Iowa Biodiesel Board Elects Tom Brooks New Chair

Joanna Schroeder

tombrooks

Tom Brooks, GM of Western Dubuque Biodiesel. Photo Credit: National Biodiesel Board

Tom Brooks, general manager of Western Dubuque Biodiesel, was elected as the chair of the Iowa Biodiesel Board (IBB) during the organization’s annual meeting on September 14, 2016. Brooks will lead the organization for the next year with the option of being elected to a three-year term.

“This is an exciting time for biodiesel in Iowa, with our state leading in production and leading in positive state policies that foster supply and demand,” said Brooks. “I look forward to leading the organization as biodiesel continues to bring tangible economic, energy security and environmental benefits to Iowa and America.”

Other officers of the organization include:

  • Vice Chair: Brad Wilson, Western Iowa Energy (newly elected)
  • Treasurer: Ron Heck; soybean farmer from Perry, Iowa
  • Secretary: Dawn Carlson, Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa (PMCI)

Chad Stone, chief financial officer of Renewable Energy Group (REG), is stepping down as chair to focus on serving as a director on the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). REG’s Doug Lenhart, executive director of procurement and logistics, will take his place as a director on IBB.

Lenhart noted, “I look forward to working with IBB members and stakeholders as we continue to grow the production and consumption of cleaner burning Advanced Biofuel in Iowa and beyond.”

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel

#Ethanol Report on #E15

Cindy Zimmerman

ethanol-report-adConsumers once again have the choice to purchase E15 at the pump as of September 15, which marks the end of EPA’s “volatility control season” opening the fuel back up to non-flex fuel vehicles. For drivers owning a 2001 or newer vehicle, E15 sales are restricted during summer months due to EPA regulations on Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) – which could be solved by extending the 1-pound per square inch (psi) waiver that is offered for E10 blends.

In this Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen talks about the issue and what should be done about it: Ethanol Report on E15

Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, RFA

Iowa Gov Branstad Declares Sept 16 E15 Day

Joanna Schroeder

September 16, 2016 marks the official day retailers across Iowa, and the country, will begin selling E15 to consumers who drive vehicles 2001 or newer. After a three-month hiatus, in which only flex fuel vehicles drivers are allowed to fill up with the fuel, E15 is returning to the masses. In Iowa, the fuel will be available at nearly 70 stations across the state. To celebrate, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is declaring September 16, 2016 “E15 Day”.

Retailers across the Des Moines, Iowa metro will be selling E15 for $1.15 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on Friday, September 16. Click here for location details.

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Photo Credit: Joanna Schroeder

“With more stations offering E15 than ever before, even more Iowa motorists can once again reap the low-cost benefits of choosing E15,” said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Executive Director Monte Shaw. “Motorists have logged hundreds of millions of trouble-free miles traveled on E15 while achieving essentially the same mileage as E10.  Considering E15 is more widely available in Iowa than ever before, I expect E15 sales to skyrocket over the next several months.”

According to Shaw, Sept. 16 is significant because federal fuel volatility regulations restrict the sale of E15 to flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) from June 1 through September 15 each year. E15 can then be sold to all 2001 and newer vehicles from September 16 through May 31. These vehicles make up about 85 percent of the vehicles on the road today.

“E15 is vitally important, not just to Iowans’ pocketbooks, but to air quality, competition at the pump and Iowa jobs,” added Shaw. “And given Governor Branstad has proclaimed today ‘E15 Day’ in Iowa, there’s no better time to get out there and try some cleaner-burning E15.”

E15, Ethanol, Iowa RFA

GFRA: Biofuels Will Help Lower CO2, Temps

Joanna Schroeder

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released a global temperature analysis that finds 2016 is on track to be one of the hottest years on record, even surpassing 2014 and 2015. Recent data from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have also shown upward trends in temperature as well as carbon dioxide, that according to the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) are nearing the symbolic limits on which the Paris Agreement reached at COP21 were based.

