Turf Feeding Kicks off Hydroponic #Biofuels Project

Joanna Schroeder

Turf Feeding Systems has been selected to design, build and manage a unique hydroponic biofuels project in Mexico for Zphere Works. The biojet fuel will be produced from Jatropha grown on an 80,000 acre Monarca plantation in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. Turf Feeding Systems says this is the first project to bring together products and technologies to create a large-scale high yield hydroponic agriculture.

Hydroponic greenhouse – Photo Credit: Turf Feeding Systems

“Hydroponics is the high end of horticulture with high tech irrigation, fertigation and grow lighting to push greenhouse plant production to maximum limits. However, we are doing all that and more taking the crop out of the greenhouse and putting it on 80,000 acres to produce high yield crops for biojet fuel and food,” said Michael Chaplinsky, President of Turf Feeding Systems.

Chaplinsky continued, “We have a worldwide team of agronomists, engineers and scientists who open new pathways to grow plants and crops with yields of 50% to 100% over traditional field production. We are using proprietary irrigation, special fertigation and probiotic organics, which will reduce irrigation water 50%, reduce fertilizer and chemicals by 60% and produce ultra-high yield crop production.”

The project will also utilize satellite pastures, food crops and greenhouses for food production. The plantation will also be used as a teaching tool for rural farmers in the region. Chaplinsky said he believes the project will become a cornerstone for a new sustainable ag model for the region.

“A research and development (R&D) center will be the first phase of the Monarca project, with a teaching and marketing center. The R&D center will have a complete genetic and testing laboratory, a hydroponic growing greenhouse and field testing of Jatropha and other crops. This will change agriculture and build the economy of the rural Yucatan peninsula,” Chaplinsky concluded.

advanced biofuels, Agribusiness, aviation biofuels

Half of U.S. Breaks Through ‘Blend Wall’

Joanna Schroeder

New data from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) finds that nearly half of the U.S. has broken through the so-called “blend wall” in 2015.  Gasoline purchased in 25 states as well as the District of Columbia, contained more than 10 percent ethanol on average. This, says the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), demonstrates that the spurious “E10 Blend Wall” is crumbling. In 2015, DOE data showed the average ethanol blend rate was 9.91 percent. In response to the data, RFA says its “completely undermines” the proposed legislation to reduce the amount of ethanol content in the country’s fuel supply to no more than 9.7 percent from Reps. Bill Flores (R-Texas) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

Based on the 2015 data published by the DOE’s Energy Information Administration,  the state with the highest average ethanol blend was Minnesota with 12.5 percent. On average, ethanol fuels such as E85 are available at nearly one out of every eight stations in the state. Iowa comes in second with an average of 11.5 percent up from 10.3 percent in 2014 and 9.5 percent in 2013.

Six coastal states also exceeded 10 percent of ethanol blended into their gasoline including California, Oregon, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Louisiana, with no states, for the first time ever, having an average ethanol content below 9 percent although Vermont ranked last with 9.18 percent. These numbers are up from 2014 when the national average was 9.83 percent and 22 states plus the District of Columbia were above 10 percent.

RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen said the DOE data underscore that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is working as intended to drive increased use of ethanol and other biofuels. “As E15 and ethanol flex fuels like E85 have gained in popularity in recent years, the so-called blend wall has been reduced to a pile of rubble,” Dinneen said. “This data clearly shows that the RFS is delivering on its promise to expand consumer access to lower-cost, cleaner fuel options at the pump. And with EPA putting the RFS back on track in 2017, the share of renewables in our nation’s motor fuel will only continue to grow.”

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, RFS

RFA’s Dinneen to Keynote 2017 @IowaFuel Summit

Joanna Schroeder

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Bob Dinneen will keynote the 2017 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. His theme: Making Ethanol Great Again. The annual event is taking place January 31, 2017 at the Prairie Meadows Conference Center in Altoona, Iowa. Registration is open and it’s free to attend.

“The inauguration of a new President always creates the potential for changes to U.S. energy and trade policy,” said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Managing Director Lucy Norton. “As head of the Renewable Fuels Association, Bob Dinneen is well-positioned to forecast the future impact any policy changes could have on the ethanol industry and ensure renewable fuels always plays a key role in that discussion.”

Dinneen, who has more than 30 years experience in the ethanol industry, is a national leader on ethanol issues. He is also a key strategist in advancing policies that create robust and dynamic markets for renewable fuels such as ethanol. RFA was an instrumental organization in helping to get the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) passed in 2005 and then expanded two years later to 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels per year by 2022.

Click here to register to attend, learn more about the Summit, and review sponsorship and trade show opportunities.

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Iowa RFA, RFA

Solenis Licenses Corn Oil Technology to Hydrite

Joanna Schroeder

Solenis has announced that the company has licensed its corn oil extraction technology to Hydrite Chemical. This resolves pending legal action filed by Hydrite against Solenis regarding Solenis’ patents for using polysorbate as an additive for corn oil extraction aids. Going forward Solenis has licensed the use of its corn oil extraction technology to Hydrite; thus, Hydrite will become an authorized licensee in the U.S. and Canada of Solenis’ technology. Solenis says that its technology enhances the efficiency of corn oil extraction in the corn-to-ethanol process.

