New Engineered Bacteria Aids #Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

University of Wisconsin-Madison professor James Steele has engineered and patented a new bacteria that aids in ethanol production. The Winder Bascom professor of food science specializes in food, beverage and biofuel fermentation and as such seen first hand how during the fermentation process beer and wine can often be contaminated with lactic acid bacteria. When this occurs lactic acid is produced rather than alcohol. This same problems, says Steele, affects the ethanol industry whose company, Lactic Solutions, is using genetic engineering to transform adversary into a friend.

UW-Madison food science Professor James Steele with homemade fermenters he’s using to explore genetic engineering of lactic acid bacteria, a common contaminant of many fermentation processes, including cheese, wine, beer and biofuel production. PHOTO: SEVIE KENYON - See more at: http://news.wisc.edu/food-scientist-aiding-fuel-ethanol-with-new-engineered-bacteria/#sthash.cZfk0sBM.dpuf

UW-Madison food science Professor James Steele with homemade fermenters he’s using to explore genetic engineering of lactic acid bacteria, a common contaminant of many fermentation processes, including cheese, wine, beer and biofuel production. PHOTO: SEVIE KENYON

In Steele’s process, rather than killing lactic acid bacteria with antibiotics, a common approach in the ethanol industry today, he is splicing in genes for ethanol production. When he does this, these organisms, traditionally foes, become allies and produce ethanol instead of lactic acid.

“We are taking the problem and trying to turn it into a solution,” Steele says. The company will sell bags of bacteria to the ethanol industry to be added to the fermenter alongside the yeast that presently makes ethanol.”

General antibiotic resistance is a global concern and some groups are concerned with traces of antibiotics in foods. In the case of ethanol – where nearly 70 percent of biorefineries use antibiotics to fight lactic acid bacteria while some ethanol plants use hops – this could be a concern because a co-product of ethanol production is distillers grains (DDGs) – a common feed for animals.

“Distillers grains can carry antibiotics or bacteria that evolved in the fermentation facility to resist antibiotics,” says Steele who adds the result could be dangerous drugs, or rather dangerous bugs, in the human food supply chain.“Tyson Foods, McDonald’s, Panera, Perdue, etc. say they will, by the end of this year or next year, eliminate the use of meat from animals fed antibiotics, so the primary way to control lactic acid bacteria in the ethanol industry is going away.”Read More

biofuels, Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Research

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1A new report, Motor Vehicle Biofuels: United States, looks at the U.S. market for motor vehicle biofuels. It is forecast to total 395 million barrels in 2020, representing annual increases of 0.7% from 382 million barrels in 2015. Advances will primarily stem from regulatory quotas for biofuel in the U.S. fuel supply. At the same time, rising crude oil prices will incentivize consumers to purchase bioethanol blends beyond those mandated by the government. However, further increases in biofuel blend concentrations will be restrained by motor vehicle specifications and a limited infrastructure for distributing these fuels.
  • Researchers are actively studying polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a family of natural polyesters produced by microorganisms that may represent biodegradable and biocompatible substitutes for petroleum-based plastics. For the past 30 years, investigators have been striving to determine the crystal structure of an important enzyme in the production of PHAs– called PHA synthase– but without success. Now a team publishing two articles in Biotechnology Journal reports success, while also elucidating mechanisms of the enzyme reaction involved in PHA production.
  • American Electric Technologies, Inc has announced that its M&I Electric business has recently been selected to provide a turnkey power delivery solution for a land fill gas reclamation project in the United States. M&I will provide a turnkey power delivery solution including a M&I Power Distribution Center with Medium Voltage Switchgear, Medium Voltage Motor Controllers, Low Voltage MCC, transformers and other ancillary power distribution equipment.
  • Biofuels International is reporting that Shell and Brazilian ethanol company Cosan have reached an agreement to strengthen their sugarcane ethanol joint venture (JV), Raízen, in Brazil, through a change in its contractual structure. The partners have agreed to remove the mutual time-bound buyout options included in the original JV agreement, signed in June 2011, and in doing so have transformed Raízen from a temporary to a permanent joint venture.
Bioenergy Bytes

Research Turns Old Tires into New #Biofuels

Joanna Schroeder

Researchers at the QUT’s Biofuel Engine Research Facility have created a way to turn old tires into biofuels. Facility Professor Richard Brown and PhD student Farhad Hossain tested the oil’s emissions and output and found the biofuel reduced emissions with no loss of engine performance.

