Medford Celebrates 20 Years of Biodiesel School Buses

Cindy Zimmerman

When it comes to using cleaner burning biodiesel in school buses, Medford Township Public Schools in New Jersey goes to the head of the class, as they celebrate 20 years this month, making Medford the nation’s longest continuous user of biodiesel in a student transportation fleet.

The school district’s use of biodiesel has eliminated more than 123,376 pounds of smog-forming emissions, 2,408 pounds of diesel particulate matter and reduced its fleet operation costs by over $170,000.

“Medford’s 20-year commitment to powering its school bus fleet with biodiesel is benefiting a new generation of students by reducing harmful emissions and contributing to cleaner air,” said National Biodiesel Board CEO Donnell Rehagen. “Some of the children who rode the bus back in 1997 are now parents themselves whose children will enjoy the same air quality benefits in Medford today.”

“Utilizing biodiesel fuel in our school bus fleet is the cornerstone of our district’s overall commitment to sustainability,” said Medford Schools Superintendent Joseph Del Rossi. “We are proud to be a lead district for this initiative, especially serving as a positive role model for our school community and the Township of Medford.”

Medford filled its first school bus with B20 on November 17, 1997. When that bus was retired in 2011, it had logged 190,000 miles without any major engine work and still had its original fuel injectors and pump.

Biodiesel, NBB

Understanding the Farmers of Tomorrow

OsbornBarr has rounded up ag thought-leaders from across the country to discuss and tackle issues impacting the agricultural community. The first challenge they collectively believe is imperative is understanding farmers of tomorrow.

Chairman of the newly formed O+B Agricultural Advisory Council, Richard Fordyce, former Missouri Director of Agriculture, attended the 2017 National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Trade Talk to talk about the research they conducted on Generation Z’s (18-22-year-olds) future in agriculture.

How do the children of today’s farmers view their role in agriculture’s future? How do their perceptions of brand and industry compare to those of their parents and grandparents? Can the answers to these questions shape the future of farming?

The results centered around four major factors shaping the future of our industry: Farm Succession Expectations Differ, View of Government Involvement, Agricultural Technologies Tops List, Preference of Peers Over Brand Names.

Richard reminded us that all those surveyed are currently somehow involved in agriculture. A glimpse of the results: 54% plan to take over their family farm, 77% are still active on their family farm and 71% of farmers believe their kids want to take over the family farm.

The council will continue to digest these results and conduct further research on areas of particular interest and make all findings available to the public. Visit RuralSpirit.com to learn more.

Listen to my complete conversation with Richard to learn more :Interview with Richard Fordyce, O+B Ag Advisory Council Chair

2017 NAFB Convention Photos

Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by FMC
Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, NAFB

No Back to the Future for the RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

Guest contributor – Rachel Gantz, Renewable Fuels Association

Do you remember the scene towards the end of “Back to the Future,” where Doc Brown is refueling the time-traveling DeLorean with banana peels and beer waste?

That was biofuel before it was available at so many of our neighborhood gasoline stations. Nowadays, Doc Brown just needs to pull up to his local station and select ethanol-blended gasoline; no more digging through Marty McFly’s garbage. Thanks to the Renewable Fuel Standard, consumers all across our country have a choice at the pump. However, that will only occur if EPA finalizes a strong 2018 RFS rule.

By Nov. 30 each year, EPA is statutorily required to finalize the annual RFS Renewable Volume Obligations for the following year. In July, EPA proposed to reduce the total 2018 RFS renewable fuel blending requirements below the levels required in 2017. The proposal, if finalized, would maintain the 15 billion gallon statutory requirement for conventional biofuels, but would slash the cellulosic biofuel target by nearly one-quarter, among other changes. While EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has since promised the final 2018 RFS RVOs will be equal to or greater than those proposed in July, nothing is set in stone.

Read more

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, RFS

S&P Global Platts Launches New Weekly Ethanol Assessment

Cindy Zimmerman

S&P Global Platts has launched a new North-Northeast Brazil anhydrous ethanol assessment which reflects demand for greater transparency and a clearly defined methodology to help market participants understand the drivers of pricing.

