Renewable Diesel Approved for Mack Trucks

John Davis

macktruckMack Trucks says renewable diesel is cleared for use in all Mack engines. This article from Today’s Trucking says the decision comes following “extensive truck and engine testing” by the company.

“As the availability and customer requests for renewable diesel fuel increase, we worked to ensure its compatibility with our engines,” said Stu Russoli, Mack highway and powertrain products marketing manager. “This approval gives Mack customers who seek to reduce their environmental footprint an additional choice when it comes to alternative fuels.”

Renewable diesel fuel delivers performance similar to diesel refined from petroleum, but with several additional customer benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas and particulate emissions, as well as decreased maintenance costs, according to Mack.

Similar to conventional biodiesel, renewable diesel fuel is derived from biomass feedstocks, including animal fats and oils. However, unlike biodiesel, renewable diesel fuel is produced using a different process and maintains physical properties and performance similar to petroleum diesel, meeting the same ASTM D975 standard.

Mack says renewable diesel fuel offers several environmental benefits to customers, including reducing particulate matter. A life cycle analysis of renewable diesel fuel conducted by the California Air Resources Board also demonstrated reductions in greenhouse gases by 15 to 80 percent, depending on feedstock source used. Also, customers can also save money with renewable diesel fuel, as it requires fewer maintenance costs compared to other alternative fuels.

renewable diesel

Biodiesel Smart Enough to Take on a Harvard Winter

John Davis

nBBWhile we’re in the midst of winter’s icy grip, the folks at the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) remind us how the green fuel can take on the coldest, snowiest winters. They point to last winter in Boston, when the city received nearly 10 FEET of snow, and Harvard University’s biodiesel-powered fleet didn’t miss a beat.

David E. Harris Jr., Harvard’s Director Transit and Fleet Management, reports they had no problems even on the most frigid days. “After the snowiest and coldest winter since we started using biodiesel 11 years ago, we were up and running providing transit service and keeping campus operations running smoothly,” Harris said. “Biodiesel is the fuel that helped us do that.”

Harvard uses approximately 2,000 gallons of B20 per week, for a total of more than 100,000 gallons a year. Their diesel fleet includes about 75 service vehicles – such as shuttle buses, solid waste and recycling trucks, mail delivery vehicles and more – and about 25 pieces of off-road maintenance equipment.

Harris, who shares his biodiesel know-how as a volunteer Biodiesel Ambassador, adds that the precautions he takes with biodiesel in cold weather are good practice with regular diesel fuel as well. He emphasizes that ensuring good quality fuel is priority one.

NBB adds that biodiesel can gel in very cold temperatures, and there are some things you need to keep in mind when using biodiesel in cold climates:

• Use high-quality fuel that meets the ASTM spec purchased from a reputable supplier.
• Be sure to discuss fuel options with your supplier to ensure that both the diesel fuel and biodiesel are blended only after meeting their respective specifications.
• Develop a good fuel management plan, in partnership with your supplier, that includes additization (just like for regular diesel) to improve cold weather operability.
• Test fuel periodically to verify its cold weather properties.
• Make sure you understand your fuel’s cold flow characteristics and have appropriate fuel handling and storage plans in place.
• Remain diligent on your tank maintenance program to help ensure fuel cleanliness.

Biodiesel, NBB

Vaisala Partners to Assess Growth of Wind Energy

Joanna Schroeder

Vaisala is partnering with several groups to assess the potential of growth for wind energy. Southeastern Wind Coalition (SWEC) members Southern Company and Santee Cooper will be working with Vaisala on a wind feasibility study to assist the utilities in identifying the potential for utility-scale wind development. Currently, the region has very little wind energy production.

1 Vaisala logo in jpeg formatThe southwest has a longstanding reputation for low wind resources in comparison to the rest of the U.S. has led many developers to overlook the Southeast as a potential site for commercial wind energy projects. However, as turbine and resource mapping technologies improve, interest in the region is starting to increase.

As reported by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), SEWC, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), taller towers, longer blades, and improved electronics have significantly increased turbine output and efficiency and expanded the areas where wind energy projects are not only feasible but also profitable, such as the southeast.