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Farhad Hossain, Professor Richard Brown and GDT’s Trevor Bayley in QUT’s Biofuel Engine Research Facility with a truck tyre that would yield 460litres of reclaimed oil.

“Globally, 1.5 billion tonnes of tyres are discarded each year. Australia, alone, will generate 55 million disused tyres a year by 2020,” said Professor Brown. “Getting rid of old tyres in an environment-friendly way is a universal nightmare. Stockpiles of used tyres around the world are a health hazard, as demonstrated by the recent Broadmeadows fire in Victoria, which was difficult to put out and generated huge amounts of toxic smoke.”

Tests on the oil produced from old tires was performed by Hossain along the QUT engineering team that included process engineer Dr. Tom Rainey, and air-quality expert Professor Zoran Ristovski.

“We tested the oil which GDT produces from both recycled natural and synthetic rubber tyres in 10 percent and 20 percent diesel blends,” Hossain explained. “We tested the tyre oil blends in a turbocharged, common rail, direct injection, six-cylinder engine in the Biofuel Engine Research Facility at QUT. The engine is typical of engine types used in the transport industry.”

He continued, “Our experiments were performed with a constant speed and four different engine loads of 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent of full load. We found a 30 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide which contributes to photochemical smog, and lower particle mass which means fewer problems for emission treatment systems.”

According to Trevor Bayley, GDT COO, the oil can also be used as a heating fuel or further refined into diesel or aviation jet fuel.

“The process recycles end-of-life tyres into oil, carbon and steel, leaving nothing wasted and even uses some of the recovered oil as the heat source,” said Bayley. “Carbon is the most common recovered ingredient and the steel rim and framework is the third most common ingredient, while the oil is the most valuable. We are delighted at the findings of the QUT research as it will help us promote the sustainable use for end-of-life tyres.”

Bayley continued, “The potential of this source of biofuel feedstock is immense, and it is more sustainable than other bio-oils from plants such as corn, or algae. A recycled 10kg car tyre yields 4 litres of oil, 1.5kg of steel and 4 kg of oil, and a 70kg truck tyre provides 28 litres of oil, 11kg of steel and 28kg of carbon. GDT plans to have the first fully operational commercial plant delivering eight million litres of oil a year from mid-2017, followed by a world-first mining tyre processing plant in either Qld or WA,” he added.

advanced biofuels, aviation biofuels, Biodiesel, Research, Waste-to-Energy

UPM BioVerno Performs on the Road

Joanna Schroeder

Finnish biofuel company UPM has announced the successful completion of several lab and on road tests on its UPM BioVerno diesel. The company is reporting the tests showed that their renewable wood-based diesel fuel performs as well as traditional diesel fuels. Lab tests were conducted in the VTT Technical Research Centre (VTT) and the on road tests were performed in bus traffic in the Helsinki region in conjunction with the Helsinki Region Transport (HSL). The field tests, supported by Transdev Findland Oy, Volvo and St1, spanned one year and the results were calculated by VTT.

The first set of lab tests were done with Euro III Class buses and UPM says its UPM BioVerno diesel produced lower emissions than fossil-based diesel. When compared to other advanced fuels, the renewable diesel’s emissions demonstrated equal emission reductions.

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Photo Credit: UPM

“The use of UPM BioVerno diesel in the current bus fleet instead of fossil diesel would lower emissions from public transport significantly. This is good news as this Finnish wood-based fuel could immediately – and positively – affect the air quality in the Helsinki region,” said Sari Mannonen, vice president of UPM Biofuels.

On-road tests with the buses were conducted by Transdev Finland using a regular bus route between the cities of Kerava and Helsinki using Volvo Euro VI Class buses. These vehicles are manufactured to have lower emissions and more efficient engines. The tests used blends of 20 percent, 50 percent and 100 percent UPM BioVerno diesel, and were conducted by St1. The results showed that UPM BioVerno diesel worked well across all blends with consistent fuel consumption of traditional diesel fuel. In total, the buses traveled nearly 400,000 km with no fuel-related incidents.

