First Biodiesel Testing Lab in Southeast to Open

John Davis January 14, 2015

The first lab for testing biodiesel in the Southeastern United States is set to open in Asheville, North Carolina. This article from the Asheville Citizen-Times says it is opening at the Enka campus of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

Researchers at the lab “will provide convenient, cost-effective testing of biodiesel to assure quality products are going to market,” said Sam Brake, of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture Bioenergy Research Initiative in Oxford.

“Consumers will be assured they’re getting high-quality product,” said Brake, who added that the state Department of Agriculture awarded the project a $150,000 grant. “Long-term, it should help boost demand and help boost production.”

“Having a lab here decreases the testing-turnaround time so it increases biofuel companies’ ability to release batches (of fuel for customers),” said Sarah Schober, senior director of A-B Tech’s BioNetwork, a program throughout the North Carolina community college system that focuses on biotechnology and life sciences.

The school donated $60,000 to the project.

Biodiesel

Algenol Receives EPA RIN Status

Joanna Schroeder January 13, 2015

Algenol’s advanced biofuel has received D-5 classification status under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As such, their bio-crude co-product patented Direct to Ethanol pathway, is now eligible for a Renewable Identification Number (RIN).

“The EPA approval is a milestone event for Algenol. The EPA validates that our suite of fuels meet the GHG reduction requirements set by the EPA for advanced biofuels and allows blenders and refiners to use our fuels to meet their Clean Air Act obligations under the RFS,” said Paul Woods, founder and CEO of Algenol.

RINs can be purchased by blenders to document compliance with the RFS. As part of this approval, the EPA determined that ethanol produced from the Algenol process resulted in an approximate 69% reduction in greenhouse gases when compared to gasoline.

“The RINs ascribe both GHG reduction value and real economic value to Algenol’s fuels,” continued Woods, “but the true game changing part originates from paying for CO2 emissions by converting them into valuable, low cost transportation fuels. Just imagine how refreshing the carbon dialogue would sound if CO2 emissions become a corporate asset rather than a liability.”

advanced biofuels, RFS

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder January 13, 2015

SunShare and Mortenson have announced a strategic relationship to develop and build solar gardens in Minnesota. The announcement comes just a week after Xcel Energy announced its plan to more than double its renewable energy by 2030, including exponential growth in solar from 14 megawatts today to 2,400 megawatts in 2030.
Boralex Inc. has announced the acquisition of the equity interest owned by Northland Power Inc. into the Frampton community wind power project that has a total capacity of 24 MW. Owned by the municipality of Frampton at 33,3% and, after closing of the transaction, by Boralex at 66,7%, the Frampton project shall be located on private lands in the municipality of Frampton, in the Chaudière-Appalaches region in Québec. Once constructed, Frampton will consist of 12 Enercon E-82 wind turbines and is covered by a power sales contract with Hydro-Québec. With a 20-year term, the contract was awarded under the Hydro-Québec Distribution request for proposals for 250 MW of wind power in 2009.
OnlineSchoolsCenter.com has released their list of the Top 50 Green Schools recognizing colleges and universities that go above and beyond for their students, the environment, the community, and the school as a whole to provide an environmentally-conscious, ‘green’ campus life. Schools included in the list boast multiple, simple and complex, means of contributing to the planet’s health in ways including, but not limited to, sustainability, clean-energy, solar power, recycling and landscape management.
ROUSH CleanTech has earned California Air Resources Board (CARB) retrofit certification for all Ford 6.8-liter vehicles for model years 2012 to 2015. Any 2012 – 2015 model year Ford E-450, F-450, F-550, F-650, F-53 and F-59 vehicles can now be converted to run on propane autogas in all 50 states, making it easier for U.S. fleet operators to transition to this clean-burning, domestically produced alternative fuel.

Bioenergy Bytes

Ag Secretary Stresses Biofuels Support at AFBF

Cindy Zimmerman January 13, 2015

Real farmers from around the country had a chance to ask Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack questions during an informal town hall-style meeting at the American Farm Bureau convention this week in San Diego.

The last question he took was from a South Dakota farmer who asked about continuation of strong biofuels policy in the United States. Vilsack detailed his continued support for the industry, particularly in the area of exports. “I am a firm believer in the future of the biofuels industry,” he said. “Ethanol production is at record levels…we’re now beginning to see great interest in the export market, not just for ethanol but also for dried distillers grains.”

Beyond the Renewable Fuel Standard, Vilsack said USDA is working hard to encourage the Defense Department to use more biofuels. “They are scheduled this year to begin a process of buying hundreds of millions of gallons of biofuels for jets and ships,” he said.

The last point the secretary made was on the need to update the research on ethanol in particular, especially when it comes to indirect land use. “A lot of the push back to the industry is based on studies that took place 15 years ago, 10 years ago, and there have been enormous increases in productivity of American farmers, that basically suggest the indirect land use calculations are not as accurate as they need to be,” he said.