In order to further evaluate this growth and mobilize the development of utility-scale wind projects in the Southeast, the industry must have access to high-quality wind resource data as a basis for crucial project siting decisions and to complete financial modeling. Vaisala’s wind feasibility study will provide this access by creating a wind resource database of the Southeast, which will be available to coalition members, as well as a wind resource map at high altitudes, which will be publically available. The wind study will be conducted over 12 months.

“The Southeast is poised for considerable wind energy growth,” said Pascal Storck, global manager of Energy Services at Vaisala. “However, before utilities and developers can start to make the most of the region’s wind potential, the industry needs to provide these would-be investors with access to trusted, reliable data. That includes comprehensive resource assessment that demonstrates the viability and longevity of southeastern wind energy as an investment proposition.”

Clean Energy, Electricity, Wind

Energy, Ag Scholarships Available from CHS

Joanna Schroeder

Current college students and soon to be college students who are interested in alternative energy and agriculture are eligible to apply for scholarships from the CHS Foundation. The major giving entity of CHS Inc., more than 300 scholarships will be awarded in 2016.

CHS_LOGOOne hundred $1,000 scholarships will be made to high school students who choose to pursue agricultural-related degrees or STEM-related (science, technology, engineering, math) fields of study with an interest in agriculture or energy industry careers. More than 200 additional scholarships will help fund expenses for existing agriculture college students currently pursuing agriculture-related degrees at two- and four-year colleges.

“CHS and the CHS Foundation are dedicated to developing future leaders,” said William Nelson, president, CHS Foundation and vice president, CHS Corporate Citizenship. “We are proud to invest in educating young people to ensure they gain experience and build the skills necessary for long-lasting careers in the agriculture and energy industries.”

High school scholarship applications must be submitted by April 1, 2016. An independent, external committee will select scholarship recipients based on essays, transcripts and reference letters. For additional eligibility information and to apply, click here. The college scholarships are directly administered by more than 30 partnering universities throughout the U.S. and application deadlines vary by by school. For more information and a list of partnering universities, click here.

Agribusiness, Education, Renewable Energy

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) has taken another big step on its green journey by powering Detroit Zoo operations with 100% renewable electricity from wind farms. The organization’s commitment to sustainable electricity with the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) is being made possible through the support of ITC Holdings Corp.
  • Royal Philips has announced Philips North America will use 100 percent renewable energy for its North American operations by the end of 2016, a major step toward its 2020 carbon neutrality ambitions announced during COP21. Working with EDP Renewables North America, Philips will purchase 250,000 MWh of electricity per year over the next 15 years from the Hidalgo Wind Farm in McCook, Texas, an amount equivalent to the power used at the company’s 133 sites which support over 21,000 employees in the market.
  • The U.S. Energy Information Administration has published the 2014 state-level estimates for fuel ethanol consumption. The data shows the U.S. consumed nearly 320.1 million barrels (13.44 billion gallons) of ethanol in 2014.
  • Biofuels Digest is hosting a free webinar, “Loan Guarantees: USDA Section 9003 Feasibility Study and Technical Evaluation,” on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at noon ET. The webinar will discuss topics including: What is the Purpose of the Feasibility Study? How can I know if my project is feasible? What should I look for in choosing a feasibility study consultant? What does a successful proforma look like when oil prices are so low and predictions of future pricing so unpredictable? Why won’t lenders talk to me? (Recommendations and pointers from prior successful clients and what lenders really want before they will consider your project for funding.) Is my project technically ready? (Understand the role of the Independent Engineer and the status of your pilot and integrated demonstration testing and how this will affect your application.) Deal Jeopardy – what are some common application pitfalls?
Bioenergy Bytes

Biodiesel Board Hires Franco as General Counsel

John Davis

nBBWashington attorney Sandra Franco is the new general counsel at the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). This news release from the group says Franco comes to NBB from the the environmental group at the international law firm Morgan Lewis, where she specialized in the Clean Air Act and natural resources law, and has long worked with the renewable fuels industry, including NBB, on a variety of legal matters. She is one of the nation’s foremost legal experts with respect to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

“There isn’t an attorney in the country who knows renewable fuels law better than Sandra Franco, and we are thrilled to have her join our team,” said NBB CEO Joe Jobe.

Franco has participated in litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, as well as other federal district courts and courts of appeal. For NBB, Sandra worked on regulatory proceedings affecting the biodiesel industry and led her firm’s team on litigation over the RFS, successfully defending full implementation of the program.