“We are happy with the test results – they show that UPM BioVerno could fully replace fossil diesel in current bus traffic. Biofuels have a significant role in our company’s targets, as we are aiming for carbon-free public transportation in the Helsinki region,” said Reijo Mäkinen, head of the Traffic Services department in HSL.

The latest set of tests were part of a larger BioPilot project overseen by VTT to encourage companies to commercialize the use of renewable fuels in vehicles.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, International

European Ethanol Industry Calls for Ethanol Support

Joanna Schroeder

screen-shot-2016-11-29-at-8-24-46-amThe European ethanol industry is coming together in defense of ethanol as the European Commission has publicly announced that it is considering a gradual phase out of first generation biofuels produced from multiple crops including sugar beet, oilseed rape, wheat and corn. In a letter, the organizations are calling on the Commission to re-evaluate its position. All forms of ethanol, the letter states, is shown to be available and sustainable as well as saves Europeans money at the pump all while reducing emissions from the transport sector. The letter was jointly submitted by the European Association of Sugar Manufacturers (CEFS), the European Confederation of Maize Production (CEPM), the International Confederation of European Beet Growers (CIBE) and the European renewable ethanol producers association (ePURE).

The organizations states that a phase out of conventional biofuels will cost European farmers billions of Euro in revenue per year – a phase out of conventional ethanol alone, which represents only 20 percent of the EU biofuel market, will cost European farmers at least €2.1 billion revenue per year.

The letter goes on by explaining to the Commission that ethanol will continue to be vital to meeting Europe’s greenhouse gas reduction goals – 18 to 19 percent in the road transport sector. This is the case, the organizations write, because other forms of transportation such as electric vehicles will not ramp up quickly enough to have any significant impact on reducing the sector’s GHG emissions by 2030. In addition, the letter continues, electricity remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels.

The organizations highlighted several climate and energy benefits of ethanol:

  • European ethanol has certified and audited average high GHG emissions savings of 64%
    compared to petrol. European ethanol’s strong GHG emission savings performance has been
    constantly improving and is supported by the Commission’s own scientific studies. In 2015,
    European ethanol companies produced 4.5 billion litres of renewable ethanol fuel, reducing
    GHG emissions by 6 million tonnes – equivalent to the annual emissions produced by 4
    million new cars.
  • In 2015 the use of European produced ethanol displaced the need for 19 billion barrels of
    petrol in European transport – equivalent to nearly 4% of Europe’s petrol volumes.

The letter outlines why the Commissions strategy is wrong and states that the sustainability industry can and should be strengthened. The letter continues,  “An unjustified phase out of conventional ethanol will hurt Europe’s farmers and would be an unacceptable abdication of the Commission’s responsibility to protect the existing €16 billion biofuel investments that have been made in good faith and the 220,000 jobs created by the biofuel sector on the basis of existing policy. The European ethanol industry alone has invested €8 billion.”

Ethanol, International

Valero Renewable Fuels Joins RFA

Joanna Schroeder

Valero Renewable Fuels Company has become a member of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). Valero Renewable Fuels Company, a subsidiary of Valero Energy Corporation, is the third largest biofuels producer in the U.S. with a total annual production of 1.4 billion gallons per year. The company owns and operates 11 corn ethanol plants throughout the Midwest including plants in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. In addition, Valero is the largest renewable diesel producer in the country and the largest independent refiner in the world.

rfalogo1“We are thrilled to welcome Valero Renewable Fuels to our membership,” said Renewable Fuels Association Board Chairman and Commonwealth Agri-Energy General Manager Mick Henderson. “Valero complements RFA as we advocate for continued growth and use of renewables. Through its vast ethanol plant footprint in the United States, Valero provides countless benefits to consumers by helping to clean the air, increase energy independence and boost local economies. We are proud to count Valero Renewables as an RFA member and look forward to the company being an active member as we work together to expand marketplace opportunities for ethanol.”

valero-logoValero Vice President of Alternative Fuels Martin Parrish, added, “Valero is proud of our high performing ethanol plants, their excellent safety record and commitment to the communities where we operate. Joining RFA provides a strong conduit to support our operations, especially as we cooperatively work to promote renewables, grow our ethanol market and provide opportunities to further strengthen the nation’s liquid fuel sector.”

