Icom Adds New Propane Vehicles to Lineup

Joanna Schroeder

001-2016-ford-police-interceptor-utility-1Icom North America, based in New Hudson, Michigan, has added several new propane powered vehicles to its offering. Customers can now purchase 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016 3.7 engine Ford Police Sport Utility, Police Sedan, Explorer, Taurus, Edge, Flex and Lincoln MKT, MKS and MKX. These fleet platforms are focused on police, government and livery vehicles and Icom said using propane reduces fuel costs and offers a more sustainable transportation option.

Ed Zoglman Icom V.P. Central Division, said, “Icom enjoys a large Police, Government Fleet and Livery market and Icom is the first to certify these key vehicle platforms for which we have a large order-bank.”

“I drive many thousands of miles each month in an Icom Liquid Injection System SUV and enjoy noticeable increased performance and miles per gallon as compared to propane vapor injection kits and performance exceeding gasoline,” noted David Griffin Icom Southeast autogas specialist. “Having been a Propane Fleet Manager and Technician for almost 20 years what most impressed me about the Icom System are the many benefits of Liquid Injection and how Plug and Play the Icom Systems are.”

Icom is anticipating additional EPA Certifications for additioanl fleet platforms powered by liquid injection propane systems.

Alternative Vehicles, Propane

Grains Council Presents Ethanol Export Strategy

Joanna Schroeder

During this week’s 55th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting in Montreal, Canada, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) unveiled an ethanol export promotion strategy. The program was developed with input from the ethanol industry including U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA).

U.S. Grains Council Chairman Ron Gray.

U.S. Grains Council Chairman Ron Gray.

“In 2014, the Council and its partners completed in-depth market assessments in Southeast Asia, Peru, Panama, Japan and Korea that produced valuable information used develop this strategy,” said USGC Chairman Ron Gray. “Our plans in these markets continue to develop, and we are carrying on market assessment work in places like Canada and the European Union. However, we are also moving forward aggressively with market development and policy-focused work in countries like the Philippines that have the potential to increase demand for U.S. ethanol in the near term.”

Ethanol was the subject of a general session panel at the meeting, including input from Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis, RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen and Green Plains Renewable Energy Executive Vice President for Ethanol Marketing Steve Bleyl, moderated by USGC’s Chief Economist Mike Dwyer, a leading global biofuels analyst.

Ethanol export plans were explored in more depth during the Ethanol Advisory Team meeting, comprised of members from throughout the value chain, and a breakout session focused specifically on USGC’s ongoing ethanol-focused programs.

“U.S. ethanol exports are becoming increasingly vital to our stakeholders’ bottom line, which makes finding new markets for U.S. ethanol is a priority for the Council,” Gray added. “This plan shows our and our partners’ commitments to making that happen.”

Among other activities, two trade teams in the United States and three missions traveling overseas are scheduled to focus on ethanol in the remainder of 2015.

corn, Ethanol, Exports, Growth Energy, RFA, USGC

Express Lube Offers Gevo’s Isobutanol

Joanna Schroeder

Gevo has announced that Express Lube of Fredericksburg, Texas, is the first U.S. service station to sell gasoline blended with Gevo’s renewable isobutanol at the pump. Gevo said this is anticipated to be the first of many retail locations to offer Gevo’s product as the company rolls out its isobutanol to the marina, outdoor equipment and off-road gasoline markets.

Gevo logoAccording to Express Lube owner Adam Sheffield, he decided to sell isobutanol-blended gasoline because its moisture resistance and capacity to reduce engine corrosion are ideal for equipment and vehicles that are used intermittently. Sheffield learned about Gevo’s renewable isobutanol from Kino Oil, a local distributor that sells the product in drums. Kino began to offer the fuel made with isobutanol after finding that it is ethanol-free and is excellent for use with marine and off-road engines. Today the station is selling its fuel at over a 50 percent premium in comparison to local E10 gasoline blends that contain 10 percent ethanol.

