RenFuel & Nordic Paper to Build Biofuel Plant

Joanna Schroeder

Sweden is going to be the home of a new advanced biofuel pilot plant that will use lignin as the feedstock. RenFuel and Nordic Paper are citing the facility in Bäckhammar in Värmland, and the project has been granted 71 million kronor by the Swedish Energy Agency. Using lignin from the pulp industry RenFuel has developed a method to convert the renewable residual black liquor to Lignol, or lignin oil. From there, it can be used as raw material in the production of advanced biofuels replacing both gas and diesel fuels. In addition, the project aims to assist the pulp industry with a new revenue source: waste black liquor feedstock.

RenFuel CEO Sven Lignol showcases Lignol.

RenFuel CEO Sven Lignol showcases Lignol.

“Our product Lignol is key to achieving the goal of a fossil-free vehicle fleet by 2030. It is very gratifying to finally be able to test the product on a large scale thanks to the cooperation with Nordic Paper and the funding from the Energy Agency,” said Sven Löchen, president of RenFuel.

The pilot plant, to be built at the Nordic Paper’s pulp mill in Bäckhammar, is expected to be online in early 2017. The two partners hope that Lignol will provide a significant source of bioenergy to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and help the country meet its goal’s of a fossil-free vehicle fleet by 2030.

Per Bjurbom, CEO of Nordic Paper, added, “The pulp and paper industry is an important link in the bio-economy. Through such cooperation, we can concretely contribute to the growing fossil-free future. It feels extremely positive.”

advanced biofuels, Cellulosic

#Ethanol Supporters Storm the Hill #ACE16DC

Cindy Zimmerman

ACE president Ron Alverson (2nd from left) with other members after Hill visits

ACE president Ron Alverson (2nd from left) with other members after Hill visits

Nearly 70 grassroots members of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) stormed the Hill Wednesday at the organization’s 8th annual fly-in.

ACE members participated in more than 125 meetings with lawmakers representing 36 states to convey the importance of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and bipartisan legislation to extend Reid vapor pressure (RVP) relief to E15 and higher ethanol blends.

ACE president Ron Alverson of Dakota Ethanol says his visits on Capitol Hill went very well. “We had good discussions, they asked good questions, generally it was a pretty positive day,” said Alverson, noting that members are much more informed about ethanol than they were just a few years ago.

There is good support among ethanol-friendly members of Congress for the RVP bill, but Alverson says the sense he got from his meetings is that very little will be done this election year. “They said probably nothing at all,” he said.

Alverson is pleased with the turn out for this year’s fly-in, which has grown from just 25 attendees the first year to 60-80 on average now. “Quite frankly, it’s hard to handle more than that,” he said. “We 60 people we can cover the meetings pretty well.”

Listen to my interview with Alverson here: Interview with Ron Alverson, ACE

ACE 2016 DC Fly-in Photo Album

ACE, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government

Proposed Tax Credit Amendment for CO2 Capture

Joanna Schroeder

A new amendment has been proposed by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) that would provide a tax credit for technologies that are able to convert CO2 into products such as advanced biofuels, animal feed and biochemicals. The proposed language would create a new utilization tax incentive to complement section 45Q of the tax code, which already provides credits for the adoption of carbon capture and sequestration technologies.

ABO logo“We thank Senator Whitehouse for his leadership and recognition that a number of innovative technologies are coming of age that can help the United States achieve substantial, permanent reductions in CO2 while producing valuable commodities,” said Matt Carr, executive director of the Algae Biomass Organization in response to the amendment. “Carbon utilization technologies are attracting broad congressional support, and common-sense policy like this can play a key role in accelerating how quickly algae and other utilization technologies will improve our energy and economic security.”

Algae cultivation is one viable way to transform CO2 into products such as advanced biofuels or biochemicals and products used in industries such as the health and beauty industries. In addition, the Algae Biomass Organization says algae companies across the U.S. are working to commercialize new technology advances that also convert CO2 to fertilizer, plastics and feed ingredients.

advanced biofuels, algae, biochemicals, bioproducts, Legislation

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1Gevo has announced that ASTM International has now completed its process of approving the revision of ASTM D7566 (Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons) to include alcohol to jet synthetic paraffinic kerosene (ATJ-SPK) derived from renewable isobutanol. The ASTM process is now completed in all respects.
  • According to the latest April 2016 Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) and Summer Transportation Fuels Forecast, U.S. drivers are expected to pay the cheapest summer gasoline prices in 12 years with ongoing low crude oil prices. EIA is also reporting, “Low pump prices and continuing growth in employment contribute to more driving, resulting in a forecast of record high gasoline demand this summer.”
  • Advanced Energy Economy is reporting employment in California’s advanced energy industry grew 18% last year, six times the statewide employment growth rate. More than half a million California workers spend some or all of their time on advanced energy (energy efficiency, advanced electricity generation, biofuels, advanced grid technology, and advanced vehicles).
  • The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) has announced its selection of Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA) as a Legislator of the Year for 2016. Representative Peters receives the award in conjunction with BIO Legislative Day Fly-In.
Bioenergy Bytes