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Pannonia Ethanol to Expand Hungary Biorefinery

Joanna Schroeder

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Photo Credit Pannonia Ethanol Zrt.

Pannonia Ethanol Zrt. has announced plans to expand its biorefinery in Hungary now that the company has secured a Euro 135 million credit facility agreement with a group of Hungarian banks. The expansion will enable the corn-ethanol plant to cut costs, increase corn buying and animal feed output as well as add additional jobs.

“The plant is already the largest biorefinery in Europe. This investment further reduces costs and increases production capacity across the board. It also supports the introduction of innovative new bioproducts that promise significant benefits for human and animal health,” said Mark Turley, CEO of Pannonia Ethanol’s parent company, Ethanol Europe Renewables (EERL). “The Dunaföldvár plant currently supports over 2,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Tolna County region. The expansion will increase employment further, both directly and through the plant’s strong economic multiplier effect. Maize purchasing from farmers will exceed 1 million tons in 2017,” added Turley.

Eric Sievers, EERL Investment Director added, “We are very pleased that this facility has been provided by a consortium of Hungarian banks, the Budapest Bank, Hungarian Export-Import Bank, K&H Bank and Raiffeisen Bank. The package provides new credit capacity for our normal working operations, finances an expansion of ethanol/animal feed production capacity and restructures existing low debt levels on a more economic basis.”

corn, Ethanol, International

Study Looks at Biofuel Crops, Land Change & Climate

Joanna Schroeder

A new study has looked at how converting land to grow biofuel crops impacts greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers at the DOE Argonne National Laboratory found that in the past analyses only looked at the changes in the amount of carbon stored in the soil and vegetation of these converted lands that were previously forests, grasslands or pastureland.

Argonne environmental analyst Hao Cai, environmental scientist Jiali Wang and climate scientist Yan Feng observe a U.S. map that plots the albedo effects observed across various agro-ecological zones. (Image by Wes Agresta/Argonne National Laboratory.)

Argonne environmental analyst Hao Cai, environmental scientist Jiali Wang and climate scientist Yan Feng observe a U.S. map that plots the albedo effects observed across various agro-ecological zones. (Image by Wes Agresta/Argonne National Laboratory.)

So the research team studied the reflectivity effects of converting land, or the “albedo,” which is the amount of incoming solar energy that gets reflected back into space. These changes, combined with other factors, then contribute to climate changes in GHG emissions according to the researchers. The study was published in the The Royal Chemistry Society’s Energy & Environmental Science.

The results of the study show that when a piece of land is changed to produce a biofuel crop, albedo effects changed as well. When looking at only albedo change effects, the team found that land converted to producing corn ethanol had a net cooling effect on the climate. However, when the land was converted to grow several next generation biofuels including miscanthus and swithgrass, the albedo showed a warming effect. However, when the researches looked at carbon stock changes (another factor in climate change) in addition to albedo, corn and switchgrass ethanol showed net warming effects associated with land use change while miscanthus grass ethanol exhibits a net cooling effect.

The work outlines the importance of considering changes in reflectivity when assessing land use change-induced effects of biofuel production on climate. “Our analysis is helping build a fuller picture of the climate effects of biofuel feedstock production,” said Hao Cai, an Argonne environmental analyst and lead author of the study.

biofuels, Climate Change, Indirect Land Use, Research

WEO-2016 Finds Renewables, Natural Gas Future Winners

Joanna Schroeder

weo-2016According to the 2016 World Energy Outlook (WEO-2016), the winners to reach energy demand growth through 2040 will be renewables and natural gas. The annual report is published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and finds that the era of fossil fuels is long from over. Natural gas will continue to expand and coal and oil usage will decrease. This underscores the need for more ambitious climate goals throughout the world finds the study. WEO-2016 finds, however, that government policies along with energy sector cost reductions will enable a doubling of renewables. Other progress can be made, finds the report, through energy efficiency improvements.

