Pellets Might Hold Power of Hydrogen

John Davis

hydrogen pelletsResearchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are working on a storage system for hydrogen power… an elusive key to unlocking the clean fuel’s unlimited power.

This press release from the agency has more details:

PNNL scientists are using solid ammonia borane, or AB, compressed into small pellets to serve as a hydrogen storage material. Each milliliter of AB weighs about three-quarters of a gram and harbors up to 1.8 liters of hydrogen. Researchers expect that a fuel system using small AB pellets will occupy less space and be lighter in weight than systems using pressurized hydrogen gas, thus enabling fuel cell vehicles to have room, range and performance comparable to today’s automobiles.

“With this new understanding and our improved methods in working with ammonia borane,” said PNNL scientist Dave Heldebrant, “we’re making positive strides in developing a viable storage medium to provide reliable, environmentally friendly hydrogen power generation for future transportation needs.”

Scientists believe once they crack the regulation of the release of energy from the pellets it will be just like pushing the gas pedal.

Hydrogen

Finding Biodiesel

John Davis

promiles.bmpA new computer program is making it easier for truckers to fill up on biodiesel. Commercial trucking software maker ProMiles has developed a program that helps truckers find biodiesel stations through their in-cab computers and laptops.

The software has the endorsement of the National Biodiesel Board:

“I’ve been a ProMiles user for years and I rely on it for all of my routing,” said Tony Hamilton, company driver, Dixie Midwest Express, Alabama. “Having biodiesel locations available helps me to use my fuel of choice and incorporate it into my planning instead of going out of my way to search for it when on the road.”
The NBB, ProMiles, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) are working together to produce a continuously updated and accurate list of truck-accessible biodiesel locations to be included in mapping software. This first set of locations is now incorporated into ProMiles XF® software and available for truckers.

NBB logo“ProMiles is the first mapping software company to approach us about showing biodiesel locations in its mapping software,” said Tom Verry, Director of Outreach and Development, NBB. “They are pioneers in the industry and are looking to keep current with what their customers are demanding.”

Biodiesel

South Dakota Plant Opening

Cindy Zimmerman

RedfieldRedfield Energy, LLC celebrated the start-up of production Thursday with a grand opening at the plant in South Dakota.

Located outside Redfield, South Dakota, the facility will produce 50 million gallons of ethanol per year from 18 million bushels of corn. RE is a South Dakota LLC comprised of 657 members who represent two share classes. Class A equity shareholders are required to deliver corn on an annual fiscal year basis and Class B equity shareholders do not have a corn requirement. Glacial Lakes Energy, LLC in Watertown, SD holds a percentage of ownership in RE and serves as the management team.

Renewable Fuels Association president Bob Dinneen congratulated the plant owners on their grand opening. “South Dakotans from every walk of life understand the importance of domestically produced renewable fuels and it shows in both their leadership within the ethanol industry as well as their representatives in Washington,” said Dinneen. “Redfield Energy will continue the long tradition of the South Dakota ethanol industry in providing economic opportunity in rural America and a value-added market for America’s farmers.”

Ethanol, Facilities, News, RFA

Louisiana Gets E85

Cindy Zimmerman

Clean FuelsLouisiana has become the 41st state to have at least one retail E85 fueling station with the grand opening Thursday at a Pumpelly Oil station in Sulphur.

According to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, the facility is a partnership between CleanFUEL Distribution, CleanFUEL USA and Protec Fuel Management, and Pumpelly Oil. CleanFUEL USA manufactured the dispenser, CleanFUEL Distribution is providing the fuel, and Pumpelly Oil owns the station.

“This is something that’s good for the environment and promotes cleaner air for our state,” said Glenn Pumpelly, president of Pumpelly Oil. “We look forward to continued work with CleanFUEL USA and CleanFUEL Distribution to be a solution provider for people who want to use not only ethanol but also biodiesel and propane.”

E85, Ethanol, News

Marketing at Top Speed

Cindy Zimmerman

EPIC at NAMA“Marketing at Top Speed” was the title of the presentation made to agrimarketing professionals this week in Kansas City by the executive director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC), Tom Slunecka.

Slunecka told the members of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) that ethanol has brought a major paradigm shift to agriculture that stands to benefit every segment of the industry, including the livestock sector, in the long term. He urged them all to become “ethanol evangelists” and promote the good news about the fuel to fight those who are trying to undermine it.

EPIC certainly has a great story to tell, growing an organization to promote ethanol in less than three years into what is a major success story. Just this year alone, Slunecka says they have generated over 700 million media impressions for ethanol – mostly due to their high profile with the Indy Racing League and other motor sports venues. Ethanol may seem to be generating a great deal of negative publicity, but as the saying goes “there’s no such thing as bad publicity.” And there is no denying that ethanol has brought new life to rural America.

