Mitsubishi Wind and Solar Efforts

John Davis

Mechanical giant Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will build a wind turbine model bigger than anything else in the industry in Europe by the year 2010 and establish more solar panel manufacturing bases overseas.

According to this article in Forbes, the move is part of Mitsubishi’s change in focus from the U.S. to European markets:

The wind turbine for the European market will feature output of 5 megawatts, compared with the 2-3 mw models currently available. A single unit will be capable of generating enough power for 4,000 households.

The firm plans to expand production of photovoltaic panels to 10 sites. The Netherlands and Spain are among four candidate countries in Europe, with California and Pennsylvania under consideration in the US.

This heavy industry branch of Mitsubishi has annual sales of about 700 billion yen (about $5.8 billion US), mostly from fossil-fuel plants. This possible expansion into renewable energy could boost that number to one trillion yen (about $8.3 billion US) in the next few years.

Wind

Military Bio-Trash Becomes Biofuel

John Davis

Interesting little article for a vet like me popped up in the International Herald-Tribune. According to the story, Richard Gross, a chemistry professor at Polytechnic University in New York is working on making plastics out of plant oils… and that plastic packaging would be used by the military and then converted to biodiesel out in the field:

The process does not yet work well enough to be commercial, but the Pentagon was impressed enough to provide $2.34 million for more research. The technique could reduce the amount of material the military has to ship to soldiers at remote bases, because the plastic would do double duty, first as packaging and then as fuel.

Defense officials say it would also reduce trash… which can add up to seven pounds a day for each military member.

Trust me, if you’ve ever had to do trash detail, you’d be happy that some of that waste would at least go to a good cause.

Biodiesel, Research

New Hampshire Biodiesel Progress

John Davis

As New Hampshire’s state legislature moves forward a proposal to study biodiesel production, distribution, and promotion in the state, the first commercial biodiesel plant is proposed.

According to an AP story posted on the WHDH-TV (Boston, MA) web site, freshman lawmaker Rep. David Borden’s bill to establish a biodiesel committee has passed the state House and now goes to the Senate:

The committee would be made of legislators, a University of New Hampshire faculty member and experts in energy, the environment, agriculture and transportation.

Borden believes the committee is a first step in creating a statewide plan to replace 20 percent of the fossil fuels used in diesel and home heating oils with biodiesel. Close to 60 percent of New Hampshire households heat with oil, according to the Oil Heat Council of New Hampshire.

“The state has a tremendous opportunity to find ways for the state to be more energy independent,” Borden said. “We probably can’t do more than 20 percent, but that would make an enormous difference.”

Meanwhile, the Andover (MA) Eagle-Tribune reports a pair of Salem businessmen want to put in New Hampshire’s first biodiesel plant:

Dan Espinal and Tim Hickey will go before the Salem Planning Board on Tuesday with plans for a manufacturing facility at 51 Northwestern Drive, located in one of Salem’s industrial strips off Interstate 93. If approved, the pair hope their company, Atlantic Biodiesel, will spark a cottage industry for local farmers willing to grow oil-seed crops to create fuel.

The plant is expected to produce three million gallons of biodiesel a year to start… eventually moving up to 10 million gallons a year.

Biodiesel, Legislation

School Heated with Biofuel

John Davis

North Country School, just outside of Lake Placid in upstate New York, is switching its heating source to biodiesel.

According to this story in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, the school has always been pretty progressive… organically farming and composting food scraps to make 150,000 pounds of compost material each year. Now, they want their energy sources to be good for the environment, too. That’s why they’re switching their 27,000 gallons of heating fuel used a year to biodiesel:

“Our goal has been being environmental stewards since we started,” [said facilities manager John Culpepper.] “It’s a natural fit for us.”

And a more natural source, too. Unlike fossil fuels like fuel oil, diesel, gasoline and kerosene, biofuel is a renewable fuel made from vegetables products like soybeans.

The school started with 5% biodiesel and has moved up to 20%… and would eventually like to use a 100% blend.

Biodiesel

Dallas Greens Up Biodiesel Buses

John Davis

Many of the city buses in Dallas, Texas are already running on biodiesel. Now, the city will put in an additive that will reduce NOx emissions even further. According to a press release, Dallas will be the first fleet in the nation to use the additive, ORYXE LED for Biodiesel, recently received approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ):

“The City of Dallas is constantly striving to be at the forefront of clean technology, and we hope our example will lead to other large diesel fleets using this cleaner fuel blend,” says Ramiro Lopez, who oversees fuel and environmental services for the Department of Equipment and Building Services. “With NOx being such a big issue in the Metroplex, we waited for this technology to become available so we could reintroduce biodiesel into our fleet.”

B20 fuel treated with the ORYXE additive showed equivalent NOx levels to Texas Low Emission Diesel (TxLED) fuel (5.7% lower than standard EPA petroleum diesel). In addition to reducing NOx, the biodiesel blend with ORYXE Energy technology also reduced particulate matter (PM) by 28.8%, total hydrocarbons (THC) by 17.5% and carbon monoxide (CO) by 19% beyond the required TxLED levels.

The release goes on to point out that the additive is available for just pennies, making it not only good for the environment but easy on taxpayers’ pocketbooks as well.

Biodiesel

Wind Power 2007 Registration

John Davis


The folks at the American Wind Energy Association remind you that Monday, April 9th is the deadline to sign up for early registration for the Wind Power 2007 Conference and Exhibition, June 3-6 in Los Angeles, CA.

