What’s Your Favorite Alternative Fuel?

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Will you order an Apple Watch on April 10 or buy a Samsung S6 smartphone?”

The crowd has spoken and many who took our most recent ZimmPoll feel they have no use for either. Honestly, no one needs either one, but I sure want an Apple Watch. I am still in the minority though. The #AgNerds have spoken and the Samsung S6 has won. It will be exciting to see how the products make it in the real world or let’s say the farm world.

Here are the poll results:

  • Apple Watch – 17%
  • Samsung S6 – 32%
  • Both – 3%
  • No use for either one – 48%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, What is your favorite alternative fuel (to gasoline)?

Alternative fuels are all the rage and/or future necessity. The agriculture community seems to be torn as to which is the best for the industry. We want to know your opinion. If gasoline wasn’t an option, which alternative fuel would be your choice? Biodiesel, ethanol, propane, etc?

ZimmPoll

Aemetis to Sell Biodiesel to India Tourism Buses

John Davis

aemetislogo1California-based Aemetis, Inc. will start selling biodiesel to travel bus operators in India’s tourism industry. This company news release says a move by India government that allows biodiesel manufacturers such as Aemetis to sell to customers directly helped make the deal possible.

According to a study carried out by Nielsen Research for the Department of Petroleum Planning and Analysis, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, buses consume about 10% of the annual diesel used. Diesel use by buses equates to 2.5 billion gallons of yearly consumption in India, of which more than 1 billion gallons is consumed in Southern and Western India providing a potential source of significant demand for the Aemetis biodiesel plant in Andhra Pradesh.

“Prime Minister Modi and the India Government are actively promoting biodiesel as an alternative to petroleum diesel to reduce more than $120 billion per year of crude oil imports,” said Eric McAfee, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aemetis. “The lower cost of biodiesel compared to diesel is only one of several important drivers for the growth in the biodiesel market. By using biodiesel from Aemetis, travel operators are supporting improved air quality, expanded domestic jobs and reduced operating costs.”

“We have recently begun deliveries to travel bus operators in Southern and Western India,” said Sanjeev Gupta, Managing Director of the Universal Biofuels subsidiary of Aemetis. “The travel and tourism industry contributed about 6.2% of India’s GDP in 2013 and is forecasted to rise by 7% per year through 2024. The travel and tourism industry supports about 22 million jobs and helps India generate meaningful foreign exchange reserves.”

Aemetis owns and operates a biodiesel refinery able to produce about 50 million gallons per year on the East Coast of India.

Biodiesel, International

ARF Challenges Confirmed Candidates

Cindy Zimmerman

ARF-LogoThe America’s Renewable Future campaign is challenging the two confirmed Republican presidential candidates to take a stand for renewable fuels.

In a letter to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who has been forthcoming about his opposition to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), ARF questioned his recent reported comment that the oil industry “doesn’t get subsidized.” The letter, with the message that “Oil Subsidies Are Real,” details $165 billion in subsidies and tax breaks the oil industry is poised to receive over the next ten years.

With Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) officially declaring his candidacy this week, ARF recognized his introduction of the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act as “a step in the right direction” but urged him to commit to supporting the Renewable Fuel Standard. “Sen. Paul has an opportunity to stand up for a commonsense, bipartisan policy that provides access to the marketplace for a clean, domestic alternative to foreign oil and we hope that he will,” said the campaign in a statement.

Another potential presidential candidate, Donald Trump, was in Iowa on Wednesday and took the time to meet with ARF co-chair Annette Sweeney “to discuss the importance of the ‪#‎RFS‬ to America and our rural communities.”

America’s Renewable Future is an Iowa-based coalition formed with the goal of educating presidential candidates about the RFS and urging their support.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, RFS

Iowa Lawmakers Ride-and-Drive on Biodiesel

John Davis

ia-biodiesel-branstadLawmakers in Iowa got the chance to experience the power of biodiesel for themselves. The Iowa Biodiesel Board (IBB) held its its first ever Ride-and-Drive event at the capitol in Des Moines as part of the group’s annual “Biodiesel Day on the Hill” event, whose riders included Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds.

