Ciba Introduces Chemical to Stabilize Biodiesel

John Davis

Ciba logo Switzerland-based chemical company Ciba Specialty Chemicals has come up with a biodiesel additive touted to protect against degradation and oxidation to help extend the storage life of biodiesel. According to a press release on the company’s web site, the chemical will help make fuel quality consistent… no matter what the feedstock and process… and that will help the biodiesel meet certain industry and global standards:

As with other natural substances, if left untreated, biodiesel is susceptible to oxidative degradation. Degradation of biodiesel leads to the formation of lower molecular weight acids, peroxides and gums that can result in unwanted changes in both the properties and performance of biodiesel. These deposits and gums can result in damage to the engine and fuel injection systems.

Ciba says the chemical… known as Ciba IRGASTAB BD 100… can be introduced during production, storage, or even use, and it does not have to be pre-dissolved.

Biodiesel, International

VW Highlighted during “Real World Driving” at Alt Fuel Summit

John Davis

Attendees at the Designing Sustainable Mobility Summit in Southern California drove some of Volkswagen’s vehicles sporting the latest in alternative energy engines including biodiesel and hydrogen. This story on the Italian website, DueMotori.com, says those participating got the chance to try out these alternative fuels in a real-world driving environment… on local public roads:

“It’s important to demonstrate that raising the bar in such important areas as fuel efficiency and emissions reduction isn’t just accomplished with exotic or future-oriented technologies,” says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal, which is hosting the Summit’s ride-and-drive. “Volkswagen’s demonstration of its clean diesel and twin charger engines provides real-world examples of environmentally positive technologies that are operating on highways today.”

VW Toureg TDI VW brought out a Touareg V-10 TDI that runs on B5 biodiesel, a Jetta with a highly efficient TSI engine… popular in Europe and possibly coming to America… and Volkswagen’s Touran HyMotion hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

This event was similar to what VW did at the National Biodiesel Conference earlier this month (see Chuck’s previous post).

Biodiesel, Hydrogen

President’s Radio Address Focuses on Energy

Cindy Zimmerman

White House Radio In his weekly radio address to the nation Saturday, President Bush expressed optimism that energy policy is one area where both Republicans and Democrats can work together and make some progress.

“Republicans and Democrats both recognize these problems. We agree on the solution: We need to diversify our energy supply and make America less dependent on foreign oil,” said the president.

Bush said that his “Twenty in Ten” plan to reduce America’s gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next 10 years has received bipartisan support.

This past week, we took a key step toward my “Twenty in Ten” goal when I sent Congress my budget for the next fiscal year. The budget proposes $2.7 billion to expand alternative energy research, a 53 percent increase over the 2006 funding level. These funds will support further research into cellulosic ethanol, which can be produced from sources like wood chips and grasses. These funds will also support promising technologies beyond ethanol, such as new forms of biodiesel, lithium-ion batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells.

Read and/or listen to the president’s address on the White House website.

Biodiesel, Cellulosic, Energy, Ethanol, Government, News

Soybean Growers Call for Higher Subsidies to Help Biodiesel

John Davis

ASA logoThe American Soybean Association is asking Congress to raise soybean subsidies and provide an incentive payment to encourage development of biodiesel.

From the ASA web site:
Marketing loan rates should be set at a minimum of 95 percent, and target prices at a minimum of 130 percent, of this price average. For soybeans, these percentages would establish a $5.01/bushel loan rate (up from $5.00/bushel), and a $6.85/bushel target price (up from the $5.80 bushel) for the duration of the 2007 Farm Bill.
The current Bush Administration proposal calls for a support price of no more than $4.92 a bushel.

Also the ASA calls for A biodiesel incentive payment to support continued growth of the young U.S. biodiesel industry in the face of sometimes subsidized foreign imports. This is particularly important since biodiesel does not have a tariff to protect the biodiesel tax incentive from imports, similar to the tariff that shields the U.S. ethanol industry.

Continuation of the Biodiesel Education Program that awards grants for education programs for governmental and private entities that can switch to biodiesel. The 2002 Farm Bill created the existing program that has helped introduce truckers, health groups and many others to the benefits of biodiesel.

