Biogas Energy Project

Cindy Zimmerman

Biodigester The Propane Education & Research Council recently joined the University of California-Davis, Onsite Power Systems, and industry partners at the official start-up of the anaerobic biodigester system for UC Davis’ Biogas Energy project. The project will demonstrate an innovative waste-to-energy technology with possible environmental and economic advantages, including potential as a renewable energy source.

Anaerobic biodigesters use bacteria to break down animal waste, plant material referred to as green waste, and food waste and convert it to biogas, a form of methane. The UC Davis / Onsite Power biodigester also produces raw hydrogen in its two-step process. The hydrogen can be marketed as a fuel source for use in fuel cells or motor vehicles and sold as an industrial product. The biodigester can produce an estimated 22 therms of high-quality biohydrogen and biogas from one ton of food waste or green waste.

The Biogas Energy project’s biodigester uses the propane-fueled boilers donated by PERC to sustain internal heat at the required temperature to promote optimal bacteria growth to produce the most efficient natural breakdown of wastes. Propane also can serve as a reliable backup energy source for the types of biodigesters that run off of their own energy production.

Read more.

Energy

Ethanol Helps Fuel Nebraska Economy

Cindy Zimmerman

Creighton Goss A business conditions report for midwestern states indicates that economic growth has slowed overall, but ethanol is helping to fuel growth in at least one of the states.

In a monthly survey of supply managers in nine states, Creighton University’s Economic Forecasting Group found that Nebraska’s leading economic indicator, the Business Conditions Index, increased slightly for October. According to Creighton University Economics Professor Ernie Goss, “Aided by the construction of ethanol plants and ethanol production, non-urban areas of Nebraska continue to grow. Growth will be healthy into the first quarter of 2007 as high agricultural commodity prices assist rural communities that received adequate rainfall. In the urban areas, the transportation sector was a driver of October growth.”

States included in the survey are Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Read more here.

Ethanol, News

Kubota Approves Biodiesel Use

Cindy Zimmerman

Kubota
Kubota Tractor Corporation has approved the use of five percent biodiesel fuels in specified Kubota diesel-powered products.

According to a company release, the approved blends of biodiesel fuel for use in Kubota diesel-powered products range up to a “B5” blend that consists of 5% biodiesel and 95% petroleum diesel.

“Kubota is committed to environmentally sound practices and the support of renewable, agriculturally based products used in fuels — as we continually work at increasing energy efficiencies within our industry,” says Tetsuji “Mike” Tomita, President, Kubota Tractor Corporation. “Kubota believes strongly in the efficiency and high performance of the diesel engine and approves the use of B5 biodiesel fuels.

Biodiesel

Price is Right

Cindy Zimmerman

E85 Consumers can find out the latest prices for E85 all over the country with the click of a mouse at E85prices.com.

According to the website, the price of E85 fell significantly last month and the spread between unleaded and E85 has now widened to about 40 cents per gallon in many areas.

The price of E85 is below $2.00 a gallon in 7 States – Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Missouri, Illinois and Nebraska.

The lowest price for E85 in the nation was reported in Perryville, Missouri at $1.61 a gallon.

Ethanol, News

Panda Keeps Climbing

Cindy Zimmerman

Panda Development GroupTexas-based Panda Energy has announced plans to build another 100 million gallon-per-year ethanol plant powered by manure.

According to the company, the latest plant will be located near the city of Muleshoe in Bailey County, Texas.

The Muleshoe facility will generate the steam used in the ethanol manufacturing process by gasifying more than 1 billion pounds of cattle manure a year. Once complete, it will be one of the most fuel efficient ethanol refineries in the nation and equal in size to Panda’s Hereford facility, currently under construction, which will be the largest biomass-fueled ethanol plant in the United States.

The Muleshoe facility is the sixth 100 million gallon ethanol project announced by Panda, and the fourth to be powered by cattle manure.

Last week, Panda announced that it intends to build a 100 million gallon-per-year ethanol plant in Lincoln County, Nebraska which will be fueled with the more traditional natural gas instead of biomass.

Ethanol, News

Jumpstarting E85 in California

Cindy Zimmerman

Calstart The U.S. Department of Energy has provided a major grant to build 15 public E85 stations in California.

According to a news release, the effort will include the collaboration of some major environmental and corporate partners, including CALSTART, General Motors, Pacific Ethanol, and CleanFUEL USA.

Currently, there is currently only one public station that sells E85 ethanol in California, despite the fact the state has more than 300,000 flex-fuel cars capable of running on the fuel.

CALSTART is a non-profit corporation that works with its 130 participating organizations to accelerate the commercialization of clean and energy efficient transportation technologies.

Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, News

Cool Fuel

Cindy Zimmerman

ICEIllinois Central Ethanol, or ICE, has announced plans for the development of an ethanol production facility in Nokomis, Illinois. The Montgomery County plant is projected to produce 50 million gallons of ethanol annually.

The dry mill plant will use an estimated 18 million bushels of corn annually, according to Don Frank, ICE board president, “which will provide a good local market for corn farmers in the surrounding areas.

Ethanol, News

Mechanics Can Fill Up and Feel Good With On-Line Course

Cindy Zimmerman

e-podcast Learn more about how auto technicians and anyone else can benefit from taking the free on-line “Ethanol Fuel Performance Training” course from the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.

This simple, user-friendly computer course provides an understanding of ethanol fuel and how it affects engine performance and the environment. Different lesson levels provide information from the very basic to the very technical. The course can be found on the EPIC website, www.drivingethanol.org.

The “Fill up, Feel Good” podcast is available to download by subscription (see our sidebar link) or you can listen to it by clicking here. (4:00 MP3 File)

The Fill Up, Feel Good theme music is “Tribute to Joe Satriani” by Alan Renkl, thanks to the Podsafe Music Network.

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Fill Up Feel Good

Warm Up With Bioheat

Cindy Zimmerman

Bioheat Just in time for colder weather, consumers who use heating oil now have a new option that is cleaner-burning and domestically produced – Bioheat®.

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) recently trademarked the term and launched the official logo for this product, which is made from a combination of biodiesel and generic heating oil, making it a superior product for the environment, as well as for the overall operational enhancement of the heating system.

Read more here.

Biodiesel

International Domestic Fuel

Cindy Zimmerman

Here’s a couple of interesting international developments on ethanol.

Domestic Fuel reader Erick Erickson of Nebraska sent a link to a post on a European blog called Biopact that tells about “an interesting but as yet unclear development” in Venezuela. Seems that Venezuela’s most recent Energy Strategy Meeting concluded with the announcement that the country will be investing massively in ethanol production. The OPEC member is the world’s 7th largest oil exporter, so it comes as a surprise to see Venezuela investing in biofuels.

Meanwhile, Brazil is pulling out all stops to increase ethanol production. According to UK Auto Industry – Unica, the Brazilian entity which manages the country’s sugar cane production, has announced that 77 new ethanol refining plants will be opened by 2012-2013, adding to 248 existing plants. At present, 48.3% of Brazil’s sugar cane harvest is made into ethanol; in six years’ time, this percentage will rise to 60%.

As was expected, Brazil has raised its ethanol mandate for fuel due to a record sugarcane crop. Fuel distributors will have to add a 23 percent ethanol content to all gasoline sold to service stations starting Nov. 20, rising from a 20 percent mandate now, the agriculture ministry said in a statement. Read more from Bloomberg.

Ethanol, International, News