Biodiesel Conference Builds Power from Knowledge

John Davis

NBB2016The old saying “knowledge is power” certainly applies to the upcoming National Biodiesel Conference and Expo, Jan. 25-28, 2016, in Tampa. Conference organizers promise expert speakers on forecast markets, explanation of new regulations, and discussions of tax incentives. Among the spotlight sessions: “Anatomy of the RFS Rule: What the New EPA Rule Does and What it Means for Biodiesel.”

It’s still in flux today, but by conference time we will have the latest Renewable Fuel Standard volumes as well as in-depth analysis about how it may affect you and your business. Our team of experts will review what’s in the final rule and look ahead to what it means for biodiesel’s future under the program. We’ll break down the politics shaping the EPA’s decisions and the likelihood of RFS changes moving forward, whether in Congress or under a new Administration.

More information and registration is available here.

Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference, NBB

BDI – BioEnergy to Build UK Biodiesel Plant

John Davis

BDIAustrian-based BDI – BioEnergy International will build a new biodiesel plant in the U.K. This news release from the company says the plant is part of of a larger project by the company also constructing an industrial-sized algae plant.

BDI – BioEnergy International AG developed a new process for the production of high valuable products from algae in its in-house research and development department. The newly founded 100 percent subsidiary “BDI – BioLife Science GmbH”, now invests in the construction of an own production plant at the location in Hartberg/Steiermark.

The implementation of the follow-up order of an existing client in the UK was successfully started. The BioDiesel project for the same client – for the treatment of commercial and industrial waste fats – which has been started beginning of the year is already in the installation phase. The BioGas plant built in Austria for the Heineken Group is currently undergoing its biological start-up. In addition, the BioGas plant in Poland is close to completion.

algae, Biodiesel, International

AUFC: Quit Doing Polluters’ Dirty Work

Joanna Schroeder

The Republican Attorneys General Association is meeting this weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona for its fall meeting and Americans United for Change (AUFC) is calling on its members to stop doing polluters’ dirty work. Rather, AUFC is encouraging Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and others to embrace the economic and health benefits of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan (CPP).

© Joostverbeek | Dreamstime.com - Dirty Smoke Stack Of Coal Fired Power Plant Photo

© Joostverbeek | Dreamstime.com – Dirty Smoke Stack Of Coal Fired Power Plant Photo

Several weeks ago AUFC released a video designed to expose dirty energy’s influence in the states that joined the lawsuits against the Clean Power Plan (CPP). The video claims that Republican Attorneys Generals who signed on have received more than $2.4 million from the dirty energy sector in the last two election cycles. AUFC says that while the court of public opinion acknowledges climate change, big polluters are hoping to win in the court of law. However, precedent shows otherwise; the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld EPA’s authority to take action to limit carbon pollution three times.

AUFC cites the CPP will save American’s money on their energy bills, lower health costs for asthma, lung cancer and other air pollution-related diseases and lead to 250,000 new jobs.

Brad Woodhouse, president, AUFC said, “Some might call it a coincidence that the Republicans Attorneys General who’ve taken tens of thousands of dollars from dirty energy interests are the same ones filing lawsuits against the Clean Power Plan, but I’d call it a serious conflict of interest and a breach of the public trust. When a state Attorney General chooses to serve as part of dirty energy’s unofficial defense team, who is left looking out for the public interests? The American people did not vote for a corporate takeover of Congress – but that’s exactly what they’re getting. Nearly half of all Americans live in areas where the air is unsafe to breathe, making the Clean Power Plan a breathe of fresh air for communities across the country. If you’re a public servant standing in the way of that, maybe it’s time to consider a clean break from your dirty energy friends. Read More

Americans United for Change, Clean Energy, Clean Power Plan, EPA

Trump Tours Iowa Ethanol Plant

Joanna Schroeder

P1000220Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump toured the POET Biorefining ethanol plant in Gowrie, Iowa last night to learn more about ethanol production and the role ethanol plays in the success of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). While onsite, he also visited with POET’s President James Moe along with America’s Renewable Future (ARF) Co-Chairs Lt. Governor Patty Judge and Bill Couser. Earlier this week, ARF released its Mid-term Report Card giving Trump a “Good Rating”.

“We want to thank Mr. Trump for his continued support for this industry and for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS),” said Judge. “He has shown that he is committed to Iowa’s farmers and to American entrepreneurship which has paved the way for making America cleaner, stronger, and more secure through the RFS.”

ARF is committed to both educating presidential candidates about the benefits of biofuels and the success of the RFS. In addition, they are publishing candidates’ views on these issues so voters who are concerned about energy issues understand the candidates’ positions prior to election day. According to ARF, Trump’s latest comments and show of support at the POET plant solidifies his standing with ARF and will earn him praise from the organization.