“As a nation, we should continue to prioritize both a diverse fuel supply and clean, fuel efficient vehicles,” said Grant Kimberley, IBB executive director. “With diesel vehicles running on biodiesel blends, you get both.”

Biodiesel is an advanced biofuel made from agricultural byproducts and co-products, such as soybean oil.

Vehicles on hand included a diesel Chevy Cruze, the only small domestic diesel car; a Ford F-250 Superduty pickup; a Ram 3.0L EcoDiesel pickup; and a diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee. All ran on biodiesel blends during the event. The new 2015 models are approved for 20 percent biodiesel (B20).

Iowa biodiesel producers and supporters were also able to thank Iowa legislators for their support. Earlier this year, the state raised the fuel tax while providing a partial exemption for diesel blended with at least 11 percent biodiesel (B11).

Biodiesel, Legislation

Phoenix Energy Gets $4.9 Mil Grant for Biomass

John Davis

phoenixenergyA California company has received a $4.9 million grant to build one of the first forest-sourced biomass gasification plants. Phoenix Energy‘s joint venture, North Fork Community Power’s project, received the money from the California Energy Commission to build the plant, as well as funding research into the emerging field of forest biomass use.

The plant will utilize local forest biomass sustainably sourced from restoration and fuel reduction activities on local forest lands, including the Sierra National Forest. The biomass will be used to make electricity, heat and biochar – a solid carbon byproduct that is used as a soil conditioner and filter media. The project will also be one of the first projects to use forest-based fuel under California’s new SB 1122 bioenergy law.

“This project is a fantastic community story and an example of what can be accomplished with a robust a public/private partnership,” said Phoenix Energy CEO, Gregory Stangl. “In the North Fork community, a sawmill was the main employer for years, and local jobs evaporated when it closed down in the 1990’s. This facility will not only make an impact on reducing fire danger and stopping wasteful ‘pile and burn’ disposal of excess forest material, but will bring back permanent jobs to a town where the forest economy used to provide them. California is littered with communities up and down the Sierra foothills with a similar story,” continued Stangl.

The plant will be built in phases with an initial 1 MW financed mainly by the California Energy Commission grant and private and community investors.

biomass, Government

Va Tech Scientists Turning Corn Husks into Hydrogen

John Davis

vatechzhang1Scientists at Virginia Tech have found a way to get hydrogen from corn husks. This article from Yahoo says the husks and stalks are not only a plentiful feedstock for the potential car fuel, but they’re cheap, too.

“We have demonstrated the most important step toward a hydrogen economy — producing distributed and affordable green hydrogen from local biomass resources,” said study co-author Percival Zhang, a professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech.

The study was led by Joe Rollin, a former doctoral student of Zhang’s at Virginia Tech. Together they co-founded a start-up company called Cell-free Bioinnovations.

The process builds on previous research using xylose, “the most abundant simple plant pentose sugar, to produce hydrogen yields that previously were attainable only in theory,” said the PNAS report.

Other hydrogen fuel production methods rely on highly processed sugars, but the Virginia Tech team used corn husks and stalks, which are known as dirty biomass, to cut costs and make the fuel easier to produce locally.

The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Agribusiness, corn, Hydrogen

Can Rand Paul Pass the RFS Test?

Cindy Zimmerman

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul officially threw his hat in the ring for the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday, just a week after co-sponsoring the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act of 2015 with Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. The legislation would allow 15% ethanol blends to be sold year round by requiring EPA to grant a Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) volatility waiver for E15 in the summer months.

paul-energy“The EPA’s onerous regulation of fuels is artificially limiting options for consumers and producers and preventing the adoption of new fuel options that could benefit our environment, our economy, and our energy security,” said Sen. Paul in a press release about the Act. “Through competition and consumer choice, my bill will free fuel producers and automobile manufacturers to innovate and bring new products to market that can lower costs to consumers, increase domestic energy production, and benefit the environment.”