“Isobutanol is great for weed eaters, mowers and farm or ranch equipment that sits unused for long periods of time – because it does not cause carburetors to gum up the way ethanol does,” said Sheffield. “I tried it myself after discovering that the ethanol-blended gasoline sitting in my riding mower over the winter had ruined the carburetor. It cost me $700 to replace. That’s when I switched to isobutanol.”

According to Gevo, its isobutanol is blended with gasoline to help meet renewable fuel
and clean air standards, and after several years of work and testing, has successfully obtained registration with the U.S. EPA as a fuel additive. Recently, the National Marine Manufacturers Association officially endorsed isobutanol as a drop-in fuel for marine and recreational boat engines. Gevo believes that retail sales of isobutanol-blended gasoline by Express Lube will help establish the value proposition for other fuel retailers.

Dr. Patrick Gruber, Chief Executive Officer of Gevo, added, “We welcome Express Lube as the very first retail service station to sell gasoline made with our isobutanol. It’s only a matter of time before other distributors and gas stations across the U.S. and in other parts of the world discover the benefits of isobutanol, and begin to offer our product commercially as well.”

biobutanol, biofuels, Renewable Energy

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1Ocean Energy Europe, the industry group for ocean renewable energy in Europe, exceeded 100 members when Wavepower, Marine Power Systems and Mojo Maritime joined as members. They join a growing list of industry representatives uniting behind a common plan for industrialising the ocean energy sector.
  • The Waste Conversion Development & Finance Summit is scheduled September 29 to October 1, 2015, at the Law Offices of Baker & McKenzie in Chicago, IL. According to a study conducted by Grand View Research in early January 2015, the global WTE market is expected to reach $37 billion by 2020. The three-day event, hosted by InfoCast, will focus on the development and financing of the projected market.
  • SkyPower, under the guidance of the Government of Kenya, will distribute two million solar kits to homes and working families across the nation currently without access to electricity. The portable SkyPower Home solar kits include a solar panel and an inverter to help Kenyans harness the power of the sun. The home solar kits include LED bulbs, a fan, USB charging capabilities and a radio that will be powered and recharged by the sun.
  • VIASPACE Inc. has announced that it has completed the engineering and design work for a 2 MW biogas power plant in Papua New Guinea for Clean Energy Solutions Pacific (CES). The CES project located in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is to own and operate a biogas power plant and Giant King Grass plantation that delivers reliable, 24/7 electricity to the grid to meet the customer demand profile, under a power purchase agreement from the government electricity company.
Bioenergy Bytes

Power of Biodiesel to be on Display at Farmfest

John Davis

FarmfestThe power of biodiesel will be on display at the upcoming Farmfest in Minnesota. The United Pullers of Minnesota, a state organization of the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA), will hold the Minnesota BioDiesel Pull-Off at the Redwood County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, Aug. 4th.

[T]his fun and exciting event promises something for everyone featuring seven classes of tractors, trucks and semis! Come out and support the Redwood County Fair Board and get ready for a night of great entertainment!

You can get your tickets for the BioDiesel Pull-Off at the fairgrounds beginning at 4:00 p.m. the day of the pull. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for children 6-12, and free for kids 5 & Under: FREE

Biodiesel

Biodiesel, Livestock Industries Work Together in Iowa

John Davis

IBBThe biodiesel and livestock industries are working together in Iowa. This news release from the Iowa Biodiesel Board (IBB) says poultry and livestock producers are seeing greater profits because of the green fuel.

That was the message … at Western Dubuque Biodiesel’s plant, where soybean groups hosted a tour of the biodiesel facility and gave an economic presentation to members of the state livestock industry. The United Soybean Board, Iowa Biodiesel Board and Iowa Soybean Association hosted about 40 ag leaders to share information and answer questions on how biodiesel impacts the profitability of the livestock industry.

