Ethanol Industry Takes Clean Energy Mission to India

Joanna Schroeder

A team from the U.S. including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Growth Energy, U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) recently returned from a clean energy mission to India. Led by USDA Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Micheal Scuse, the group met to discuss opportunities for developing clean energy solutions, technologies and policies. An additional goal of the mission was to strengthen the level of cooperation and coordination between the ethanol industries of the two countries.

logosDuring a series of meetings that involved ethanol producers, oil companies and government officials, the U.S. participant group of seven received an in-depth look at the local industry’s situation and outlook. There were extensive discussions on India’s economy, political environment, energy sector, and the role of government policy as a driver of the ethanol industry’s growth.

“Macroeconomic factors like population growth, continuing urbanization and increases in disposable income mean India is poised to use more gasoline and diesel fuels,” said USGC Past Chairman Ron Gray, who was part of the group representing the U.S. industry. “Given the negative effect that petroleum-based gasoline has on air quality, we feel that the expanded use of ethanol as an oxygenate can help India reduce smog and carbon emissions in this rapidly growing developing country, particularly in its cities.”

Ed Hubbard, general counsel for RFA said of the trip, “America’s commitment to using ethanol in our fuel has made it possible for our nation’s busiest cities to dramatically reduce levels of smog and other harmful tail-pipe emissions. By sharing our experiences with our friends here in India, we believe we can help them significantly improve the country’s air quality.”

In 2014, India imported $86 million of industrial ethanol mostly from the U.S. and Brazil and USGC expects imports to rise potentially researching $150-200 million in 2015. Even accounting for this level of growth, the U.S. ethanol industry believes there is still room for growth, especially in the transportation market. According to a press release sent out from the U.S. delegation, this view was echoed by India’s sugar and ethanol sector during last week’s meetings, with the country seeking ways to increase their blend rates from current low levels as a means to improving air quality while supporting India’s sugar producers.

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biofuels, Ethanol, Growth Energy, International, RFA, USGC

Genera Partners with Drone Company for Biomass

John Davis

generaBiomass energy company Genera has teamed up with a drone company to improve the efficiency and quality of sustainable biomass crop production and distribution. This news release from the company says it is working with PrecisionHawk to develop algorithms to assess crop health and productivity using aerial farm imagery collected by satellites and drones.

“Working with PrecisionHawk to develop advanced data collection and analysis tools elevates commercial-scale biomass supply chains to the forefront of technological innovation for crop management, risk reduction, and efficiency” said Dr. Sam Jackson, Vice President of Business Development at Genera. “PrecisionHawk is the leading company in remote sensing in a variety of industries, including agriculture. Partnering our agronomic knowledge and skills with their outstanding technology platform is a win not only for us, but for the entire biomass industry.”

Since 2008, Genera Energy has grown to be the industry leader in biomass supply and supply chain services. Its expertise in dedicated energy crops allows it to provide unique services and solutions to its customers. The first group of research tools to be developed under the new partnership will focus on lignocellulosic crops, core to Genera’s expertise.

“This partnership is a great opportunity to develop decision support tools that provide a more sustainable and efficient path for energy production,” said Dr. Allison Ferguson, Director of Education and Research Partnerships at PrecisionHawk. “Genera Energy has built an impressive reputation in agriculture and energy, and we look forward to offering this suite of useful solutions for the betterment of the industry.”

The technology uses the DataMapper software platform.

biomass

Renewable Diesel Maker Neste Teams with Boeing

John Davis

Neste_logo_pmsA leading producer of renewable diesel is teaming up with the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer to move forward the green fuel for aviation. This news release from Neste says it and Boeing will work toward American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) fuel standard approval allowing the commercial use of high freezing point renewable aviation fuel by airlines.

Neste anticipates that its high-quality renewable aviation fuel could help the aviation industry to achieve its greenhouse gas saving targets: carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and a net reduction in carbon emissions of 50% by 2050 compared to 2005.