“Sandra is a tremendously skilled and seasoned attorney who will help us ensure that the U.S. biodiesel industry has a strong voice and expert counsel in Washington as well as on legal and regulatory issues across the country,” Jobe added.

Biodiesel, NBB

Biodiesel Giant REG Says ‘No’ to Crude Oil at Port

John Davis

REGBiodiesel giant Renewable Energy Group (REG) doesn’t want to ship crude oil through its new port and plant in Washington state. This article from the Seattle Times says the Iowa-based company is leaving crude oil out of its plans for the mammoth Grays Harbor biodiesel plant REG bought last summer from Imperium Renewables.

The document was filed in late November, as comment on a draft environmental impact statement. A REG spokesman on Wednesday confirmed the decision.

Imperium’s original bid to ship crude came amidst a tough market for the renewable fuels that had originally inspired the facility’s construction in 2007. The biofuel frenzy was soon overwhelmed by the financial crisis, and later sidelined by growing production of domestic oil in the U.S. interior.

A significant amount of that crude, produced in North Dakota, has been finding its way to the Pacific Northwest, carried by train.

It’s used by refineries here, but Pacific Northwest ports are also an ideal spot to ship the crude to refineries in Alaska and California — or even abroad, now that the U.S. has reauthorized domestic crude exports for the first time since the 1970s.Imperium sought to jump on that bandwagon before it was sold.

“We are pleased that REG has listened to the people and made this decision. Now we need to continue our fight to convince the other proponents that it is time to follow this lead and abandon their risky projects to bring crude oil to Grays Harbor,” said R.D. Grunbaum, a member of the Stand Up To Oil campaign and Citizens for Clean Harbor, in a press statement.

Biodiesel, REG

Ethanol Industry Responds to API’s State of Energy

Joanna Schroeder

Yesterday American Petroleum Institute’s (API) Jack Gerard delivered the 2016 State of American Energy Address. During the presentation he made remarks about the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), federal energy legislation that API has been a vocal opponent of since it’s inception in 2007.

API Jack Gerard,jpgCiting impediment of environmental improvement and cost to consumer Gerard remarked, “For example, ignoring clear consumer preference and in spite of the current record levels of domestic crude oil production, EPA continues to push the Renewable Fuel Standard, a relic of our nation’s era of energy scarcity and uncertainty.

A 2014 Congressional Budget Office study projected that the RFS could raise the cost of fuel prices because “Given the design of the RFS, the cost of encouraging additional sales of high-ethanol fuel falls on the producers and consumers of gasoline and diesel.”

What’s more, there is very little consumer demand for high ethanol fuels….It is well past time that we end or significantly amend the RFS.”

The ethanol industry responding to API’s continued attack on the RFS. Tom Buis, Growth Energy co-chair said, “API’s ‘State of American Energy’ speech, brought to you by Big Oil, is nothing new. While oil companies talk about the future of energy in this country, they seem fixated on a finite resource and fail to acknowledge that renewable fuels play a critical role in meeting the nation’s growing energy needs.

growth-energy-logo1“Year after year, API attempts to drive the narrative that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) must be reformed or repealed. This argument is fundamentally flawed. The claims that renewable fuels will increase the cost of energy or that they are worse for the environment are simply ridiculous. Countless independent studies have shown that renewable fuels like ethanol help drive down the cost of fuel. Furthermore, when it comes environmental damage, no one has a worse record than oil companies. Their record of ecological disasters is extensive and deeply troubling.Between 2008 and 2014, more than 25,000 oil spills accounted for more than 217 million gallons of oil and petroleum based products being dis­charged into U.S. navigable waterways, territorial waters, tributar­ies, the contiguous zone, onto shoreline, or into other waters and land that threaten the environment. That’s an average of more than 30 million gallons spilled a year. In contrast, ethanol is biodegradable and no beaches have ever been closed due to an ethanol spill…

API notes the importance of consumers in their speech, yet seems to believe the American consumer is best served by denying them a choice. Furthermore, they attempt to distort the truth saying there is no demand for renewable fuels. Yet major retail chains like Sheetz, Kum & Go, MAPCO and others are adopting higher blends and offering them to consumers and seeing tremendous success and growing demand.