How Reid Vapor Pressure Impacts #Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

Reid vapor pressure (RVP) is one of those scientific terms reminiscent of high school chemistry but it has a significant impact on fuel at the pump, especially in the summer months.

ace16dc-lambertyAmerican Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) senior vice president Ron Lamberty gave a brief lesson on RVP to attendees at the organization’s annual legislative fly-in this week as they prepared to visit lawmakers and ask them to back legislation the would address how it impacts retail sales of E15. “When you put it in a car, gasoline needs to vaporize so you can burn it, so a higher RVP in the winter is good because it’s colder, but in the summer when it’s hot, gasoline automatically vaporizes a little bit itself,” said Lamberty. EPA’s current rules require gas to have nine pounds of RVP in the summer but adding 10% ethanol, even though it has a lower RVP, the combination increases the total RVP to about 10. The one pound waiver that was added to the rule several years ago dealt with that, but it was specific to 10 percent ethanol only. “That means you can’t use E15 even though it actually has a lower Reid vapor pressure than E10 does,” said Lamberty. The legislation seeks to change that rule.

In this interview, Lamberty gives an update on labeling USDA’s Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership (BIP), and new FTC labeling guidelines for mid-level ethanol blends. Interview with Ron Lamberty, ACE

ACE 2016 DC Fly-in Photo Album

ACE, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News

ACE Shows Faces of #Ethanol in Roll Call

Cindy Zimmerman

ace16dc-goodIn conjunction with the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) annual legislative fly-in this week, the grassroots ethanol organization is running ads in Roll Call, a popular Capitol Hill publication. Today’s ad highlights the importance of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and bipartisan legislation to extend Reid vapor pressure (RVP) relief to E15 and higher ethanol blends.

Charlie Good, an ASE-certified mechanic and convenience store owner from Nevada, Iowa, is featured in print and digital ads on April 13 in support of bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) to allow gas station owners to sell E15 year-round by updating EPA’s Reid vapor pressure regulation, which currently restricts the use of E15 in conventional gasoline areas of the country from June 1 to September 15. Good offers multiple fuel blends to his customers. “It does take your gallons down in the summer,” said Good. “I think it’s an unjust and unscientific law. People don’t understand why it’s okay one day it’s not okay the next day.”

Delayne Johnson, CEO of ACE-member Quad County Corn Processors, will be featured in a Roll Call print ad on Thursday highlighting how the RFS has enabled his company to become the first to successfully commercialize cellulosic biofuel from corn kernel fiber. Quad County produces two million gallons of cellulosic biofuel annually in addition to 35 million gallons of conventional biofuel.

Listen to an interview with Good here: Interview with Charlie Good, Iowa fuel retailers

ACE 2016 DC Fly-in Photo Album

ACE, Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Retailers

Texas A&M Discovers Algae to Biofuel Breakthrough

Joanna Schroeder

Scientists from Texas A&M may have discovered a way to coax algae into making larger amounts of oil. The team discovered an enzyme responsible for making hydrocarbons that could in turn increase the amount of oil algae produces improving the algae to biofuel process. The green algae strain researched was Botryococcus braunii, and the study was published in the current issue of Nature Communications and led by Dr. Tim Devarenne, an AgriLife Research biochemist at Texas A&M.

Dr. Timothy Devarenne studies the biofuel properties of a common green microalga called Botryococcus braunii in his lab at Texas A&M University. Photo Credit: Kathleen Phillips

Dr. Timothy Devarenne studies the biofuel properties of a common green microalga called Botryococcus braunii in his lab at Texas A&M University. Photo Credit: Kathleen Phillips

“The interesting thing about this alga is that it produces large amounts of liquid hydrocarbons, which can be used to make fuels such as gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel,” Devarenne told AgriLife Today, a Texas A&M campus publication. “And these liquid hydrocarbons made by the alga are currently found in petroleum deposits, so we are already using them as a source to generate fuel.”

“Botryococcus is found pretty much everywhere in the world except for seawater,” he added. “It’s very cosmopolitan. It grows in freshwater or brackish water. It’s found in almost all ponds and lakes around the world. It’s been found in every continent except Antarctica, and it grows from mountain to desert climates.”