“Airlines and airplane manufacturers are undertaking several initiatives to lower the industry’s carbon footprint, and renewable aviation fuel will be a key part of their long-term environmental solution,” says Kaisa Hietala, Neste’s Executive Vice President of Renewable Products. “We are very excited to work with Boeing, in order to help create a commercially viable market for renewable aviation fuels”.

“Boeing is proud to collaborate with Neste, a global leader in renewable fuel production, to meet our shared goals of expanding the supply and reducing the cost of sustainable aviation biofuel,” says Julie Felgar, Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ Managing Director of Environmental Strategy & Integration. “The aviation industry is committed to making air travel more sustainable.”

In 2014, Boeing successfully tested Neste’s renewable aviation fuel in a 15% blend with petroleum jet fuel in the Boeing ecoDemonstrator 787, a test airplane that assesses technologies that can reduce aviation’s environmental footprint. The 787 made an initial flight with this biofuel blend in one engine, followed by several flights with the biofuel blend in both engines. Based on its test flights, Boeing reported that “the airplane performed as designed with the renewable jet blend, just as it does with conventional jet fuel”.

renewable diesel

Researchers Develop New Offshore Wind Prototype

Joanna Schroeder

Two researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya’s (UPC) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering have developed a new model for floating structures designed for offshore wind turbines anchored in deep, deep waters. Climent Molins’ and Alexis Campos’ prototype, WindCrete, is a cylindrical structure with a large float and ballast base that enables the platforms to be self-stabilizing.

offshore wind prototypeThe researchers say the main innovation of this model compared to similar ones already on the market are seamless, monolithic structure and the use of concrete for its construction. This model uses concrete instead of steel, which is more expensive, and thus reduces costs by an estimated 60 percent, according to Molins and Campos. The researchers also say the concrete is more resistant in the marine environment, and as a result, the structure has fewer maintenance requirements and a lifespan of approximately 50 years. The structure is also absence of joints and this increases its durability against the effects of wind and sea avoids the damage that typically appears in transition areas.

The researchers explain that the WindCrete includes a 5 MW wind turbine that can carry rotors of up to 15 MW with only an incremental cost. This new system reduces the cost of wind energy to 12 cents per kilowatt hour. According to Molins and Campos, this is half the price per kWh for this type of energy in the Canary Island, an area that will rely on offshore wind power.

The prototype was developed within the framework of the European project Alternative floating offshore substructure for offshore wind farms, which is carried out in the framework of KIC-InnoEnergy in collaboration with Stuttgart Wind Energy at the University of Stuttgart and Gas Natural Fenosa. A preliminary design was carried out to ensure technical and economic feasibility.

offshore wind, Renewable Energy

IRFA Updates Look, Website

Joanna Schroeder

Iowa RFA logo-newThe Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has updated their brand look including a enhance logo and website with additional features that includes more consumer-friendly information about biofuels.

Some of the key website updates include:

  • Enhanced Homepage: Sleek, responsive web design with larger images, a comprehensive menu option, and quick links to take you to the latest and greatest on renewable fuels.
  • Fueling Your Vehicle Center: A dedicated page for motorists, complete with fuel recommendations based on vehicle types, and Iowa E15, E85 and biodiesel fueling station finders.
  • Retailer Center: If you’re a fuel retailer looking to gain a competitive advantage with renewable fuel blends, this is the place for you. Information on fuels, state tax credits, and more are just one click way.
  • Resources and Statistics: Improved stats on the production and benefits of renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel, as well as other great informational resources.

IRFA Communications Director T.J. Page said of the refreshed brand, “With so much attention on renewable fuels, we’ve redesigned our website and refreshed our logo to better serve audiences of all backgrounds. Along with an updated, responsive web design, we’ve added new features like an Iowa E15, E85, and biodiesel fuel station finder, a consumer center to address questions about fueling with biofuels, and an enhanced retailer center aimed at aiding Iowa retailers in their search to find a competitive advantage with renewable fuels blends. A lot has changed with the IRFA website, but what has stayed the same is it’s still a great resource for all things renewable fuels.”