An increased demand for biodiesel also increases the demand for domestic soybeans to crush, growing the supply of soybean meal. This greater supply lowers the meal’s price, which decreases the relative cost of it to poultry and livestock farmers.

That means in addition to soybean farmers, animal agriculture also benefits from biodiesel.

“Animal agriculture is the soybean farmer’s No. 1 customer with 97 percent of soybean meal going to feed poultry and livestock,” said Delbert Christensen, a soybean farmer from Audubon, Iowa and director on USB. “Biodiesel helps animal agriculture by creating demand for soybean oil, which helps lower the cost of animal feed and creates an additional market for animal fats.”

More demand for biodiesel helps keep soybean meal prices competitive as demand for soybeans continues to rise globally, while biodiesel has also created demand for animal fats and tallow to be made into biodiesel. IBB says for Iowa farmers, these meal savings and increased fat and tallow values really add up. In 2013 alone, pork farmers saved $60,802,700 and dairy and beef farmers saved $25,511,700 respectively, strengthening animal agriculture in the state. Biodiesel by-product glycerin also can be an additional energy source in feed troughs.

Ag group, Agribusiness, Biodiesel, livestock

New Ethanol Production, Corn Oil Comes to Market

Joanna Schroeder

Pacific Ethanol has begun commercial production of corn oil utilizing Valicor’s corn oil recovery system at its Columbia ethanol plant located in Boardman, Oregon. With the completion of this 2-year initiative, all four of the western Pacific Ethanol plants are now producing corn oil.

Neil Koehler, the company’s president and CEO, said of the milestone, “With the production of distillers corn oil at our Columbia plant, all eight of our ethanol facilities separate corn oil for sale into high-value markets. Corn oil production has been a major milestone for the company, and one that we expect to provide significant benefits as it broadens our co-product mix, further diversifies our revenue streams and enhances operating income.”

Cellulosic sugars, following extraction from bagasse at Iogen's Raizen Costa Pinto Plant (Brazil) where cellulosic ethanol is not being produced. Photo Credit: novocana.com

Cellulosic sugars, following extraction from bagasse at Iogen’s Raizen Costa Pinto Plant (Brazil) where cellulosic ethanol is now being produced. Photo Credit: novocana.com.

Moving to the Midwest, the Dakota Spirit AgEnergy ethanol plant was fully commissioned. The 65 MMGy facility, located in Spiritwood, North Dakota, is the first corn-ethanol plant to be built in the U.S. in more than five years. The plant is unique in that the process steam is purchased from Great River Energy’s nearby Spiritwood Station and is used to help produce electricity.

Across the pond (and an ocean) in Brazil, Iogen Energy’s cellulosic ethanol plant is now up and running at the Raízen`s newly expanded Costa Pinto sugar cane mill in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was on hand for a celebration and noted, “the production of second generation ethanol from sugarcane bagasse is the realization of a dream for the country. The collaboration between the State and Raízen is part of the government’s commitment to ethanol production as a strategic measure for economic development.”

advanced biofuels, Brazil, Cellulosic, corn, Ethanol, Renewable Energy

Climate Deniers Uncovered

Joanna Schroeder

A paper published by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), “The Climate Deception Dossiers,” reveals decades of corporate misinformation campaigns by the fossil fuel industry. The paper focuses on seven deception dossiers, or collections containing nearly 85 internal company and trade association documents that have either been leaked to the public, come to light through lawsuits, or been disclosed through Freedom of Information Act requests.

gw-cover-climate-deception-dossiersThe authors say that many call climate change a hoax, including U.S. Senator James Inhofe who is now chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. However, write the authors, the biggest climate hoax is continuing today and that is, “…the decades long campaign by a handful of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies – such as Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Peabody Energy – to deceive the American public by distorting the realities and risks of climate change, something acting directly and sometimes acting indirectly through trade associations and front groups.”

The authors continue that that deception dossiers tell an undeniable truth, “…that for nearly three decades, major fossil fuel companies have knowingly worked to distort climate science findings, deceive the public, and block policies designed to hasten our needed transition to a clean energy economy.”