© Claudynka | Dreamstime.com - Scorched Earth. Photo

© Claudynka | Dreamstime.com – Scorched Earth. Photo

“These latest findings clearly outline the need for signatories of the Paris Agreement to take all available steps to significantly reduce their national emissions without delay,” responded Bliss Baker, GRFA President to NASA’s temperature analysis. “The current potential for the increased use of biofuels, like ethanol, in the global transport sector represents substantial CO2 emission reductions that aren’t being fully exploited.”

Baker says that biofuel technologies are demonstrated to be affordable, immediately available and effective at reducing GHG emissions. Baker cites that in 2014, total GHG emissions reduction from global ethanol production and use was 169 million tonnes CO2 equivalent. With a conservative annual biofuel production growth rate of just 2.8 percent, emissions savings from ethanol would increase 56 percent to 264 million tonnes CO2 equivalent in 2030.

NASA’s recent temperature analysis followed data released in July 2016 that demonstrated the average global temps in the first six months of the year were Celsius 1.3 degrees hotter than the pre-industrial era. Baker points out that these readings contrast sharply with the main aim of the Paris Agreement: to keep global temperature rise “well below” 2 degrees Celsius, with an aspirational target of 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels this century.

“It is clear that changes to the global climate are occurring faster than was predicted when the timelines for the negotiations at COP21 were established,” Baker added. “The potential for the increased use of biofuels in the global transport sector, using the existing fleet of cars and fuel infrastructure, represents exactly the kind of immediate action to achieve emissions reductions that is demanded by these changing circumstances.“

biofuels, Climate Change, Environment

New Data Supports #Biodiesel Carbon Benefits

Joanna Schroeder

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) hosted an alternative fuels workshop in Macon, Georgia this week that reviewed the sustainability of feedstocks, such as soybean oil, used when producing biodiesel or biojet fuel. During the event, Purdue University Professor Wally Tyner presented the latest findings from a team research project (funded by the James and Louis Ackerman endowment) focused on the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) of producing biodiesel from soybeans. His findings found that soybean oil offers very good carbon reduction when used to displace fossil fuel.

nBB“While these results are preliminary our most recent analysis suggests that induced land use change emissions could be as much as 70 percent lower than those adopted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as recently as last year,” Tyner said.

The research team utilized the most recent version of the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model to build upon previous work done for the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The study found significant changes in the results using data from 2004 to 2011. Why the changes? Tyner noted that a lot has changed in agriculture during this timeframe while biofuel policy expanded. Other factors included increased total outputs per farm area through yield improvements and practices such as double cropping.

“We now have much more data,” said Tyner. “We are better equipped to quantify potential land use change by observing what has actually happened in the real world, and calibrating our models to make better predictions on that basis.”

Don Scott, National Biodiesel Board’s director of sustainability said, “Consensus is rarely achieved when it comes to the theory of indirect land use change, but one thing is clear. As the accuracy and reliability of modeling improves, we observe a steady decline in the estimates of predicted land use change. This reaffirms that biodiesel reduces GHG emissions by at least 50 percent and suggests that the real benefit is greater than 80 percent.”

According to NBB, both the EPA and CARB have gone beyond traditional lifecycle analysis to quantify the potential expansion of ag that might be induced by major biofuel policies. Scott noted that both regulatory agencies have conducted economic modeling to quantify this indirect effect. While each confirms that biodiesel reduces emissions by at least 50 percent even after adding potential indirect emissions, interest remains in studying these effects with more certainty, Scott said, who added, “Today’s announcement adds confidence in the GHG benefits of biodiesel, while improving our understanding of how agriculture can respond to growing demand.“

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, Indirect Land Use, NBB

Duonix Beatrice #Biodiesel Plant Begins Production

Joanna Schroeder

The Duonix Beatrice biodiesel plant is online and producing ASTM biodiesel; the first of its kind using Benefuel’s ENSEL technology. The project is a collaboration between Flint Hills Resources and Benefuel and the biodiesel facility uses feedstocks such as recycled cooking oil and distillers corn oil. Once the biorefinery is at full capacity, it will produce 50 million gallons of biodiesel each year.