EPIC, Ethanol, News, Promotion

A Farmer’s Tale of Biodiesel

John Davis

High Plains JournalThere’s a great feature story in the latest issue of the High Plains Journal that tells the story of how one Kansas Farmer took the journey in deciding to grow his own biodiesel crop… even refining his harvest into his own green fuel.

Check out these excerpts:

Luke Jaeger was fed up with high fuel prices.

A few years ago, as he sat at his desk in his home near Minneola, Kan., Jaeger decided fuel prices were crimping his bottom line and it was time for a different approach to filling his equipment tanks.

Jaeger went online and searched the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service files, talked with seed salesmen and visited with biodiesel specialists to plan his farm-scale biodiesel facility. But it wasn’t until the first seeds were planted that Jaeger’s vision of energy independence began to take a definite shape.

Jaeger purchased canola seed from a Nickerson, Kan., dealer and planted his first 60 acres last fall.

But, growing his own oil crop was just the first step in Jaeger’s plan. He also committed to building his own oil seed crushing and fuel refinery right there on his farm.

“We put in two 10-ton crushers, and the goal is to provide crushing for other area farmers who will grow winter canola or sunflowers and bring them to us to crush and then refine the oil into biodiesel,” Jaeger said. “They can bring us their seeds and leave with biodiesel.” The family is in the permitting phase of construction now and has joined the National Biodiesel Board. Eventually they will have all of the proper permits to process biodiesel and their product will meet American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards.

The article is an interesting story of Jaeger’s work and a good read… in my humble opinion.

Biodiesel, Ethanol

Safeway Converts Arizona Trucks to Biodiesel

John Davis

SafewayGrocery giant Safeway is converting its entire fleet of trucks in Arizona to 20% biodiesel.

The Arizona Star has more about the green grocer and the green fuel:

For the last 30 days, the company has worked to convert all 79 of its Arizona trucks to fuel that is 20 percent biodiesel made from domestically manufactured virgin soybean oil.
The conversion will reduce Safeway’s carbon dioxide gas output by 3,603 metric tons — equivalent to 780 passenger cars not being driven for one year, said Nikki Daly, company spokeswoman.

Biodiesel

Florida Crystals Wins Bid for Cellulosic Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

Florida Crystals The University of Florida has selected Florida Crystals Corp. as the site to build a cellulosic ethanol plant that will produce 1 million to 2 million gallons of ethanol a year, university officials said.

According to a South Florida Business Journal article, the plant is financed by a $20 million state grant and will operate as a research and development lab as well as a commercial facility. It is the first of its kind in Florida. Attendees at the Monday meeting where the decision was announced said Florida Crystals was selected over the second front-runner, Memphis, Tenn.-based Buckeye Technologies, because it has a large supply of bagasse biomass and it is already in the sugar business.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, News

Lignol Seeks DOE Grant

Cindy Zimmerman

LignolThe U.S. subsidiary of Canada’s Lignol Energy Corporation has filed a formal application for a $30 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to fund the development of a cellulosic ethanol commercial demonstration plant in Colorado.

Lignol Innovations Inc. has also signed a Project Development Agreement with Suncor Energy Products Inc. and its affiliate Suncor Energy to jointly fund the project development costs related to the DOE application.

“This DOE funding program is seeking to identify companies that can successfully develop biorefineries for ethanol and bio-based chemicals for industrial applications in the United States. Working closely with our stakeholders and industrial partners, we have developed a comprehensive application for DOE consideration,” said Ross MacLachlan, President and CEO of Lignol.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, News

Cellulosic Ethanol Summit

Cindy Zimmerman

Cellulosic SummitThe second annual Cellulosic Ethanol Summit in October will be a veritable “who’s who” in the rapidly accelerating industry of cellulosic ethanol.

The keynote address will be given by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. Among those on the multi-faceted program are Ross MacLachlan of Lignol Energy Corp. Doug Berven of POET, Jeff Passmore from IOGEN, Gerson Santos-Leon of Abengoa, Craig Evans from Alico and Arnold Klann, the President of Bluefire Ethanol, Inc. This panel of developers will discuss the projects in development and what they portend for cellulosic ethanol industry building. Check out the full agenda here.

The conference features a dozen corporate sponsors, including Verenium, Baker & McKenzie and Genencor among others, as well as an unprecedented twenty supporting organizations and media partners, including USDA, the US Department of Energy, 25 x 25, the American Coalition for Ethanol, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC), the National Sorghum Producers, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB), and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA).

The event will be held October 15-17 in Washington, DC at the Almas Temple Club. Register on-line here.

Cellulosic, conferences, Ethanol, News, RFA