“We see clear winners for the next 25 years – natural gas but especially wind and solar – replacing the champion of the previous 25 years, coal,” said Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director. “But there is no single story about the future of global energy: in practice, government policies will determine where we go from here.”

weo2016infographicAs the energy mix around the world continues to transform, WEO-2016 states that there will be risks to energy security – especially related to oil and gas. Global demand for these energy sources will continue to grow through 2040, in part due to lack of easy alternatives to oil in road freight, aviation and petrochemicals, finds the report. Also during this time oil demand from passenger cars will decline even though the number of cars on the road will double over the next 25 years. This will be accomplished through mileage improvements and the use of biofuels and electric vehicles, according to WEO-2016.

A major step forward in curbing climate change is the Paris Agreement that took effect November 4, 2016. However, WEO-2016 calls for more ambitious programs to meet climate goals including limiting the rise of average global temperatures to 2.7°C by 2100. While the path is tough, the report argues climate goals can be achieved if across the board policies to accelerate low carbon technologies and energy efficiency are put in place.

“Renewables make very large strides in coming decades but their gains remain largely confined to electricity generation,” added Dr Birol. “The next frontier for the renewable story is to expand their use in the industrial, building and transportation sectors where enormous potential for growth exists.”

bioenergy, biofuels, Carbon, Climate Change

Advanced #Biofuels Industry Supports Increased RVOs

Joanna Schroeder

The advanced biofuels industry has come out in support of the EPA’s increased Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) as part of the 2017 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The Cellulosic Biofuel category will increase from 230 million gallons in 2016 to 311 million gallons in 2017. Renewable fuels in this category must reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by at least 60 percent as compared to traditional fuels. In addition, the Advanced Biofuels category is increasing 19 percent going from 3.61 billion to 4.28 billion. This category encompasses biomass-based diesel, cellulosic biofuel, and other biofuels that achieves at least 50 percent lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

Advanced Biofuels Association logoIn response to the new rule that increases volumes across all categories, Michael McAdams, Advanced Biofuels Association (AFBF) president, stated, “We congratulate EPA on getting the RVO rule out ahead of schedule. Like last year, it sends a clear signal to the market of the federal government’s intention to stand behind the RFS program. We are also happy to see the confidence and support of the biomass-based diesel pool by continuing to recognize the fact it is growing steadily. And, we welcome increases in both the advanced and cellulosic pools. Those are truly the fuels of the future that deliver the most significant contribution to sustainability.”

bio-newBrent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section noted that the organization and its members welcome the EPA’s change of course. “By abandoning its legally flawed reliance on general waiver authority as a basis for departing from statutory biofuels volumes requirements, EPA has sent a strong signal that it will support the biofuels industry and grow advanced and cellulosic biofuel production.” Erickson added that “the final 2017 rule adheres to Congress’s intent in enacting the RFS statue and ends several years of instability in the RFS program….

BIO continues to strongly disagree with EPA’s prior interpretation of its general waiver authority under the RFS statute and with EPA’s ongoing stockpiling of carryover RIN credits. The RFS statute does not allow EPA to rely on demand-side factors under the oil industry’s control as a basis for decreasing the fundamental requirement to use as much renewable fuel as the biofuel industry can produce. And the statute does not grant the agency leeway to create a permanent carryover RIN bank.”

Advanced Biofuels Business Council logoAdvanced Biofuels Business Council Executive Director Brooke Coleman stated, “Administrator McCarthy and her team deserve a lot of credit. Administrator McCarthy said they would get the RFS back on track and they did. It’s a strong rule across the board and moves the conversation forward. We have moved past the imaginary blend wall. The biofuels industry continues to innovate. The merchant refiners saying they cannot comply with the RFS are now implementing cost-effective changes at their refineries to blend more renewable fuel. President-elect Trump will no doubt hear from a shrinking group of RFS naysayers, but I think he understands that the RFS is working, supports a strong manufacturing base across the country and reduces our dependence on foreign oil. We are looking forward to working with EPA and the next Administration on further accelerating the commercial deployment of advanced biofuels.”

advanced biofuels, BIO, Cellulosic, RFS