“Our corn oil extraction technology is a game changing invention that has enabled many ethanol producers to improve their profit potential. This agreement is a win-win for the industry as it will enable more ethanol producers to reap the benefits of our technology,” said Shruti Singhal, Vice President, Industrial Water, North America, Solenis.

Jon Murnik, Executive Director – Foam Products, Hydrite, added, “As a market leader in ethanol, we are pleased to have reached an agreement with Solenis to continue to offer polysorbate chemistries to our customers, in addition to other products that enhance the biofuels process and produce more corn oil.  We remain focused on product innovation to expand our current offerings of non-polysorbate chemistries.”

biofuels, corn, Ethanol

Green Fuels Lab Opens in Australia

Joanna Schroeder

A new advanced green fuels laboratory developed and constructed by Southern Oil Refining (SOR) has opened in Yarwun, near Gladstone in QLD Australia. The lab is one step in Southern Oil’s goal of completing a commercial-scale biorefinery in the country. The facility will research biocrude and biofuels technologies and came to fruition with the help of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). This is the first laboratory of its kind in Australia. ARENA contributed $2.37 million in the project with a goal of advancing the green-fuel industry in the country.

ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said Australia boasted innovative biocrude development companies like Muradel and Licella, but until now the nation had no facility to help them test and refine their products. “ARENA is committed to helping accelerate the shift of new solutions like biofuels toward commercialisation and the Southern Oil laboratory is an important step that will enable local biofuel projects,” he said.

Frischknecht said any Australian biofuel company can use the lab at no cost. This lab fills a gap, he added, because it enables companies to test the technologies in their own country in local conditions. “The testing will be able to determine the viability of refining different kinds of biocrude, which can be made from biomass such as regional agricultural waste, into usable fuel,” said Frischknecht.

Australia has been executing its mission, said Frischknecht, to support the development and commercialization of advanced biofuel technologies. Frischknecht concluded, “The Australian commercial biofuel industry is in its infancy but its potential is significant. It could, for example, see plant waste from our sizeable agricultural industries turned into green fuels for use domestically or for export to meet aviation, shipping and defence demands.”

 

advanced biofuels, aviation biofuels, green diesel

Carbon Intensity Surpasses #Biofuel Volumes as Key Metric

Joanna Schroeder

Lux Research is reporting that new policies are being put forward based on technology-agnostic carbon intensity metrics rather than focusing on mandating volumes of specific biofuels. The move to low carbon fuels is being led, says Lux Research, by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the near-term winners will be renewable diesel and conventional electricity followed by renewable electricity.

Carbon intensity is the amount of carbon by weight emitted per unit of energy consumed. Factors that affect carbon intensity include feedstock, process technology, power source and technology viability.

“Energy companies with diversified energy portfolios are well-positioned to take advantage of this paradigm change, shifting towards renewable sources to reduce carbon intensity values,” said Yuan-Sheng Yu, Lux Research Analyst and lead author of the report titled, “Identifying Winners in Low-Carbon Fuels.” He added, “With electricity a near-term winner, pioneers for the ‘utility of the future’ hold a strong position moving forward.”

To evaluate a fuels’ commercial, technological and economical attractiveness, the firm’s analysts looked at addressable market size, carbon intensity and pathway among other factors. The findings include:

  • California is a model. Currently, California uses seven different low-carbon fuels derived from 26 different feedstocks, making up 11.3% of its fuel consumption. Under the state’s new regulations, growth of petroleum consumption has slowed to a mere 0.5% quarterly, while low-carbon fuels grew at 1.6% quarterly.
  • Waste oil halves biodiesel’s carbon intensity. In ideal conditions, biodiesel derived from fats, oil and grease (FOG), has the potential to cut carbon intensity by half. Plenty of FOG-derived biodiesel is projected to be available – up to 2.5 billion gallons per year – and even though processing poor quality waste adds to cost, FOG-based diesel remains a significant opportunity.

Another finding: carbon-negative fuel is commercially viable today with biogas a leading technology.  Lux Research says with California’s policies in place, improved biogas technologies along with other carbon-negative fuel pathways, will emerge to speed-up carbon emission reductions.