“The North-Northeast of Brazil is a region that is net short ethanol and therefore needs to import from the Center-South region of the country as well as from the United States,” said Ian Dudden, Global Content Director, Agriculture, S&P Global Platts.

“So far this year our ethanol analysis shows falling production in the NNE region, with imports having more than doubled to over a third of consumption, compared to just 15% in 2016. We expect this trend to continue into 2018 amid the lower production expectations for the 2017-18 NNE sugar cane crop. Overall ethanol production in Brazil is expected to remain stagnant due in large part to older cane in the fields and lower crushing volumes offsetting an anticipated increase in the ethanol mix. We expect Brazil will remain a net importer of ethanol for a second consecutive year,” Dudden concluded.

Read more from S&P Global Platts.

Brazil, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports

RFA Releases Ethanol Savings Calculator

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has just released an easy-to-use online calculator just in time for the holidays to help drivers find out how much money they can save by choosing ethanol blends like E15 and E85.

Here’s how it works:
Step 1 – enter retail prices for E10, E15 and E85. Prices from thousands of stations nationwide, along with state and national averages, are available at E85prices.com.
Step 2 – enter the total miles driven for a specific trip or time period
Step 3 – enter average fuel economy of vehicle when using E10.
Step 4 – shows cost of trip on E10
Step 5 – shows the savings that result from using E15 or E85 instead of E10

For example, today’s national average prices are $2.52 per gallon for E10, $2.43 for E15, and $1.81 for E85. The Smith family is driving from Omaha to Denver and back for the Thanksgiving holiday (1,080 miles roundtrip). The Smith family’s flex fuel vehicle gets the national average fuel economy of 24.8 miles per gallon (mpg), meaning it would get approximately 24.4 mpg on E15 and 19.2 mpg on E85. The calculator shows the Smith family would spend almost $110 on fuel if they use E10 for the trip. If they use E85 instead, they would spend less than $102 on fuel. And using E15 instead of E10 would mean the Smiths spend less than $108 on fuel.

The calculator also allows users to calculate annual savings. The average U.S. family drove 25,600 miles last year, meaning they could save $190 or $50 on their annual fuel bill by using E85 or E15, respectively, instead of E10 (based on current national average prices). RFA also notes that standard 10% ethanol, which accounts for the majority of fuel sales in the nation, is still a savings compared to gasoline without ethanol (E0) which is currently $2.84 per gallon, 13% higher than the average price for E10.

Click here to check out the new calculator.

E15, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Enogen® Corn Hybrids Good for Feed and Fuel

Enogen® corn hybrids from Syngenta have been providing value for farmers and ethanol producers, now Enogen® Feed hybrids can help provide value for beef and dairy producers as well.

“Enogen continues to be an exciting part of our business in Syngenta and the NK brand,” said Quinn Showalter, NK Sales Head, during an interview at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) annual Trade Talk. Enogen corn will produce about 2 billion gallons of ethanol this year. “New as we move forward into 2018 is the value that Enogen brings from a feed standpoint.”

Showalter says on-farm trials this year showed very promising results and as grain or silage, can provide a valuable ration component that helps provide more available energy for cattle in the form of starch and sugar, which also helps improve digestibility. “There is incremental value in the form of feed efficiency that come from Enogen,” he said.

In this interview, Quinn also discusses Syngenta’s long-term commitment to the NK brand and what is new for 2018. Interview with Quinn Showalter, Syngenta/NK Seeds

2017 NAFB Convention Photos

Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by FMC
AgWired Animal, AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, Ethanol, NAFB, Syngenta

Holiday Drivers Can Save $$$ With E15

Cindy Zimmerman

Drivers who are heading over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house for the holidays could save big money if they fill up the tank with 15 percent ethanol for the holidays.

According Growth Energy, if all of the drivers hitting the road this week fill up with E15, the total savings would be nearly $4 million. AAA projects nearly 51 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving, a 3.3 percent increase over last year and the highest Thanksgiving travel volume since 2005.

“E15 is a great fuel option any time, but when families are traveling further to see loved ones for Thanksgiving, it gives them an opportunity to keep a little extra money in their pockets since E15 can cost up to 10 cents less,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor.

E15 is available at nearly 1,200 locations across 29 states, and is approved for 2001 and newer vehicles, which make up 90 percent of the vehicles on the road today.