The goal of the research was to discover how to get algae to make more oil and so the team looked at how Botryococcus braunii makes the liquid hydrocarbons — what genes and pathways are involved — with the idea of manipulating the genes to express specific traits.Read More

advanced biofuels, algae, Research

EIA Reports Biodiesel Production on the Rise

Joanna Schroeder

According to a recent Today in Energy, published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), biodiesel production is back on the growth track. In 2014 amid concerns over the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the expiration of the biodiesel blender’s tax credit, biodiesel production dropped after reaching record production levels in 2013. However, as biodiesel blends were increased for 2015 under the RFS, U.S. imports of biodiesel and renewable diesel increased by 61 percent in 2015 reaching 538 million gallons of production.

US biodiesel chartThe most influential drivers of the increase has been increasing RFS targets and the biodiesel tax credit, although it has lapsed and been reinstated several times. Another driver is California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).  In addition, biomass-based diesel fuels have additional advantages over other renewable fuels due to their relatively high energy content and low carbon intensity, which allow them to qualify for higher credit values in both renewable fuel programs.

Today U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel are primarily made from soybean oil, waste vegetable oils or animal fats. The blends range from B5, or five percent biodiesel, 95 percent diesel, to B20. The difference between biodiesel and renewable diesel is that renewable diesel meets specifications for use in existing infrastructure and diesel engines and not subject to blending limitations. However, it should be noted that all diesel engines can use biodiesel blends.

In terms of biodiesel imports, more than half the gallons came from Argentina (183 million gallons of 334 million gallons). In January of 2015, the EPA approved the RFS pathway for Argentinean biodiesel allowing the fuel purchased to quality for Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits. The remaining gallons came from Indonesia and Canada. EIA reports that all U.S. renewable diesel imports in 2015 were sourced from Singapore and entered the country primarily through West Coast ports, likely destined for California LCFS compliance.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, RFS

Biodiesel in MN Has Big Effect on Lowering Emissions

Joanna Schroeder

According to a new analysis from the American Lung Association of Minnesota, using biodiesel has had a dramatic effect on lowering harmful tailpipe emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cites mobile transportation accounts for more than half of all air pollution in the U.S. However, in Minnesota, they represent the largest single source. To help combat air pollution, Minnesota requires a 10 percent biodiesel blend (B10) in diesel fuel during warm weather months and B5 during cold months. According to the American Lung Association, one way to lower emissions are achieved is through the production of feedstocks, such as soybeans, that absorb and capture carbon that is later converted into a renewable fuel such as biodiesel.

Studies have found that biodiesel, when compared to traditional diesel fuel, reduces CO2 emissions by 78 percent. While cars with better emission controls help to reduce emissions, they do not prevent CO2 emissions.

infographic-biofuel1Taking into account the transition to new, clean diesel engines, the analysis conducted used the National Biodiesel Board’s (NBB) biodiesel emissions calculator that is based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s reported diesel use in Minnesota for the years 2005 to 2015. The analysis showed the state has prevented a sizable amount of air pollutants from being emitted, including 2.5 million pounds of hydrocarbon, 1.9 million pounds of particulate matter and 3.7 million tons of lifecycle CO2 emissions.

The American Lung Association of Minnesota reports that utilizing biodiesel blends while transitioning to newer cars on the road is playing an important role in keeping the state’s air clean.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1Fourteen students from Butterfield-Odin visited the Heron Lake Bioenergy ethanol plant on April 8 to get a better understanding of ethanol production and its benefits. During the tour, the students, all from the 11th grade, learned about incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distiller grain production and storage, liquefaction and ethanol storage and shipment. Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association assisted with setting up the student visit at the ethanol facility.
  • Growth Energy Co-Chair Tom Buis will be speaking at the upcoming Ethanol: Emerging Issues Forum April 28-29 at the La Vista Conference Center. Buis will participate in the government policy panel alongside Doug Durante, Clean Fuels Development Coalition executive director, and Mark Palmer, Nebraska Ethanol Producers Association executive director. Click here to register.
  • The Maine Public Utilities Commission has issued a new annual report on Maine’s use of renewable electricity in 2014. The report shows the impact of Maine’s renewable portfolio standard and found that compliance costs have fallen nearly in half since 2013.
  • The Alabama Department of Corrections is reporting a significant savings and reduced emissions from its switch to propane auotgas to fuel 72 of its work release vans. The vehicles us ICOM liquid injection propane systems and the kits were installed by Precision Sales & Service in Birmingham, Alabama, owned by Buddy Gamel.
Bioenergy Bytes