In other news, IRFA is hosting its 10th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit, free for to attend and open to the public, taking place January 19, 2016 at The Meadows Conference Center at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa. Two key topics of discussion will be the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the upcoming Iowa Caucuses. Online registration is now open.

Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Iowa RFA

NCGA Disappointed in Congress’ Lack of RFS Support

Joanna Schroeder

The National Corn Growers Association is “deeply disappointed” that Members of Congress who represent corn-producing states have sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting a reduction in the volume of corn-ethanol blended into the fuel supply as required by the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The letter was signed by 184 Members of Congress and according to Open Secrets, collectively, these legislators have received $39 million from the oil industry throughout their careers.

Photo credit Joanna Schroeder

Photo credit Joanna Schroeder

“I’m disappointed to see Members of Congress turn their back on farmers and rural communities,” said Wesley Spurlock, First Vice President of the National Corn Growers and a farmer from Stratford, Texas. The Renewable Fuel Standard has been one of the most successful energy policies ever enacted. The RFS works. It has reduced our dependence on foreign oil. It has made the rural economy stronger. And it has been better for the environment. It’s puzzling that these Representatives would not want to support it.”

On November 4, 2015, the House members made a request to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to reduce the Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) for corn-based ethanol, the amount of biofuels blended into the transportation fuel supply each year. NCGA states that this action would violate congressional statue. The organization cites an article from Bloomberg News that claims that the initial drafts of the congressional letter were written by an oil industry lobbyist.

“This letter has Big Oil’s fingerprints all over it,” continued Spurlock. “The letter includes false attacks on ethanol that have been disproven time and again. The blend wall is a false construct. We have known from the beginning that eventually we would need higher blends of ethanol to meet the statutory requirements. That was the point: to replace fossil fuels with renewables. The oil industry doesn’t want to hear that. That’s why they have spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to repeal the RFS, even to the point of having their lobbyists write this letter.”

Also responding to the letter was Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). “It should come as no surprise that, as the November 30th deadline for the EPA to issues its final rule on the 2014-2016 RVOs looms, the Big Oil spin machine has gone into overdrive and the petroleum industry is pulling out all the stops in an attempt to confuse the public and mislead policymakers about this important program. The fact that members of Congress are parroting Big Oil’s blend wall narrative is shameful evidence that money talks.Read More

BIO, biofuels, EPA, Ethanol, NCGA, RFA, RFS

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has announced online registration is now open for the 10th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit, taking place January 19, 2016 at The Meadows Conference Center at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa. The Summit is free to attend and open to the public.
  • Gevo has announced that it has entered into a license agreement and a joint development agreement with Praj Industries Limited to enable the licensing of Gevo’s isobutanol technology to processors of non-corn based sugars, including the majority of Praj’s global customer base of ethanol plant owners.
  • SunEdison has announced that it has completed construction on New Hampshire’s largest solar power plant, a 942 kilowatt (KW) DC solar power plant for the town of Peterborough. SunEdison will supply solar energy generated by this system to the town over the next 20 years, saving taxpayers an estimated $250,000 on energy.
  • According to a new World Bank Group report, “Shock Waves: Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty,” released before the international climate conference in Paris, finds that poor people are already at high risk from climate-related shocks, including crop failures from reduced rainfall, spikes in food prices after extreme weather events, and increased incidence of diseases after heat waves and floods. It says such shocks could wipe out hard-won gains, leading to irreversible losses, driving people back into poverty, particularly in Africa and South Asia.
Bioenergy Bytes

Texas A&M Developing Biofuel, Forage Crop

John Davis

jessupamResearchers at Texas A&M University are developing a crop that will double as a bioenergy and livestock forage source. This news release from the school says Dr. Russ Jessup, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research perennial grass breeder in College Station, is introducing a new biofuel-biomass feedstock hybrid that is a hybrid “similar to seedless watermelons, seedless grapes and other sterile triploid crops.”