biofuels, biogas, Carbon, Low Carbon Fuel Standard

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • Amyris, Inc. and the Government of Queensland, Australia have announced a partnership to create a southeast hub of sustainable ingredients production for the rapidly-growing personal care sector in Asia, while supporting Queensland’s local economy and sugarcane industry. The partnership aims to develop a new production plant with support from local partners. The plant will produce Amyris’s high-value personal care and nutraceutical actives, as well as farnesene-derivative products.
  • Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas has closed the $48.5M sale of its cellulosic ethanol plant located in Hugoton, Kansas, to Synata Bio, a renewable energy company that was the successful bidder in an auction conducted under the US Bankruptcy Code. Ocean Park acted as exclusive sell-side advisor to Abengoa.
  • Cellulosic and biorefining technology company, Edeniq Inc, has joined the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association as a vendor member. “Minnesota is one of the most forward-thinking states when it comes to supporting next generation biofuels,” said Cam Cast, chief operating officer of Edeniq. “We are excited to join the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association to reach new customers by better understanding the needs of local ethanol producers interested in increasing ethanol yield by producing EPA-approved cellulosic ethanol.”
  • Advanced sensor technology has been developed for the accurate determination of the biofuel content of diesel blends used in a wide range of automotive and industrial power applications. Hand held DieselProve technology from Salunda Limited is designed to provide a fast and simple diagnostic tool to assess the biofuel content in biodiesel fuels, as well as identifying other impurities such as vegetable oil, white spirit and water.
Bioenergy Bytes

Governors Thank Trump for #Biofuels Support

Joanna Schroeder

The Governors’ Biofuels Coalition is thanking President-elect Trump for his “repeated statements of support for biofuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard” during his campaign. In the letter the governors pointed out that the  “nation’s biofuels industry has generated thousands of jobs” and will “continue to grow” the states’ economies. The governors also noted they are looking forward to working with his new administration “to advance sound policies that will add value to the agriculture economy.”

In response to the letter, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Bob Dinneen had the following statement, “We thank Governors Pete Ricketts (Nebraska), Terry Branstad (Iowa) and Dennis Daugaard (South Dakota) for reaching out to President-Elect Trump to thank him for his support for biofuels and the RFS, and highlighting our industry’s economic impact that has rippled throughout the nation. The President-Elect understands the importance of clean, domestic energy resources and the economic power of value-added agriculture. We are confident he will continue to support the RFS and expanded production and use of fuel ethanol during his administration.”

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Ron Wulfkuhle Appointed Head of Enogen for Syngenta

Joanna Schroeder

Thirty-year agriculture veteran Ron Wulfkuhle, head of GreenLeaf Genetics, has been appointed as the new head of Syngenta’s Enogen corn enzyme technology division. He will replace 35-year Syngenta veteran Jack Bernens who is retiring at the end of this year. Syngenta reports that Bernens was instrumental in the establishment and growth of the Enogen business.

Wulfkuhle was raised on a family farm in Kansas and attended Kansas State University. In 1984, he began his career as a sales rep for Arkansas-based Ciba-Ceigy and from there served in various sales and marketing positions for a number of commercial units and legacy companies of Syngenta. In his most recent position, he headed-up the company’s GreenLeaf™ business after it was fully acquired by Syngenta in 2010.

“Ron is a tremendous colleague and well-respected leader at Syngenta,” said Jeff Rowe, president of global seeds and North America, Syngenta. “His more than three decades of experience in this industry make him the perfect candidate to continue expanding access to Enogen, growing adoption of innovative initiatives like the Ethanol Grower Advantage, and further building demand for Earth-friendly American ethanol.”

Wulfkuhle stated, “Syngenta is proud to support and promote corn ethanol production, an industry that is helping America reduce its dependence on foreign oil, lower prices at the pump, improve the environment with lower emissions and grow the economy with jobs that can’t be outsourced. It’s my pleasure to continue – and grow – this commitment.”

Enogen corn enzyme technology is an in-seed innovation available from Syngenta that features the first biotech corn output trait designed to enhance ethanol production. It creates a win-win-win scenario by adding value for ethanol plants, corn growers and rural communities.

biofuels, corn, Enogen, Ethanol, Syngenta

IA Retailer Charlie Good Wins Distinguished Ag Award

Joanna Schroeder

Iowan and avid ethanol promoter Charlie Good has been honored with the 2016 Iowa Farm Bureau Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF). The award, in its 38th year, honors an individual for his or her lifetime of achievement and promotion of Iowa ag. Dr. Maynard Hogberg was also given the honor for his academic work related to animal science. The gentlemen received plaques honoring their achievements during IFBF’s annual meeting and they will be on permanent display at the IFBF headquarters.

For more than 35 years, Charlie Good has been a staple of rural Iowa serving as an expert auto repair mechanic, small business owner, and a leading advocate for renewable fuels both in Iowa, but throughout the country. Good, who is an ASE-certified mechanic and board member of the Petroleum Marketers Retail Committee, owns a station that was one of the first to begin selling E15 and other blends of ethanol including E20, E30 and E85. His efforts to promote ethanol in particular, has greatly benefited Iowa farmers. He was nominated by the Story County Farm Bureau.

As a nationally-recognized advocate for renewable fuels, Good has regularly helped consumers understand the difference between crop production for renewable fuels versus crops raised for food, an important distinction that is confusing for many. He has regularly traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby for a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and expanded markets for ethanol and biodiesel products.

Reflecting back on his lobbying efforts, Good is pleased he took the time to share his expertise and advocate for renewable fuel. “I was very proud to represent Nevada and represent Iowa,” Good says. “It was shocking to me that a little guy from Nevada, Iowa, could actually make a difference on something so important in Washington, D.C.”

biofuels, Ethanol