“It’s great for the country. I’m with you one hundred percent,” Trump said about the RFS to a crowd of POET employees and RFS supporters during his remarks.

biofuels, Education, Ethanol, politics, RFS

Ethanol Report on the RFS and COP21

Cindy Zimmerman

ethanol-report-adThe Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry this week urging him to highlight the role of the Renewable Fuel Standard in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions as he prepares to head to the international climate conference COP21 in Paris.

nafb-rfa-cooperAt the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, RFA Senior Vice President Geoff Cooper talked about the importance of the United States promoting biofuels as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the conference, how successful the RFS has been, the U.S. corn crop, and much more.

Listen to this edition of the Ethanol Report here: Ethanol Report on the RFS and COP21

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, Government, International, RFS

Fuels America TV Ad Blasts Anti-RFS Congressmen

Joanna Schroeder

Fuels America has launched a new TV ad that blasts the Congressional leaders who sent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy a letter requesting that corn-based ethanol volumes be reduced in the final Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) rules. The final rules for 2014, 2015 and 2016 are expected by the end of this month.

The ad calls out Representative Peter Welch (D-VT) for protecting oil company profits and criticizes the signers who Fuels America calls climate change deniers. It continues by urging viewers to “Remind Peter Welch to stand up for Vermont, not oil companies and climate deniers.”

As noted in a previous story, the 184 Members of Congress who signed on have collectively received more than $39 million from the oil and gas industry throughout their careers. When combined, the signers have a National Environmental Scorecard of 2.74 out of a possible 100 (based on voting records) from the League of Conservation Voters (LCVs). The Scorecard is a nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health, and energy issues. In addition 154 signers have an LCV score below 10, 140 have an LCV score below 5, and 76 have an LCV score of 0.

“After years of pleading with Congressman Welch, it is time to inform Vermonters about his beltway exploits with the oil industry attacking renewable fuels,” Advanced Biofuels Business Council Executive Director Brooke Coleman said in regards to the Congressional letter. “Mr. Welch didn’t just join an anti-biofuel campaign underwritten by the oil industry, he led the effort to recruit others. It is time to shine a brighter light on those encouraging EPA and the President to gut the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). It’s not a chorus, it is the oil industry, climate deniers and EPA bashers disguised as one. This letter and the millions of dollars of oil contributions flowing to its signers tell you everything you need to know about the anti-RFS crowd.”

The anti-RFS letter came shortly after several members of the Congressional Black Caucus called on the EPA to support the RFS citing negative health an environmental benefits of biofuels and the negative effects of emissions especially in vulnerable communities. Read More

BIO, biofuels, Ethanol, Fuels America, politics, RFA, RFS, Video

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1The Association of Nebraska Ethanol Producers (ANEEP) has announced Mark Palmer will become its new executive director beginning January 1, 2016. Palmer comes to Nebraska from the Washington, D.C. office of Senator Dick Durbin (Ill.). In addition to his work as a senior policy advisor to Sen. Durbin, Palmer has worked to promote biofuels for the National Corn Growers Association, the American Soybean Association, and as the Director of Office of External Affairs for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  • Solenis LLC has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase 100% of the shares of Quimatec Produtos Químicos Ltda. and Locatec de Araraquara Ltda-Me. The transaction is expected to close by year end following receipt of customary regulatory approvals. “This is an excellent opportunity for Solenis to broaden our offering in the bioethanol market by leveraging Quimatec’s strong channel-to-market along with their advanced technology and leadership position in Brazil’s sugar-to-ethanol industry,” said John Panichella, president and CEO, Solenis.
  • Green Cow Power is a large digester facility which is now converting off-farm organic wastes and dairy manure into energy with two DVO, Inc. (DVO) Two-Stage Mixed Plug Flow digesters. Located in Goshen, Indiana, it is the largest waste-to-energy facility in Elkhart County and the eighth largest digester operation in Indiana. It was also recently awarded the American Biogas Council’s 2015 Agricultural Biogas Project of the Year award.
  • DEINOVE, a biotech company developing innovative processes for producing biofuels and bio-based chemicals by using Deinococcus bacteria, announced that it has been granted six new patents in the United States. Deinove now holds a portfolio of 170 patents internationally, divided into 19 families, representing a strategic asset for signing partnerships. With these patents, Deinove is pursuing a strategy of protecting its intellectual property, notably in the key market of the United States.
Bioenergy Bytes

Joule, Red Rock Biofuels to Merge

John Davis

joule logoCO2 liquid fuels pioneer Joule will merge with biofuel refinery maker Red Rock Biofuels. This news release from Joule says the merger will help them create an industry-leading carbon-neutral fuel production platform.

In association with this merger, after a year of important service at a critical transition phase for the company, Joule also announced that President and CEO, industry veteran Mr. Serge Tchuruk, will return to his previous board role. Dr. Brian Baynes, a current board member of both Joule and Red Rock and partner at Flagship Ventures, will succeed Tchuruk and will lead Joule as it enters a commercial deployment phase.