The bottom line is that API wants to kill any competition that may threaten their bottom line and record profits….The RFS is a win-win for America, as it is an essential part of a true ‘all of the above’ energy strategy needed to meet the growing energy demands of the 21st century.” (Click here for Buis’ complete remarks.)

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Bob Dinneen soundly rejected API’s claims. “I’m not sure what reality Jack is living in, but it is clear that he believes API’s actions and policies are making our nation more energy secure when nothing could be rfalogo1further from the truth. Perhaps he has convinced himself that fracking will provide the answer to all of our nation’s energy needs. What Jack conveniently failed to mention is that as oil prices have crashed, so has the rig count. The number of active U.S. oil rigs has plunged 67 percent from its peak in 2014. Last week’s rig count was actually the lowest since May 2010, according to the oil field services firm Baker Hughes. If Jack spent time living in the real world, instead of his revisionist reality, he would find himself whistling past the graveyards of shuttered wells that have been abandoned in the bust that inevitably follows a temporary boom of an oil well.Read More

biofuels, Ethanol, Growth Energy, Iowa RFA, RFA, RFS

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1Algae.Tec has announced that it has completed the commissioning and initial startup of an algae production plant to produce algae-based nutraceutical products. The plant is located at the Company’s Manufacturing & Development Centre in Atlanta.
  • Auto manufacturers will need to meet aggressive fuel efficiency targets over the next decade – 54.5 miles per gallon (mpg) in the U.S. and Europe’s 95 grams of carbon dioxide emission per kilometer. While advanced technologies like all-electric vehicles, super-light carbon fiber composites, and hydrogen fuel cells will all be available, Lux Research’s analysis found that micro-hybrids will provide the most economical route to meeting 2025 targets.
  • TXU Energy has announced TXU Energy Solar Advantage, the market’s first electricity plan that’s 100 percent backed by solar power generated in Texas. The plan comes on the heels of the company’s new, high-efficiency solar rooftop offer, and it further expands consumers’ renewable electricity choices from TXU Energy.
  • Folsom Labs, provider of sales & engineering software for the solar industry, and nearmap, provider of high-resolution imagery, today announce the integration of their products. The combined solution streamlines the sales & engineering process for solar installers in Australia and the United States.
Bioenergy Bytes

The Climate Trust

Joanna Schroeder

As the new year has kicked off, The Climate Trust has released its prediction list of 10 carbon market trends to watch in 2016. The trends range from climate change playing a larger role in federal decision making to increased carbon market linkage and momentum in conservation finance.

Image credit: Flickr/Yann Caradec

Image credit: Flickr/Yann Caradec

“The Trust pays close attention to market signals throughout the year, identifying areas where we can have the greatest impact,” said Sean Penrith, executive director for The Climate Trust. “Each year, we look forward to putting together our team’s collective knowledge and sharing our industry insights.”

And the top trends….

1. Carbon pricing will play a key role for many jurisdictions worldwide as they plan to meet their emission reduction targets from the Paris negotiations. Roughly one quarter of the world’s emissions now fall under some form of carbon pricing system.

2. In Oregon, policies related to clean energy will take center stage in 2016. Importers of transportation fuels will be under obligation to comply with the state’s Clean Fuels Program in 2016. This program is designed to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels 10% by 2025, by integrating more low-carbon fuels (like ethanol and biogas) into the fuel supply.

3. Climate Risk Gets Real for Private Industry. Beginning with the groundswell at Climate Week in New York in September 2015, and becoming more strident at the Paris climate summit, it is clear that the era of managing and disclosing a corporation’s exposure to climate risk has arrived.

4. Addressing climate change will play a larger role in federal decision-making and political platforms in 2016. With the energy created by the COP21 gathering in Paris still buzzing around us, a presidential campaign well underway, and a little more than a year left for members of the Obama Administration to leave their full mark on history, it seems clear that 2016 will be a year of climate action.

5. Increased U.S. carbon market linkage as states prepare for the Clean Power Plan. The final draft of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan was released in 2015, with 24 states filing a lawsuit against the plan questioning EPA’s authority. The lawsuit is unlikely to succeed. In fact, many of the states involved in the lawsuit are still drafting compliance plans; 24 other states launched a countersuit in support of the Plan; and George Bush’s EPA chief reminds the states that EPA’s authority has been upheld by the Supreme Court twice before.
Read More

biofuels, Carbon, Clean Power Plan, Climate Change, Environment