Jessup is utilizing two grass species: pearl millet, a grain crop, and Napier grass, which is a very high-biomass crop that can be crossed to make progeny that are sterile triploids in the field.

“This is a dual-use crop with a low seed cost, high yield potential and quality perennial biomass suitable for both forage and dedicated biofuels,” he said. “So in light of current downtrends in oil prices, this crop can stand on its own as a forage crop in the interim, until that reverses.”

As a high-quality forage crop, Jessup said, it is sterile in the field but has seeded parents, unlike sugarcane that has to be planted from stocks.

To produce this hybrid he started with the larger seeded but shorter pearl millet to give it quality, large seeds and drought tolerance. Pearl millet is native to Africa and can be more drought tolerant than even sorghum, he said.

Then he crossed it with Napier grass, a closely related cousin of pearl millet that is grown in Africa for cut-and-carry silage and high biomass fodder.

“You can cross these two species and get ample seed off of the pearl millet parent,” Jessup said.

bioenergy, biofuels, biomass, Research, University

Florida Station Promotes Higher #Ethanol Blends

Cindy Zimmerman

protec-citgo-signThe prices for higher ethanol blends at the Citgo Gas Station on John Young Parkway in Kissimmee are low normally, but Friday they were even lower as the retailer continued to celebrate the ability to offer lower cost fuel to consumers.

Motorists who might have been in town for a weekend at the theme parks were able to fill up Friday for an additional discount on the E15 ethanol blend fuel of $.15, OR for $.85 off E85 Flex-Fuel, a fuel for Flex-Fuel gasoline engines.

Station owner Paul Przychocki of Mid-State Energy has worked to offer higher ethanol blends at his retail outlets because he is a big believer in the fuel. “I personally use it in my vehicle,” he said, noting that he drives a 2011 model that can use E15. “It’s put Americans back to work and (helped us) get away from foreign oil that unfortunately we have to supply in America.”

Przychocki partnered with Protec Fuel to install the new pumps at the Kissimmee station with the help of USDA Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership funding. Here’s an interview with Przychocki when the partnership was announced. Interview with Paul Przychocki, Mid-State Energy

blends, E15, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Protec Fuel, Retailers

28 COP21 Countries Using Biofuels for CO2 Reduction

Joanna Schroeder

According to a new report from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), 28 countries attending the climate talks in Paris in December have submitted carbon reduction strategies that use biofuels to help meet goals. Not included in this number? The U.S. despite its Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFA report found that America’s action plan did not acknowledge the important roles biofuels have played in significantly reducing GHG emissions from the transportation sector over the past decade.

RFA-RFS COP21 report coverThe report notes that transportation-related emissions, which account for 27 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions, have “steadily trended downward since adoption of the RFS, and current levels are 10 percent below 2005 levels.” The report also notes that both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) cite that the use of biofuels has had a positive net impact on reducing GHG emissions.

“It is unquestionable that biofuels have delivered substantial GHG emissions reductions from the transportation sector over the past decade,” said RFA’s President and CEO, Bob Dinneen. “And these emissions reductions would not have been possible without the adoption of the RFS. Inexplicably, the United States’ initial submission to COP21 completely ignores past GHG reductions and the future promise of even greater reductions as the RFS drives further improvements in biofuels technologies.”

Dinneen continued, “It is ironic that the climate talks will take place just as EPA is due to release its final rule on the 2014-2016 RVOs. If EPA sticks to its initial proposal, it will roll back the single most successful climate change program the world has ever seen. The administration wants to be viewed as a leader on climate change; then it must do what nearly 30 other countries who are attending COP21 plan on doing and embrace, not ignore, biofuels.”

President Obama is heading to Paris later this month to participate in some preliminary discussions prior to COP21. In tandem with this visit, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and GREEN FOR ALL released a poll that found two-thirds of African Americans believe global warming is a serious program and want more action to curb its effects including increased used of clean energy technologies.

biofuels, Carbon, Climate Change, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, RFS