blender pumps in last year for E85 but were unable to use them to their full capability until the state’s rules changed. Border States Cooperative put the pumps into operation last week and held grand opening ceremonies on Tuesday.

The blender pumps are already being used in South Dakota.

E85, Ethanol, News

Latest Ethanol Figures

Cindy Zimmerman

RFAEthanol production continued to grow in July, averaging 421,000 barrels per day, according to the Energy Information Administration. Ethanol demand, as calculated by the Renewable Fuels Association, also increased to 446,000 barrels per day.

RFA reports that, so far this year, the U.S. is averaging 399,000 b/d with average demand exceeding production at nearly 425,000 b/d.

Currently, 130 ethanol biorefineries nationwide have a capacity to produce more than 6.8 billion gallons annually. Additionally, 76 biorefineries are under construction and 10 are expanding which will add more than 6.7 billion gallons of new production capacity by 2010.

Ethanol, News, RFA

Bio Trekker Selling Idea of Biodiesel RVs

John Davis

Ty AdamsAs you might remember from my post a couple of months ago, freelance writer and biodiesel advocate Ty Adams from Bozeman, Montana was making his way across the country in his biodiesel-powered RV.

This latest installment of his adventures sees him in Tacoma, Washington where he has joined exhibitors at the Tacoma Fall RV Show. But this story in the Seattle Times says, unlike the other RV sellers at the meeting who are trying to sell RVs, Adams is selling an idea… the idea of rolling on biodiesel:

He gave up his day job last November and used all his savings to travel 15,000 miles around the country in a 34-foot RV he named the “bio Trekker.”

“Some people might call it a strange financial decision or a half-baked scheme or a desperate attempt to get out of having a ‘real job.’ I call it a dream,” Adams wrote on his Web site, www.biotrekker.com.

His dream is to sell the idea of RVs powered by biodiesel. That’s all Adams uses.

The baby-boomer crowds are listening to him, often asking detailed questions about how biodiesel works.

They ask the difference between biodiesel and ethanol. (Biodiesel is from vegetable oil and sometimes recycled restaurant grease; ethanol is made from corn and is mixed into regular gasoline.)

They walk to the back of his spic-and-span RV, and, after he cranks up the Cummins 5.9-liter, 325-horsepower engine, sniff the exhaust for the famous French-fries smell.

They ask where biodiesel can be purchased. He provides them with a list and a Web site, www.nearbio.com.

Pretty interesting concept, and Adams has plenty of folks taking quite an interest. Roll on, road warrior!

Biodiesel

Brown Going Green

John Davis

UPSShipping giant UPS has announced that 366 of its ground support vehicles at its worldwide air hub in Louisville, Kentucky will be running on biodiesel.

This story in the Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal says the shipper is getting a federal grant to get this project off the ground:

A $515,000 federal grant is offsetting some of the cost of building the infrastructure for biodiesel at the airport, UPS said. The shipping company plans to start using the biodiesel early next year.

A visit to the UPS Sustainability web site (www.sustainability.ups.com) shows this is not a new trend for the company as it has been using some alternative fuels since the 1930s.

So the next time you hear somebody say “What can Brown do for you?” you’ll know they’re going green to help all of us.

Biodiesel

Greening Mayfield’s Brownfield

Cindy Zimmerman

NE EthanolA proposed ethanol plant in Mayfield, Pennsylvania is planning to be a green new breed.

Northeast Ethanol would not only be the first ethanol plant in Pennsylvania, it plans to have “the world’s smallest environmental footprint. No odor. No noise. No wastewater from the process.”

According to the company’s website, the design of the plant calls for the world’s latest biotechnology. “It’s so clean and efficient that we’ll use far less water and less energy than run-of-the-mill ethanol plants. 50% less water. 25% less fossil fuel.”

Delta TThe new generation plant is being designed by Delta-T Corporation. In a Times-Tribune article, Delta-T spokesman Thomas Corle said the $150 million facility would capture its own steam to eliminate any industrial plume, reducing atmospheric emissions by more than 90 percent. “Basically, it’s going to eliminate the smell completely,” Mr. Corle said.

The proposed site for the plant is a 100-acre brownfield which would require a substantial initial cleanup and local officials must still be convinced that the plant is a good idea for the community. A group of officials will be visiting Iowa this weekend to tour an ethanol facility and find out more about it.

Ethanol, Facilities, News

Announcing WIREC 2008

Cindy Zimmerman

The United States will host the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference March 4-6, 2008.

WIRECThe conference, which has been held previously in Bonn and Beijing, is an opportunity for government, private sector, and non-governmental leaders to jointly address the goal of advancing renewable energy.

Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky hosted stakeholders in the renewable energy industry last week to announce the conference and discuss their goals.

“This conference will play a key role in addressing energy security and climate change,” she said. “WIREC will also provide a platform to promote strategies for the development and rapid adoption of renewable energy systems worldwide,” Dobriansky says.

USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development Tom Dorr also attended the WIREC kickoff to talk about USDA’s involvement in the conference. “It is important in this discussion to remember that renewable energy is in large part rural energy—ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel and biomass technology all rely primarily on farm and forest resources, and wind because of its siting requirements is also largely a rural resource,” said Dorr.

Agribusiness, Biodiesel, Cellulosic, conferences, Ethanol, global warming, Government, News, Wind

Pacific NW Ethanol Plant Opens

Cindy Zimmerman

Pacific EthanolOregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski cut the ribbon on the Pacific Northwest’s first commercial ethanol plant Friday in Boardman.

The plant, built by California-based Pacific Ethanol, will produce 40 million gallons of ethanol yearly to help meet the current City of Portland’s Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and will help supply fuel for the implementation of Oregon’s upcoming RFS slated to begin January 1, 2008.

In addition to supplying the Northwest fuel markets, the plant produces 350,000 tons of wet distillers grains, an important feed ingredient to Northwest dairy and beef producers.

Ethanol, Facilities, News

Cows Are Like Ethanol Plants

Cindy Zimmerman

Nick BakerHere is a riddle for you – “How is a cow like an ethanol production plant?”

That question was posed at a booth manned by Nick Baker of the U. S. Dairy Forage Research Center at last week’s World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Baker explained to expo visitors that basically the cow’s rumen uses microbes to break down forage and feed into the energy it needs much like an ethanol plant which then converts the sugars produced into alcohol.

Baker says he is working on a project to utilize switchgrass in the production of ethanol and says the technology is already available to make that happen.

Chuck Zimmerman interviewed Baker for World Dairy Diary’s “Milking Parlor” podcast, which you can listen to here: Listen To MP3 Interview with Nick Baker (MP3)

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Research