E15, Ethanol, Growth Energy

DuPont Launches SYNERXIA® THRIVE for Ethanol Production

Cindy Zimmerman

DuPont Industrial Biosciences has announced the launch of SYNERXIA® THRIVE Fermentation System to help ethanol producers increase yields.

“With the new DuPont™ SYNERXIA® THRIVE Fermentation System, ethanol producers can now expect up to 4 percent higher ethanol yields in dry grind fuel alcohol facilities, when compared to conventional systems,” said Joseph DeSalvo, North America regional industry leader, DuPont Industrial Biosciences. “The launch of SYNERXIA® THRIVE Fermentation System gives ethanol producers the opportunity to integrate an unparalleled fermentation system into their business.”

DuPont™ SYNERXIA® THRIVE Fermentation System consists of a new active dry yeast (ADY), SYNERXIA® THRIVE ADY and SYNERXIA® THRIVE LC, a glucoamylase liquid complement. The new system blends the right combination of yeast and enzymes to deliver up to 4 percent additional ethanol versus a conventional yeast and glucoamylase combination.

SYNERXIA® THRIVE ADY incorporates a patent pending, carbon-efficient pathway that redirects a portion of the carbon that would go into CO2 and glycerol into ethanol production. In lab and plant results, the SYNERXIA® THRIVE Fermentation System outperformed conventional yeasts during thermal excursions and demonstrated increased robustness in the presence of organic acids.

Dupont, enzymes, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Biodiesel Benefits Farmers and Livestock Producers

Carrie Muehling

Midwest soybeans are fueling the country from coast to coast. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) has a goal of supplying 10 percent of the nation’s diesel fuel by the year 2022, equating to about four billion gallons per year. NBB Board Member and Nebraska Farmer Greg Anderson said the northeast market for heating oil is a bright spot, while California will soon be the number one market for biodiesel. He said that’s important during a challenging agriculture economy.

“We do have the production capacity to serve this market. We have America’s advanced biofuel providing some 64,000 jobs across the country – good paying, clean energy jobs – as well as really making agriculture profitable,” said Anderson. “We need biodiesel to keep adding almost a dollar per bushel value to our crop, making soybean oil 11 to 20 cents per pound more valuable, just because of biodiesel.”

U.S. farmers grow over four billion bushels of soybeans each year, producing 22 billion pounds of soybean oil. Biodiesel production uses about one third of the domestic soybean crush.

Here more with Cindy’s interview from NAFB Trade Talk: Interview with Greg Anderson, National Biodiesel Board

2017 NAFB Convention Photos

Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by
Coverage of the NAFB Convention is sponsored by FMC
AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, Biodiesel, NAFB

Farmers to Grow Mustard Seed for Bio Jet Fuel

Cindy Zimmerman

Canadian-made yellow Carinata mustard seed to be grown by Australia farmers for bio-fuel production (CNW Group/Agrisoma Biosciences)

Farmers in Australia will soon be growing a Canadian oilseed to make bio jet fuel thanks to a new “farm to flight” deal between Quebec-based Agrisoma Biosciences and Qantas Airlines.

Agrisoma will work with Australian farmers to grow the Carinata seed, a non-food type of mustard seed that produces high-quality oil ideal for renewable aviation jet fuel and renewable diesel fuel.

“Our long-term goal with this partnership is to grow the crop at a target of 400,000 hectares which will ultimately produce more than 200 million litres of bio jet fuel for the airline, says Steven Fabijanski, Agrisoma’s Ph.D. President and CEO.

In 2018, to demonstrate the benefits of Agrisoma’s biofuel, Qantas will operate the world’s first bio-fuel flight between the United States and Australia. “We are constantly looking for ways to reduce carbon emissions across our operations but when it comes to using renewable jet fuel, until now, there has not been a locally grown option at the scale we need to power our fleet,” says CEO Qantas International, Alison Webster.

Carinata requires no special production or processing techniques and uses little water. It is sown either in fallow areas where crops fail or as a cover crop. When crushed, the seed also produces a high protein feed for Australian livestock, dairy and poultry producers.

aviation biofuels, biojet fuel