The Duonix Beatrice plant is the first successful commercial-scale application of an innovative technology capable of converting a range of lower cost feedstocks such as recycled cooking oil and distillers corn oil into high-quality biodiesel. (Photo: Business Wire)

The Duonix Beatrice plant is the first successful commercial-scale application of an innovative technology capable of converting a range of lower cost feedstocks such as recycled cooking oil and distillers corn oil into high-quality biodiesel. (Photo: Business Wire)

According to Benefuel, the ENSEL technology utilizes a solid catalyst that combines esterification of high free fatty acid feedstocks and transesterification of triglycerides into a single step. This, says the company, eliminates waste, improves process efficiency and expands feedstock options. Benefuel says its biodiesel is further improved by an upgraded, backend distillation process that removes additional impurities which, when used on high free fatty acid feedstocks such as distillers corn oil, produces a higher quality biodiesel with superior cold weather performance.

“The start of production at Duonix Beatrice is a major milestone and a significant step toward demonstrating the commercial-viability of the ENSEL technology,” said Rob Tripp, CEO of Benefuel. “The key question has been whether the technology can be scaled up and applied to a large production facility, so we’re very pleased to be able to say that production at Duonix Beatrice is now underway and the results are very encouraging. We believe this provides us with a strong base to grow additional production within the U.S. and worldwide.”

In addition to producing 50 million gallons of biodiesel, there are plans for Duonix Beatrice to produce multiple co-products including glycerin, a product that is often used as a food additive, or can be used in medical, pharmaceutical and personal care products.

Jeremy Bezdek, vice president of Flint Hills Resources Biofuels and Ingredients, said of the plant’s commercial production status, “The ENSEL technology has the potential to greatly improve both the cost competitiveness of biodiesel and its viability as a very clean diesel fuel blend component that can be used in almost any climate. Duonix Beatrice has been a tremendous proving ground for the ENSEL technology and it establishes a platform for developing other valued coproducts that we believe will find success in the marketplace.”

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel

Indian Oil Selects Praj for 2G BioEthanol

Joanna Schroeder

Praj and IOCL officials during the signing of the MoU in New Delhi (PRNewsFoto/Praj Industries Limited)

Praj and IOCL officials during the signing of the MoU in New Delhi (PRNewsFoto/Praj Industries Limited)

India’s national oil company, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, has chosen to move forward with the development of ethanol using technology from Praj. The two companies will work together to set up three 2nd Generation (2G) bioethanol facilities using Praj’s technology based on ligno-cellulosic biomasses as feedstock. Praj developed the technology at its R&D facility in Pune. The company will also provide Plant & Machinery with long-term operation and maintenance.

“It is a great honour for us to be chosen by Indian Oil to become their technology partner in multiple 2G bio-ethanol projects in India. We have prepared ourselves to execute 2G ethanol projects over Rs. 3000 crore in two-three years,” said Pramod Chaudhari, executive chairman of Praj Industries. “Praj is offering end-to-end 2G ‘Smart Bio-refinery’ solutions globally. Our ‘Smart Bio-refinery’ is capable of producing bio-ethanol and other co-products such as bio-CNG, power and a variety of bio chemicals.”

At the World Bio-fuels Day conference held at New Delhi recently, the Government of India had announced that a ‘biomass-based bio-fuels policy’ is in the works to help grow the agro-economy and to promote clean, renewable energy. The policy will be designed as a socio-economic and environmental enabler as the farming community will generate additional revenues from agri-waste, which will be utilized to produce bioethanol.

advanced biofuels, Ethanol

Majority Say Autonomous Tractors Will Hit Market Soon

Jamie Johansen

zp-nh1Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How long until we have autonomous tractors on the market??”

Both New Holland and Case IH debuted autonomous concept tractors during the Farm Progress Show. It seems many believe we will see these tractors on the marketplace sooner than later.

Here are the poll results:

  • Very soon – 30%
  • 5 years out – 27%
  • 10 years out – 14%
  • 20 years out – 18%
  • Never – 8%
  • Other – 3%

Our new ZimmPoll is live and asks the question, What’s your opinion of the Bayer-Monsanto deal?