The official candidate’s new campaign website says nothing specific about biofuels in the Energy section beyond “encouraging energy freedom, new technologies, and discoveries” but does mention support for the Keystone XL pipeline.

Sen. Paul did not participate in the recent Iowa Ag Summit where potential candidates were asked specifically about their stance on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) but an aide last week confirmed that he is opposed to “the government telling consumers or businesses what type of fuel they must use or sell.”

“Sen. Paul supports removing regulatory barriers to the use of ethanol and other renewable fuels, which would likely have the effect of growing the use of these environmentally friendly fuels,” said the aide quoted in the National Journal.

Ethanol industry leaders have applauded Sen. Paul for his co-sponsorship of the E15 bill, but all say that support of the RFS is what they really want to see in a presidential candidate.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government

Canadian Company Plans Biomass Pellet Plant

John Davis

sustaneA clean-tech company in Canada is looking to build a $13-million commercial plant to turn biomass into pellets. This article from Halifax’s Chronicle Herald says Sustane Technologies Inc. will make the biomass pellets from landfill waste.

The demonstration plant, which would be at Chester’s Kaizer Meadow landfill, is slated to be operational in mid-2016.

Warden Allen Webber said Tuesday that Sustane CEO Peter Vinall approached the municipality about six months ago about helping to commercialize the technology.

“At that point in time, he was really looking to attract our waste to a facility he intended to build in another municipal unit,” Webber said in an interview.

“We met with him on several occasions and convinced him that the most appropriate location would be Chester because we owned a landfill and did control 30,000 tonnes of waste, both of which he needed.”

The plant would take about 40 percent of the waste in the landfill and convert it into the fuel pellets, and the technology is hoped to save municipalities 20 percent in the landfill and disposal costs.

biomass

Louisiana REG Plant Update

Cindy Zimmerman

reg-laDamage to the Renewable Energy Group (REG) Geismar, Louisiana biorefinery from an April 2 fire will take 2-4 months to repair, according to the company.

“While preliminary damage assessments are still ongoing, the damage appears to be contained to a limited area of the production facility,” REG reports in an update this week. “The Company plans to incorporate a one-month maintenance shutdown that was previously scheduled for this summer to bring filtration and other upgrades online during the restoration time period.”

Our highest concern is the continuing recovery of the two employees who were injured last Thursday. We also appreciate the cooperation and understanding of our customers, vendors and service providers during this time.

REG expects to be able to resume loadout operations for Renewable Hydrocarbon Diesel in inventory later this week.

REG, renewable diesel

Researchers Build Biomass for Batteries

John Davis

uhouston1Researchers at the University of Houston have discovered a polymer made from biomass that could end up being a key ingredient in a new organic material battery. This article from the school says the discovery promises a low-cost, environmentally friendly energy source.

The discovery relies upon a “conjugated redox polymer” design with a naphthalene-bithiophene polymer, which has traditionally been used for applications including transistors and solar cells. With the use of lithium ions as dopant, researchers found it offered significant electronic conductivity and remained stable and reversible through thousands of cycles of charging and discharging energy.

The breakthrough, described in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and featured as ACS Editors’ Choice for open access, addresses a decades-long challenge for electron-transport conducting polymers, said Yan Yao, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the UH Cullen College of Engineering and lead author of the paper.

Researchers have long recognized the promise of functional organic polymers, but until now have not been successful in developing an efficient electron-transport conducting polymer to pair with the established hole-transporting polymers. The lithium-doped naphthalene-bithiophene polymer proved both to exhibit significant electronic conductivity and to be stable through 3,000 cycles of charging and discharging energy, Yao said.

The researchers say the discovery opens the door for cheaper alternatives to traditional inorganic-based energy devices, including lithium batteries, and could make for cheaper electric cars one day.

biomass, Research