Biodiesel, Government, Legislation

Arkansas Legislature Moves Forward on $20 Mil Alt Fuels Bill

John Davis

The Arkansas State Legislature’s House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development has unanimously approved a bill that would provide $20 million in tax dollars for the development of alternative fuels. The bill is sponsored by House Speaker Benny Petrus (D-Stuttgart).

Rep. Benny Petrus This from the Associated Press story in the Houston (TX) Chronicle:
“This is the only platform I’ve had as speaker,” the Democrat from Stuttgart said after the panel endorsed his proposal. “I’m real excited about this, and it’ll be a great opportunity for our state and our economy.”

The bill would take $10 million each year from the state’s General Improvement Fund and $10 million from general revenues. A spokesman for Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe was non-committal on whether the governor would sign the bill. Of course, it still has to make it through the full legislature.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Government, News

NC Company Steps up Productions of Tiny Fuel Cells

John Davis

Microcell Raleigh-based Microcell has announced in a press release on its web site that it has bought an 80-thousand square foot facility in Eastern North Carolina to ramp up production of its microcell… the world’s smallest fuel cell (not just a clever title). This fuel cell is expected to help power cars in the future.

“Microcell is moving beyond research and development and is preparing for product commercialization. We anticipate the need for environmentally clean energy technologies to significantly increase in the next decade. Microcell projects to be a major player in this field.” said Andrew Williams, Microcell CFO.

Microcell adds this facility to its 12-thousand square foot headquarters in North Carolina’s Research Triangle. The new plant will employ about 100 people.

Car Makers, Flex Fuel Vehicles

Eleven BYG Winners in Garst Giveaway

Cindy Zimmerman

Garst Garst Seed Company has announced the grand prizewinners in its Blue + Yellow = Green (BYG) sweepstakes.

Eleven growers won free one-year leases for new Chevy 1500 Flex Fuel pickup trucks and Garst awarded 110 first-place prizes of $100 ethanol certificates.

David Witherspoon, head of Garst says, “This initiative is part of our continuous efforts to provide seed and traits that help our customers be more productive and meet the increasing demand for corn that’s being driven by renewable fuels.”

Garst’s parent company Syngenta is conducting research and developing additional products that will benefit the renewable fuels market. One example is a proprietary corn amylase output trait that expresses higher levels of the enzyme amylase, which can increase the efficiency of ethanol production. Syngenta intends to launch the corn amylase trait by 2008, pending the achievement of a number of technical, commercial and regulatory milestones.

Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News

BIO Urges Federal Cellulosic Research Funding

Cindy Zimmerman

BIO As Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman appeared before the House Energy and Commerce today to testify about the Bush Administration’s 2008 proposed budget, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) urged House and Senate budget writers to invest in research and development and support commercialization of ethanol from cellulose as outlined in the budget.

A BIO release quotes President and CEO Jim Greenwood as saying, “The Administration’s budget contains funding for biofuels research that is significantly increased over last year’s budget. It also contains funding to guarantee loans for construction of modern biorefineries. This backing will help the biotechnology and ethanol industries, farmers, and the investment community work together to achieve the President’s goal of annually producing 35 billion gallons of renewable fuel within 10 years.”

Ethanol, Government, News

Ethanol Company Chooses Illinois Plant Site

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanex Ethanex Energy Inc. has selected Waltonville, Illinois as the location for a new 132 million gallon per year ethanol plant.

According to a press release, this is the Kansas-based company’s third planned facility in the region along with Ethanex at SEMO and Ethanex at Northeast Kansas.

This plant will incorporate the Company’s proprietary fractionation technology making it one of the largest and most efficient ethanol plants in the country. The 169-acre site would also have access to both the Union-Pacific Railroad and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.

Ethanol, Facilities, News

Colorado’s Biodiesel Pickle

John Davis

Southeast Colorado is getting its first biodiesel plant as a group of investors has bought an old pickle factory with the intention of re-opening the vacant plant as a 10-million gallon/year refinery. The project is expected to be up and running in June. From this story in the Pueblo (CO) Chieftain:

Wayne Snider, director of economic development in La Junta, [says], “They will use local crops – their plan is to produce 5 million gallons using soy beans and 5 million gallons utilizing sunflowers.”

The announcement comes nearly one year to the day the pickle factory closed… and 118 people were suddenly without jobs. Local officials say the new biodiesel plant will be a boon to the economy.

Biodiesel, News