Organizers promise the latest industry trends and information with more than 50 educational sessions featuring the new Scientific Track:

WINDPOWER 2007 Highlights:

Pre-Conference Seminars:

– Fundamentals of Wind Energy (specifically created for those who are new to the wind industry or want to brush up on some basics)

– Wind Development 201 (what makes a successful wind project – building on the Fundamentals of Wind Energy)

– Personal Wind Systems for Homes, Farms, and Small Businesses (bringing small wind turbine technology to mainstream customers)

Conference Program:

– Several General Sessions including “Growing the Wind Energy Business” and “Utility Leadership in Wind Development” as well as a Welcome and Opening Session featuring political leaders.

– Session Tracks – For the first time this year, WINDPOWER 2007 will feature 5 separate tracks of sessions from Monday to Wednesday. The Business and Technical tracks span all 3 days, but each day will also feature shorter tracks including Policy, Utility, Project Development (NEW), Small Wind, Scientific (NEW), and Global View (NEW).

– Poster Reception – the Poster Session will be held on Sunday, June 3 from 5:30 – 6:30 pm directly before the Opening Reception in the exhibit hall. Over 160 poster presentations will be featured at this reception where attendees can interact directly with the poster authors.

– First Time Attendee Orientation – New! For those of you who have never attended WINDPOWER before, a new orientation session on Sunday afternoon will help you make the most out of your experience plus meet the AWEA Staff and Board of Directors.

More than 350 exhibitors are already confirmed and more are expected by the June conference.

Click here for registration and more information.

conferences, Wind

Sorghum Growers Cellulosic Forum

Cindy Zimmerman

NSP This week, the National Sorghum Producers hosted a forum with representatives from
Abengoa Bioenergy and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory, as well as sorghum researchers to discuss how the sweet crop fits in the ethanol industry.

Participants shared research plans and findings in regard to sorghum biomass-to-ethanol and sweet sorghum-to-ethanol production. Researchers from Kansas State, Texas A&M, University of Nebraska and Oklahoma State participated as well as personnel from USDA-ARS. Abengoa Bioenergy just recently received one of six DOE grants to construct a new generation ethanol pilot plant in Kansas, which will require both grain and stubble for production.

The sorghum industry plans to work on completing a compositional analysis to help Abengoa and DOE fully understand how sorghum fits as an ethanol feedstock.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, News, Research

Granite Falls Sticks With Aventine

Cindy Zimmerman

Aventine Ethanol company Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings Inc., will continue to market ethanol for Granite Falls Energy LLC, of Minnesota.

According to a press release, Granite Falls has been member of Aventine’s marketing alliance since 2005. In November 2006, Granite Falls notified Aventine that it would not automatically renew its agreement with Aventine in order to evaluate other alternative ethanol marketers. Upon completion of its due diligence in evaluating other potential ethanol marketers, Granite Falls rescinded its cancellation letter previously sent to Aventine.

Ethanol, News

Ethanol and Food Prices

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol has been blamed for both higher egg prices and higher milk prices recently due to higher costs for livestock feed.

AFBF Overall, the American Farm Bureau Federation reports that for the first quarter of this year, food prices are about four percent higher than the previous quarter. Farm Bureau’s regular market basket survey shows 12 of 16 basic grocery items are higher priced, including eggs, flour, bacon, pork chops, milk, potatoes, corn oil, mayonnaise, vegetable oil, ground chuck, sirloin tip roast, and toasted oat cereal.

Items lower in price compared to the end of last year were cheddar cheese, bread, chicken and apples.

It’s interesting to note that higher egg prices are blamed on ethanol while chicken prices are lower – and that higher milk prices are blamed on ethanol, but cheese prices are lower. It’s also interesting to note that red meat prices are higher compared to the last quarter of last year, but lower or the same compared to the same quarter last year.

Finally, Farm Bureau notes that the farmer’s share of the food dollar continues to decline. At this point, farmers and ranchers only receive about 22 cents out of every dollar spent on food – which means the rest goes to costs for transportation, manufacturing, retailers, etc. In other words, the middle men. Unlike most other business people, most farmers and ranchers are unable to set their own price for the commodities they produce and sell. They receive prices set by the buyers of the products. Even if their costs go up, they are unable to accordingly pass those costs on to the consumer. Therefore, most of the time, higher food prices go to the middle men, not the farmer.

Ethanol, News

BioWillie Distributor Woes

John Davis


In what could be seen as a cautionary tale that you’ve got to have more than good intentions to make it in the biodiesel business, the company that had rights to Willie Nelson’s brand of biodiesel… BioWillie… will delay the filing of its 2006 financial results because of “circumstances surrounding the auditor review of our financial information.”

In this story in the Kansas City Star, Earth Biofuels, Inc. had to notify the Security and Exchange Commission of the delay:

Robert Anderson of Kansas City joined the company in October to help with its expansion into the Midwest. Initially enthusiastic about the company, he soon became disenchanted with its inability to follow through on its plans. Now working for another biodiesel company, Anderson worries that Earth Biofuels’ mounting difficulties could unfairly taint the biodiesel industry.

“This is a company and not an industry problem,” Anderson said.

… by late 2006 others were raising questions about the company and its financial health. The Motley Fool investment service warned investors about Earth Biofuels. Earlier this year, Forbes magazine published a critical article, alleging the company was running short on cash.

Forbes also raised questions about Dennis McLaughlin, the company’s chief executive officer, and his previous dealings, including his role at another company, Aurora Natural Gas, which filed for bankruptcy shortly after he left.

Some employees, including those selling BioWillie, have been laid off.

Biodiesel