RFA Shuns New Anti-RFS Campaign

Joanna Schroeder

The publicly anti-ethanol organization Smarter Fuel Future has launched a campaign calling on Congress and the administration to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The coalition is backed by Big Oil along with various food, environmental and anti-hunger organizations.

rfalogo1In response to the campaign, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Bob Dinneen said: “The oil industry thinks it’s being slick by engaging in a consistent and relentless misinformation campaign that is based on false assumptions, straw dogs, and half-truths. There is nothing that Big Oil is spouting with this latest wave of scare tactics that we haven’t seen before. Once again the petroleum industry is making patently false assumptions about the relationship between food and fuel. In 2014, a record corn crop sent prices to four-year lows, and more grain was available globally for food and feed use than ever before. In fact, less than 3 percent of the global grain supply that year was used for ethanol.

“The Big Oil misinformation campaign also makes spurious claims about ethanol’s impact on the environment. Lifecycle analyses by the Department of Energy and others, including the University of Illinois, the International Energy Agency, and Life Cycle Associates have shown that, since the final RFS rule was implemented, grain ethanol produced today reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent compared to fossil fuels — even when hypothetical land use emissions are taken into account. Ethanol production from last year reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 40 million metric tons — the equivalent of removing 8.4 million cars from the road. These facts show that investment in biofuels in general and ethanol in particular is critical if we are serious as a nation about creating a future where our energy is cleaner, more secure, and more affordable.”

Dinneen, on behalf of ethanol supporters is calling on Congress and the administration to ignore the latest “smoke and mirrors” campaign from Big Oil. “Instead of repealing the RFA, Dinneen stressed, “the administration, through the Environmental Protection Agency, needs to break down the supposed ‘blend wall’ and implement the RFS the way Congress intended.”

Environment, Ethanol, Ethanol News, food and fuel, Indirect Land Use, RFA, RFS

Biomass Powers Military Base to Self Reliance

John Davis

FtdrumA military installation in Upstate New York is now being powered by its own biomass power plant. This article from the Watertown Daily Times says Fort Drum is now officially connected to its on-post ReEnergy biomass plant.

“We’re the only post in the Army that’s self-reliant for energy right now,” Maj. Gen. Jeffrey L. Bannister, the 10th Mountain Division’s commander, said during a media round-table on post Thursday.

He noted the plant was one area in which the post relied on the community to be more cost-efficient.

The direct connection work, ensuring that all power systems interacted correctly, was estimated to cost about $12 million. ReEnergy CEO Larry D. Richardson said the project was a complex effort that required coordination among the Army, the post, National Grid and its own engineers.

“This is not a typical project that’s done every day,” Mr. Richardson said.

He said the direct connection from the plant to the post’s substation was a milestone for the company.

A year ago, the military inked a 20-year, nearly $300 million contract with ReEnergy, the largest such deal in Army history. The biomass plant replaced a coal-fired plant on the post.

biomass

Scania Offers Biodiesel-Hybrid Truck

John Davis

scaniaSwedish truck maker Scania is adding to its lineup of biodiesel-friendly options in its trucks. After giving the OK for a line of trucks to run on renewable diesel and having an Australian company declare it would brew its own biodiesel to use in its fleet of Scania trucks, the company has now announced a Scania-developed hybrid truck for urban distribution combining electric and biodiesel operation, enhancing the company’s position as the manufacturer with the widest range of alternative fuels.

“No matter what driving conditions are like or what local circumstances are, there is probably always an alternative solution available from Scania, right here and now,” claims Magnus Höglund, responsible for alternative fuels and powertrains at Scania Trucks. “This launch lets us demonstrate to all types of transport players that they can reduce their CO2 foot­print very simply, without giving up anything or incurring significantly higher costs.”

The newest and most spectacular item in Scania’s offer is the hybrid truck now premiering and being test-driven by European trucking and environmental journa­lists. The hybrid solution, developed by Scania itself, allows an 18-tonne distribution truck to operate solely on electric power for up to two kilometres.

Electric operation is primarily intended for situations where other solutions don’t measure up, for example, city distribution at night in noise sensitive areas or driving through warehouses and car parks where one doesn’t want any exhaust fumes at all. Electric power is combined with Scania’s 9-litre Euro 6 engine with 320 hp, which can be operated on 100 percent biodiesel, such as FAME or HVO. With this latter fuel, CO2 can be reduced by as much as 92 percent.

“It’s a very special experience to drive a heavy truck when the only sound comes from the hissing of tires against asphalt and a mild breeze,” explains Höglund. “What we’re seeing here is the beginning of a revolution that will make a big difference. Soundless and partly exhaust-free trucks can do a better job in cities at night with goods distribution, cleaning, waste collection and other city maintenance tasks. Hybridisation can also lead to a higher utilisation of every single vehicle when the range of uses expands.”

Biodiesel, Electric Vehicles

How Do You Pass the Time Flying?