The mega merger between Bayer AG and Monsanto Company was officially announced this week. We did a ZimmPoll on the topic back in May, but now that it is a done deal, we thought it would be good to do it again and see if we get the same results.

ZimmPoll

How Low Can #Ethanol’s Carbon Intensity Go?

Joanna Schroeder

ace-16 - Dr Zhichao Wang EcoEngineers

Photo Credit: Joanna Schroeder

The California Legislature recently re-passed its climate law ensuring that the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) will move forward. In this scenario, the fuels with the lowest carbon intensity scores are the highest rewarded and as such, the biofuel industry must continue to lower its carbon intensity. “Carbon Intensity: Field-to-Wheel How Low Can You Go?” was one of the break-out sessions during the 29th annual Ethanol Conference. During the discussion, panelists walked attendees through the nuts and bolts of low carbon fuel standards and how ethanol producers can improve carbon intensity through a better understanding of data from the field, energy inputs and optimizing plant operations. The discussion was moderated by Mike Hansman, business development manager for EcoEngineers and included Rob Alverson, director Dakota Ethanol along with Dr. Zhichao Wang, environmental engineer for EcoEngineers. I was able to sit down with “Dr. Z” after his presentation to learn more about how low the industry can go in terms of carbon intensity.

Carbon intensity is the measure of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production, transportation and consumption in the lifetime of a transportation fuel. One challenge has been how best to measure this and Dr. Z explained that measuring carbon intensity has been an evolving process but with better data and better models it’s getting more accurate.

He said that with the use of carbon intensity as a means to determine how “sustainable” a fuel is, it is a very important measurement for biofuel producers. Dr. Z continued that it will be even more important in the future because many states are looking to adopt similar LCFS programs to California.

So how does an ethanol producer lower the carbon intensity of its fuel? Dr. Z said there are several things you can do such as controlling your energy consumption, chemical and enzyme use. For example, if a plant were to convert to biogas, the carbon intensity of the resulting ethanol would be lower.

To learn more about how an biofuel producer can lower carbon intensity, listen to my interview with Dr. Zhichao here: Interview with Zhichao Wang, EcoEngineers

2016 ACE Annual Ethanol Conference Photo Album

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, Carbon, Climate Change, Ethanol, Low Carbon Fuel Standard

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1The global energy consumption sector grew to a value of just over $9.1 trillion in 2015, with Asia-Pacific (APAC) emerging as the largest regional market, and accounting for more than 50% of the global market’s value, according to a new report from MarketLine. The company’s report shows that China and the US form the two largest national energy consumption markets, valued at $2.7 trillion and $1.2 trillion, respectively. China, however, is expected to continue growing at a fast pace, while growth in the more mature US market is forecast to be moderate.
  • FedEx Freight has purchased more than 100 compressed natural gas (CNG) tractors and has installed a CNG fueling station to serve the new CNG fleet at its Oklahoma City Service Center. FedEx Freight contracted with Clean Energy Fuels Corp to design, build and maintain the fueling station.
  • Michael Chaplinsky, President of Turf Feeding Systems and Jack Katz, CEO of Monarca, are meeting with the JOil team in Singapore to select special hybrid Jatropha plants needed for their BioJet fuel project in Yucatan Mexico. Monarca is a 33,000 hectare plantation and BioJect fuel refinery that will produce 30 million gallons of BioJet fuel for Mexican aviation.
  • On October 4 -6, 2016 African and U.S. energy policy officials and executives engaged in the Africa – Carolinas energy trade will meet in Charlotte to learn about opportunities and develop partnerships with which to pursue a considerable range of projects. The Energizing Africa through Partnerships conference will feature his Excellency, Girma Birru, ambassador of Ethiopia to the United States and former Ethiopian Energy Minister, and Jim Rogers, University Fellow, Duke University Rubenstein Fellows Academy, and former Chairman & CEO of Duke Energy.
Bioenergy Bytes