Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen keeps a signed copy of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which included the original Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), hanging on the wall of his office as a reminder of how far the industry has come since then. It was signed 12 years ago this week by President George W. Bush …
Biodiesel Giant REG Says ‘No’ to Crude Oil at Port
Biodiesel giant Renewable Energy Group (REG) doesn’t want to ship crude oil through its new port and plant in Washington state. This article from the Seattle Times says the Iowa-based company is leaving crude oil out of its plans for the mammoth Grays Harbor biodiesel plant REG bought last summer from Imperium Renewables. The document was filed in late November, …
From Toilet to Tank
The All-gas project, funded by the European Union, has achieved a milestone: successful crop of algae biomass at its site in Chiclana in Southern Spain. The goal of the project is to develop low-cost biofuel from algae grown in wastewater. The All-gas project proposes using this wastewater, as well as CO2, generated in biomass boilers from residuals such as garden …
Quick Cook Method Turns Algae Into Oil
Researchers from University of Michigan have developed a way to “pressure cook” algae for as little as one minute and transform up to 65 percent of the algae into biocrude. Phil Savage, a professor of chemical engineering at U of M, said the research team is trying to mimic the process nature uses when creating crude oil, and his algae …
Oilseed Processing Facility Foreclosure Auction
Maas Companies of Rochester, MN will liquidate the former Northwood Mills Oilseed Plant, a state of the art oilseed processing facility located outside of Grand Forks, North Dakota at a Sheriff’s Foreclosure Auction on November 27. The auction will be conducted on-site at the plant, 530 35th Street NE, Northwood, North Dakota. Here is some more information: Northwood Mills opened …
Bill Would Require Origin Labeling for Fuel
Congressman Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) this week introduced legislation that would require all gasoline sold in the U.S. to carry country-of-origin labeling (COOL). “I am introducing legislation in the House that would require a label that clearly states the nation of origin for the fuel you’re pumping,” Braley said in a Huffington Post op-ed yesterday, penned with retired General Wesley Clark …
CARB Tackling Crude Oil’s Carbon Intensity in LCFS
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is getting ready to move forward with determining the carbon intensity of crude oil. On February 17, they are holding a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Crude Oil Screening Workgroup Meeting. For those following the LCFS debate, you’ll note that still under fire is CARB’s final ruling on the carbon intensity levels given for …
Extractor to Pull Oil from Waste Streams for Biodiesel
A New Jersey company has sold its first industrial-scale oil extractor that will help get biodiesel from waste streams. This article from Biodiesel Magazine says Renewable BioSystems LLC’s (RBL) system will initially be able to turn 500,000 gallons of yellow grease into oil for biodiesel feedstock each year and could be scaled-up to more than 5 million tons of oil …
Aussie Customer to Get Algae-Oil Single Step System
A California-based producer of renewable oil from algae production products is getting ready to ship a system that uses a single step to get the oil out of the green pond scum to one of its customers down under. OriginOil, Inc. has notified Australian MBD Energy Limited that it is ready to ship a Single-Step Extraction™ System (seen in the …
California’s Love Affair With Oil
Last week, the Southern California Association of Governments turned down $11 million in stimulus money for Pearson Fuels to install 55 E85 stations. Huh. And this shortly after the expanded rules were announced for the Renewable Fuels Standard not to mention the Low Carbon Fuel Standard that went into effect on January 1. What would cause the most notorious state, …