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Is TPP good for US agriculture?”

Most agree that the Trans-Pacific Partnership is full of winners for agriculture, but few believe all of it is good for the industry. Whichever you currently believe, you can’t argue that the future of U.S. agriculture must include trade.

Here are the poll results:

  • Yes, all of it – 18%
  • Some winners – 73%
  • Most losers – 0%
  • Bad deal for all – 9%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, How do you pass the time flying?

The ZimmComm Team really racks up some miles in the skies each year. Chuck and Cindy are currently in New Zealand and are experts when it comes to passing time in the air. So, we want to know how you pass the time when flying. Do you read, work or play?

ZimmPoll

RFA: EPA Probe Will Go Nowhere

Joanna Schroeder

rfalogo1The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published an announcement that they would begin preliminary research into the lifecycle impacts of EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The work will be conducted within the Office of Air and Radiation and the Office of Research and Development. The OIG’s objectives of the study are to determine whether the EPA:

  1. complied with the reporting requirements of laws authorizing the RFS; and
  2. updated the lifecycle analysis supporting the RFS with findings from the mandated National Academy of Sciences 2011 study on Biofuels, the EPA’s 2011 Report to Congress on the Environmental Impacts of Biofuels as well as any more recent and relevant research on lifecycle impacts of biofuels.

In response to the announcement, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) CEO Bob Dinneen said, “For years RFA has been asking the EPA to update their analysis of the RFS’s impacts on greenhouse gas emissions so we welcome this review, as it will give the public a clearer picture of the climate benefits that ethanol is producing today. ”

“Lifecycle analyses conducted by the Department of Energy and others since the final RFS rule was implemented have shown that grain ethanol produced today reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent compared to fossil fuels — even when hypothetical land use emissions are taken into account. And, added Dinneen, the EPA has recently approved nearly 50 petitions from grain ethanol producers for its efficient producer program, with each petition requiring careful lifecycle analysis based on actual production data. These results show that the RFS is doing what it was intended to do, and is a potent weapon in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

No date has been set for the release of the report.

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

Growth Energy Says RFS Resounding Success

Joanna Schroeder

On Friday, October 16, 2015, the Brookings Institute held an online panel discussion on 10 years of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The panel included two well-known ethanol critics, Timothy Searchinger and Chris Knittel, who have been directly linked to oil-funded research.

growth-energy-logo1In response to the panel. Tom Buis, co-chairman of Growth Energy said: “I have said it before, and I will say it again, slapping a new title on this previously discredited research won’t change the facts. The design of this panel had one objective – to drive a policy directed at repealing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) so that the status quo of a 90 percent mandate for petroleum based fuels and the excessive profits that it generates stays in place.

Conveniently omitted from today’s panel was discussion of the 100 years of subsidies Big Oil has been taking from the American taxpayer, as well as their disastrous record of ecological and environmental damage. The ethanol industry voluntarily gave up its tax incentives in 2011, and no beaches have ever been closed by an ethanol spill, yet these biased ‘researchers,’ continue to ignore the facts and attempt to discredit an American success story.

The RFS is the only meaningful policy to help break Big Oil’s stranglehold on the liquid fuels marketplace. This is an energy policy that is working. It is doing exactly what it was intended to do, with great success. It is irresponsible to rely solely on fossil fuels, and we should not put all our eggs in one basket when it comes to our national and energy security.

The bottom line is that ten years after the RFS, Americans across the country are celebrating and recognizing a decade of job creation, rural economic revitalization, clean air, innovation, and increased energy independence and consumer choice.”

biofuels, Ethanol, Growth Energy, RFS

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1Royal DSM has announced that DSM Chief Technology Officer Dr. Marcel Wubbolts has been named European CTO of the Year 2015. The prestigious award is annually bestowed by the European Industrial Research Management Association (EIRMA) and Spinverse, the Nordic leader in innovation consulting.
  • The Chesapeake Bay Seed Capital Fund has invested $150,000 into Manta Biofuel LLC, a company that produces crude oil from algae at a cost that is competitive with traditional petroleum, according to University of Maryland officials. Manta plans to use the funding to develop the next-generation prototype of its portable, solar-powered, floating algae harvester, which autonomously navigates through waters and collects algae.
  • Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company has announced today that it has purchased the rights to construct two additional ground mount solar systems located on leased property in Proctor and Hartford, Vermont. Electricity produced by these sites will be sold under long term contracts with two Vermont municipal entities. The Proctor facility was developed and is being constructed by Green Lantern Capital while the Hartford Landfill facility was developed and is being constructed by groSolar; two leading players in the Vermont solar marketplace.
  • 80 percent of Canadians say the federal government should be doing more to support clean technologies that help create jobs, according to a new Research House poll while 63 percent want Canada’s economy more diversified and less dependent on the oil and gas resource sector. This compares to just 15 percent who support an economic plan more focused on the promotion and growth of the oil and gas sector.
Bioenergy Bytes

Al-Corn Featured on Bobby Likis Car Clinic

Joanna Schroeder

Al-Corn Clean Fuel CEO Randy Doyal, who also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), was a guest on Bobby Likis Car Clinic over the weekend. The ethanol plant is located in Claremont, Minnesota and Doyal spoke about how the ethanol market is evolving and how Minnesota’s initiative in the industry is serving as a blueprint for helping solve future energy and economic challenges.