Listen to the secretary’s comments on biofuels here: Secretary Vilsack at AFBF on biofuels

2015 AFBF Convention photo album

Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Farm Bureau, USDA

UMass Researchers Identify Genes to Improve Biofuels

Joanna Schroeder January 13, 2015

Plant geneticists including Sam Hazen at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Siobhan Brady at the University of California, Davis, now have a handle on the gene regulatory networks that control cell wall thickening by the synthesis of the three polymers, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. This breakthrough could have a positive impact on developing more efficient production technologies to convert cellulose to biofuels and biochemicals.

The authors say that the most rigid of the polymers, lignin, represents “a major impediment” to extracting sugars from plant biomass that can be used to make biofuels. Their genetic advance is expected to “serve as a foundation for understanding the regulation of a complex, integral plant component” and as a map for how future researchers might manipulate the polymer-forming processes to improve the efficiency of biofuel production.

According to the researchers, the three key components, found in plant tissues known as xylem, provide plants with mechanical strength and waterproof cells that transport water. Working in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, Hazen, Brady and colleagues explored how a large number of interconnected transcription factors regulate xylem and cell wall thickening. Results appeared in a recent issue of Nature.

The researchers write in the paper that “understanding how the relative proportions of these biopolymers are controlled in plant tissue would open up opportunities to redesign plants for biofuel use.” Hazen, Brady and colleagues’ study identified hundreds of new regulators and offers “considerable insight,” the authors say, “into the developmental regulation of xylem cell differentiation.”

Specifically, using a systems approach to identify protein-DNA interactions, they screened more than 460 transcription factors expressed in root xylem to explore their ability to bind the promoters of about 50 genes known to be involved in processes that produce cell-wall components. Hazen says, “This revealed a highly interconnected network of more than 240 genes and more than 600 protein-DNA interactions that we had not known about before.”

advanced biofuels, biomass, Research

World’s First Wood-to-Biodiesel Plant Running

John Davis January 13, 2015

The world’s first biorefinery to turn wood into renewable diesel has opened in Finland. UPM says its Lappeenranta biorefinery is now in commercial production, turning out about 30 million gallons of the green fuel a year.

“Lappeenranta Biorefinery is the first significant investment in a new and innovative production facility in Finland during the ongoing transformation of the forest industry. It is also a focal part in the implementation of our company’s Biofore transformation strategy,” saysHeikki Vappula, Executive Vice President, UPM Biorefining.

“The production process works as planned and the high quality end product, UPM BioVerno diesel, fulfils customer specifications. The start-up phase of the biorefinery began in early autumn, and it has included customary new process and production related challenges. The biorefinery is first of its kind in the world. We are now happy to move forward from start-up phase and be able to concentrate on regular production process”, says Petri Kukkonen, Head of UPM Biofuels business.

A lot of the feedstock, a residue of wood pulp production, is produced at UPM’s own pulp mills in Finland. UPM says its BioVerno renewable diesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 80 per cent compared to traditional diesel.

Biodiesel, International

New Biodiesel Plant Owner Wants to Re-Open It

John Davis January 13, 2015

Speculation over the new owner of the Great Lakes Biodiesel plant in Welland, Ontario, Canada is over, as Luxembourg-based Heridge SARL has been announced as the winner of a bidding process. And the Welland Tribune reports the new owner is vowing to re-open the $50 million refinery.

“The big message that came out is that they’re not buying this operation in order to take it apart and sell it. They’re not interesting in scrapping it,” [Welland Mayor Frank] Campion said. “They want to make it work. They have money invested in it and they will invest more money in it.”

In early October, the plant went into receivership as a result of court action by Heridge, which said in court it was only repaid half of a $20-million loan used to get the Welland plant off the ground in 2012.

According to court documents and a former employee, Great Lakes Biodiesel was unable to become financially viable largely because it couldn’t secure $65 million in federal funding it was expected to get through Natural Resource Canada.

The new owners are saying that federal funding will be critical in order for them to make the plant successful.

Biodiesel, International

Report: Renewable Energy Can Increase 27%

Joanna Schroeder January 12, 2015

According to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the U.S. can increase its use of renewable energy from 7.5 percent to 27 percent in 2030. “Renewable Energy Prospects: United States of America,” (ReMap 2030) also concludes the U.S. can increase its use of renewable energy in power generation from 14 per cent to almost 50 percent by 2030, making it the world’s second largest renewable energy user after China.

“As the second largest energy consumer in the world, the U.S. must continue to play a leading role in the global transition to a sustainable energy future,” said Adnan Z. Amin, director-general of IRENA. “The recent agreement between the U.S. and China to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is a groundbreaking step, but this report aims even higher, showing that more can be done at limited cost.”