Red Rock Biofuels leverages a commercially proven Fischer-Tropsch technology to convert sustainably harvested biomass residues from forests and sawmills into jet fuel and diesel products. The company is poised to begin construction of its first refinery located in Lakeview, Oregon in early 2016. The project is supported by a $70 million grant from the U.S. departments of Agriculture, Navy and Energy, and the company has entered into substantial offtake agreements with Southwest Airlines and FedEx for the fuel that will be produced.

“By merging Red Rock Biofuels with Joule, we intend to accelerate the commercialization of carbon-neutral fuels and continue to build a world leading company,” said Tchuruk, outgoing President and CEO of Joule. He added, “Joule’s proprietary platform provides a path towards carbon-neutral mobility and Red Rock Biofuels will add an immediate commercial capability to produce renewable diesel and jet fuel, complementing our unique direct pathway through direct conversion of CO2 to drop-in fuels. I am very proud to have been part of this important transformation of Joule, which will now significantly speed up our commercialization. Red Rock’s Lakeview project will continue as planned with its current management team, beginning construction in 2016 and producing at a scale of 15 million gallons of renewable diesel and jet fuel when completed.”

“The world’s need for low carbon transportation fuels has never been greater. Having worked closely with both Joule and Red Rock, I am very pleased to be able to combine Red Rock’s near-term, commercial supply of drop-in low carbon fuels, with Joule’s novel and highly scalable low carbon fuel production platform,” said Baynes, incoming President and CEO. ”The Red Rock team also adds significant strength in project development and operations to Joule’s R&D expertise. We are seeing continued acceleration of our direct CO2 to fuel technology development, and the Red Rock platform will increase project opportunities worldwide.”

advanced biofuels, Carbon

Ethanol Conference to Offer View of Future

John Davis

NEC 2016aThe organizers of the 21st Annual National Ethanol Conference are offering attendees a sneak peek of what they’ll see at the gathering Feb. 15-17, 2015, at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans… while also offering a view of the future for the ethanol industry.

NEC 2016, Fueling a High Octane Future, will highlight how ethanol’s high octane content is driving demand for the fuel both domestically and abroad. Industry experts will provide a look at the current state of the industry, as well as forecasts for the future.

Featured Session Highlights Include…

Keynote Address from John Hofmeister, former president of the Shell Oil Company
Energy Markets Outlook with Tom Kloza, Global Head of Energy Analysis at Oil Price Information Service (OPIS)
High Octane Means High Performance Addresses ethanol’s benefits as a high octane fuel source for today’s vehicles, as well as future advanced engine technologies
Government Industry Conversation About the Future of U.S. Biofuels Policy, including a discussion on how evolving fuel policies present both challenges and opportunities to industry
Why Some Marketers Choose to Sell E15 and Flex-Fuels, and Others Don’t provides first-hand insight on the regulatory and marketplace environment presented by higher ethanol blends.
Opportunities for Ethanol Export in Key Target Markets will involve experts from the target markets of the International Buyer Program (Brazil, China, India, Mexico & Philippines) to provide detailed information on export opportunities for the U.S. ethanol industry
High Octane Fuels: Economic & Environmental Benefits will present a macro picture of the economic and environmental advantages of ethanol as a high octane fuel both domestically and abroad

In addition, those who register early will get some exclusive upgrades.

Register by November 27, 2015 and receive:

An exclusive invitation to participate in a private webinar on the 2016 presidential campaign with a focus on candidates’ positions on ethanol issues (taking place on January 14, 2016)
Entry into a drawing to win a complimentary Executive Suite upgrade
Entry into a drawing to receive a complimentary registration to NEC 2017

And if that weren’t enough, the NEC Scholarship Program will see six students have their full cost of the conference registration fee – an $895 value – paid for in full. Deadline to apply for the scholarship is December 18.

conferences, Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

BIO Applauds Renewable Chemicals Act Bill

Joanna Schroeder

Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Coon (D-DE) and Al Franken have introduced a new bill, S. 2271 the Renewable Chemicals Act of 2015. If passed, the legislation would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide credits for the production of renewable chemicals and investments in renewable chemical production facilities. The companion bill in the House is H.R. 3390.

bio-logoAccording to the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) the Renewable Chemicals Act would create a targeted, short-term tax credit of 15 cents per pound for production of eligible renewable chemicals from produced from biomass-based feedstocks. Instead of the production tax credit that is currently in place, producers could choose to take a 30 percent investment tax credit for qualified investments for new renewable chemical production facilities.

Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section, said in response to the legislation, “Creating incentives in tax policy will help drive U.S. industrial biotech companies to continue to innovate and develop new renewable products in the chemical space. Incentives that support renewable chemicals will promote enhanced innovation in the chemical industry, the construction of next generation integrated biorefineries while creating new jobs and enhancing environmental benefits.”

“We thank Senator Stabenow for her leadership in support of initiatives that help grow the bio-based economy and boost the agriculture and manufacturing sectors in America,” Erickson continued. “This legislation will allow U.S. companies to better compete in a rapidly growing global chemicals market.”

BIO, biochemicals, biomass