Randy Doyal“Ethanol’s track record of continuous improvement is impressive, but that drive for constant improvement is characteristic of the creative people who make up our industry,” says Doyal about the ethanol industry. “The ethanol industry has significant potential to continue to evolve in ways that cannot be matched by petroleum fuels. I will admit that with all the information and misinformation about ethanol, it is sometimes difficult to separate fact from fiction. But I believe that an honest evaluation of our nation’s ethanol industry will reveal a success story of which the American people can be proud. The ethanol industry embodies the kind of forward-thinking and pragmatism that will be needed to meet our nation’s future energy and economic challenges.”

Host Bobby Likis asked Doyal to tackle some commonly held ethanol myths and they also discussed the continuation of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Click here to listen to the interview.

biofuels, Education, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFS

DuPont & Quad County Sign Enzyme Contract

Joanna Schroeder

DuPont Industrial Biosciences will continue to supply the enzymes that enable Quad County Corn Processors’ (QCCP) Cellerate process in the production of cellulosic biofuel from corn kernel fiber.  The ethanol plant developed the process and was the first in the country to produce cellulosic ethanol gallons from the corn kernel fiber. QCCP uses DuPont Screen Shot 2015-10-19 at 8.24.19 AMOPTIMASH suite of enzymes from the DuPont Accellerase portfolio of cellulosic enzymes. The OPTIMASH enzymes are specifically formulated for use in the corn fiber cellulosic application.

The process was developed using DuPont’s enzymes. Over the last year of production, QCCP Chief Engineer Travis Brotherson has seen a marked difference in value between DuPont’s enzymes and its competitors’ offering. “DuPont’s enzymes have consistently outperformed other products in driving cellulosic ethanol and corn oil yield in our Cellerate process,” said Brotherson.

Screen Shot 2015-10-19 at 8.24.24 AMQCCP currently produces 2 million gallons of biofuel per year from cellulose conversion, but anticipates production of an additional 2 million gallons of biofuel per year once a C5 yeast is approved. The benefits of adding second-generation biofuel production to an existing dry grind ethanol facility are substantial – from additional ethanol, Cellulosic RINs1 to additional distiller’s corn oil. QCCP further estimates that their technology has the potential to enable grain ethanol plants in the United States to produce over 1 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually based on total corn kernel fiber conversion in the dry grind industry.

“DuPont’s goal is to enable the bioeconomy through science,” said Jan Koninckx, global business director for advanced biofuel at DuPont. “To reach that goal, we offer multiple solutions, from our full advanced biofuels technology licensing to delivering customized solutions in both enzyme technology and co-product production for ethanol producers. We’re proud to be a partner with QCCP, enabling the growth and success of advanced biofuels here in the United States.”

DuPont is commissioning its cellulosic biofuel facility in Nevada on October 30, 2015. The plant is fueled by corn stover and will produce 30 millions gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year.

advanced biofuels, Cellulosic, enzymes, Ethanol, Renewable Energy

Oakland Fills Up Fleet with Renewable Diesel

John Davis

Neste_logo_pmsOakland, California, is the first major U.S. city to convert its entire fleet to renewable diesel. This news release from Neste Oil says the company’s NEXBTL renewable diesel is the fuel of choice for the municipality.

Reduced emissions resulting from the use of renewable diesel will allow the City of Oakland to decrease its carbon footprint and help meet ambitious Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction targets established by the City. Oakland operates 250 diesel-powered vehicles, which include street sweepers, dump trucks, tractors, construction equipment, and mowers. The City consumes about 230,000 gallons of renewable diesel per year.

“The switch to renewable diesel supports our efforts to make Oakland a more sustainable, innovative, and vibrant City,” said Mayor Libby Schaaf. “The significant reduction in emissions provided by renewable diesel will create a healthier and safer environment for all of us.”

“NEXBTL renewable diesel is a solution to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and tailpipe emissions, which municipalities can greatly benefit from. NEXBTL doesn’t require any change in logistics and it can be used by all diesel engines without modifications. Thus, fleets can be switched to renewable literally overnight,” says Kaisa Hietala, Executive Vice President, Renewable Products, Neste Corporation. “When we are helping cities like Oakland to reach their emission reduction targets, we are doing our job well. That’s also our business target,” continues Hietala.

Earlier this year, San Francisco announced it will switch all of its diesel fleet to renewable diesel by the end of this year.

renewable diesel