The reports predicts that based on current policies in place, the share of renewable energy in the U.S. energy mix will only reach 10 percent by 2030. REmap 2030 estimates that an annual investment of USD 86 billion between now and 2030 is required to reach the 27 percent renewables mark – an increase of USD 38 billion annually beyond a business-as-usual scenario. But, the report argues, the higher renewable share will result in an annual savings of USD 30 to 140 billion by 2030 when accounting for factors like human health and reduced emissions.

“REmap 2030 shows that the US could install significantly higher amounts of renewables – and that it can do so affordably,” said Amin. “Even in a country with cheap shale gas like the U.S., renewable energy is still cost competitive and reduces air pollution, enhances energy security, benefits the economy, and plays a leading role in fighting climate change.”

The report is part of IRENA’s renewable energy roadmap, REmap 2030, which provides a plan to double the share of renewable energy in the world’s energy mix by 2030 and determines the potential for the U.S. and other countries to scale up renewable energy in the energy system, including power, industry, buildings, and the transport sector.

Electricity, Energy, Renewable Energy

SunEdison & Omnigrid Bring Solar to India

Joanna Schroeder January 12, 2015

SunEdison and Omnigrid Micropower Company Pvt. Ltd. have signed a framework agreement to develop 5,000 rural projects, representing 250 megawatts (MW) of electricity, throughout India over the next three to five years. Nearly 400 million people in India have no access to electricity. For those who do, the options are fossil fuel-based and expensive. To bring more reliable power to the country, SunEdison and Omnigrid will build upon the 36 kW micro power plants OMC Power has already put in place with the goal of bringing affordable renewable electricity to 10 million people.

“There are approximately 1.5 billion people that do not have access to electricity and another 1.5 billion people that don’t have reliable, 24/7 electricity. What is most exciting about this partnership is that SunEdison is embarking on its purpose of transforming lives in a very big way,” said Ahmad Chatila, President and Chief Executive Officer of SunEdison. “Solar electricity costs have come down dramatically and continue to come down, thus making it a better choice than conventional fossil sources. We don’t have to make a false choice between cost and clean power any more. While a 1 gigawatt (GW) coal power plant can take 3 to 4 years to be developed and constructed, and a nuclear power plant of similar capacity can take 5 to 10 years, a solar photovoltaic power plant can be developed and built in less than a year and can compete on costs.”

SunEdison and OMC Power say they have developed a ready-to-scale solution that will provide reliable electricity for many poor communities. The companies explains their partnership leverages the expertise of each company, including technical know-how, local and telecom knowledge from OMC and project development and financing expertise from SunEdison. SunEdison and OMC have an offering that can help telecommunication organizations meet their regulatory requirements and provide energy to local communities while still going off-grid.

The co-founders of OMC Power, Anil Raj and Rohit Chandra, added, “Our Renewable Energy Services Company model is a proven and commercially viable approach which provides an immediate and substantial improvement in the quality of life in energy-deprived areas, while stimulating economic growth and prosperity. Our agreement with SunEdison is a huge step forward both for our company and for the people of rural India.”

Electricity, International, Solar

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder January 12, 2015

BlueRock Energy and ReEnergy Black River LLC have entered into a services agreement to support ReEnergy’s delivery of power from its 60 MW ReEnergy Black River bioenergy facility to the Fort Drum U.S. Army installation near Watertown, New York. Under the agreement, BlueRock Energy is performing load forecasting, scheduling and delivery services from the plant to Fort Drum and other wholesale support services designed to provide ReEnergy timely and accurate power delivery services under ReEnergy’s agreement with Fort Drum.
Pacific Ethanol has announced its agreement with Dresser-Rand to install a 3.5 megawatt cogeneration system with gradual oxidizer at its Stockton, CA plant for approximately $12 million. The cogeneration system will displace purchased electricity by using Ener-Core, Inc.’s innovative gradual oxidizer technology to convert waste gas from ethanol production and natural gas into electricity and steam. With this technology, the plant will have among the lowest air emissions in the ethanol industry.
Paul Brophy has been elected by his peers on the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) Board of Directors to be the next President. He replaces Louis E. Capuano, Jr., who remains on the Board of Directors as Past President. Brophy is currently President of EGS Inc. and has over 45 years worldwide experience in the field of energy and natural resources, of which 35 years has been in the geothermal industry based in Santa Rosa, California.
RES America Developments Inc. has entered into a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, Inc. for 114 MW of wind energy and associated renewable energy credits in the Thumb of Michigan. The wind power will be sourced from the Deerfield Wind Energy project, which is located in Huron County, Michigan. The project is located on approximately 20,000 acres in the townships of Huron, Bloomfield, Dwight, and Lincoln. There are more than 215 local landowners are participating in Deerfield Wind Energy and will receive landowner royalty payments from the project.

Bioenergy Bytes

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