So what do we learn?

  • Fossil Fuel companies have intentionally spread climate disinformation for decades.
  • Fossil fuel company leaders knew that their products were harmful to people and the planet but still chose to actively deceive the public and deny this harm.
  • The campaign of deception continues today.

The authors write that while many fossil fuel companies acknowledge the main findings of climate science, some still continue to support groups that spread misinformation about climate science and policy. Some of these front groups include: Heartland Institute, Americans for Prosperity, and the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow. The authors say these groups, along with industry trade associations such as American Petroleum Institute (API), American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE). The fossil fuel industry also uses a host of fake grassroots organizations such as Fed Up at the Pump and Oregonians for Sound Fuel Policy to fight against legislation such as the Clean Power Plan and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).Read More

Clean Energy, Clean Power Plan, Climate Change, Opinion, Renewable Energy

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1Martifer Solar will begin construction of a 57 MWp portfolio of solar PV projects in Jordan. The portfolio consists of four projects, which were awarded successfully with Power Purchase Agreements under Round 1 of Jordan’s National Renewable Energy Plan. Of the 57 MWp portfolio, there are three projects each with an individual capacity of 11 MWp, located near the city of Ma’an in south-central Jordan—Al Ward Al Joury, Al Zahrat Al Salam and Al Zanbaq. In addition, there is one project, Jordan Solar One, with a capacity of 24 MWp, to be constructed near the northern town of Mafraq.
  • While the UK government’s recent decision to remove renewable energy sources from Climate Change Levy (CCL) exemption will generate around £490 million by 2016 and up to £1 billion per year by 2020, the policy will have a negative impact on the country’s renewable sector, says an analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalData. According to Prasad Tanikella, GlobalData’s Senior Analyst covering Power, the renewable energy sector may suffer in the next few years, but decreasing costs will mean that it will continue to grow in the long term.
  • A new report from Navigant Research analyzes the market for natural gas refueling infrastructure and the factors expected to influence its deployment, including global market forecasts segmented by fuel type, station type, and region, through 2025. The total number of global natural gas refueling stations is expected to grow from 23,001 in 2015 to 38,887 in 2025.
  • The opportunities for institutional investors to invest in hydropower may increase as the limited secondary market in existing hydro plants begins to open up, according to a new paper published by Aquila Capital, one of Europe’s leading independent alternative asset managers. “Real Assets – Hydropower Investments,” explains how hydro plants are beginning to be sold as energy suppliers offset losses in other sectors. Hydropower also provides the strongest diversification in renewables portfolios, the report says.
Bioenergy Bytes

Nebraska Names Ethanol Ambassadors

John Davis

A pair of college students has been named as the Nebraska Ethanol Board’s ambassadors. This news release from the board says David Hansen and Maggie Louthan have been tapped for the posts in the program that engages them in the importance of Nebraska’s ethanol industry.

David_HansenHansen of Lincoln, Nebraska, is a junior chemical engineering student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is involved in Partners in Pollution Prevention analyzing industrial manufacturing facilities and recommending waste reduction solutions.

Maggie_LouthanLouthan of Smithfield, Nebraska, is a sophomore agricultural education student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is a member of the Nebraska Agriculture Youth Council, Sigma Alpha, Block and Bridle and CASNR Coffee Club.

“We’re excited to have two talented students with diverse experience on our team for the 2015-2016 academic year,” said Megan Grimes, Nebraska Ethanol Board. “This is a great opportunity for participants to learn about the multi-faceted ethanol industry and share information among peers, community groups and classrooms.”

Ambassadors learn about ethanol production, technology, research and marketing, and then have opportunities to work with the public, delivering presentations to middle and high school classrooms. The program lasts one academic year (August-May) with new recruits each year. For their time and efforts, ambassadors are earn a $1,000 scholarship to assist with their education.

Ethanol, Ethanol News