Geothermal Energy Outlook 2015

Joanna Schroeder December 31, 2014

According to the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA), the U.S. and global geothermal markets are expected to grow in 2015. The U.S. market may grow slowly while state and federal policies are adjusted, but with continued pressure to address climate change and a growing recognition of the important values of geothermal power to grid reliability, that is expected to improve. However, global markets are expected to see stronger growth with continued expansion while U.S. is expected to make forward progress.

The forecast for geothermal energy growth comes on the heels of a strong 2014. GEA reports that the world market reached upwards of 12.7 GW of operational geothermal power in 24 countries, reflecting about 700 MW of combined added growth. By comparison, the global industry added about 600 MW in 2013. As of the end of 2014, there are also 11.7 GW of capacity additions in development and 1.8 GW of power under construction in 80 countries.

The World Bank is aiding in global growth through its focus on early risk mitigation. In tandem to this work, governments continue to develop and adopt policies to meet electricity demand. GEA forecasts the forward-moving trajectory will continue for at least another decade and globally, geothermal energy production should reach at least 20 GW by 2024.

2014 highlights include:

This year emerging economies in East Africa, Central America, and the South Pacific experienced the fastest growth, and each of these regions had some notable developments:
In the East Africa region, a new 280-MW addition at the Olkaria field in Kenya now has the world’s largest flash plant, and Kenya added 300 MW of capacity overall. In Ethiopia, a partnership between the government and the World Bank expects to expand electricity access where it is most needed by adding four million more people to the grid in the next five years. Geothermal would be the second largest source of power supply in East Africa by 2040.
In Central America, Costa Rica received a $550 million loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency toward planned capacity of three geothermal plants each totaling 55 MW. El Salvador reached the milestone of producing 25% of its electricity from geothermal energy with an aim to achieve 40% in the near future.
In the South Pacific, Indonesia is leading in developing capacity and could surpass the U.S in installed capacity in the future. Financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency with equipment from Ormat, construction began in Indonesia on what will be the largest geothermal plant ever built, the 330MW Sarulla project. In the Philippines, the Energy department announced plans to increase installed capacity of geothermal power to 3.3 GW by 2030.

The 2015 geothermal outlook will be discussed in more detail, including the roles global companies and governments will play during the State of the Geothermal Industry Briefing taking place Tuesday, February 24, 2015 Washington, DC.

Electricity, Geothermal, International

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder December 31, 2014

The history, changes and recent state of solar power systems will be covered by James Earl Jones in an upcoming “In America” segment. The segment will examine how solar power systems are saving people money, creating ‘green’ energy, and how it’s changing the landscape of the energy industry.
Sunpin Solar Development and Suntuity, a Global Project Developer have begun commercial operation of their 3.97 MWp DC ground mounted distributed generation facility located in Tolland, Massachusetts. The utility scale solar system is interconnected to Western Massachusetts Electric Company’s distribution system powering the municipalities of Agawam and Longmeadow. All electricity produced by the project (net of 1.75% parasitic load) will be sold (50% to the Town of Longmeadow, 50% to the Town of Agawam) through Solar Net Metering Power Purchase Agreements with both townships.
Pattern Energy Group has acquired the 200 megawatt Logan’s Gap Wind project in Texas, which is currently under construction. Upon completion of the project, the company will have an owned interest of 164 MW and three institutional tax equity investors will acquire the balance. Pattern Energy acquired the Logan’s Gap Wind project for a total cash funding commitment of approximately $113 million.
Martifer Solar has completed development of a 4.27 MW PV plant in the UK for Smartenergy Renewables AG. The 4.27 MW PV Francis Court solar plant is located near Exeter. Martifer Solar has sold the project rights and will complete the engineering, procurement and construction) and subsequent operation & maintenance services.

Bioenergy Bytes

Vertimass Secures $2M BioJet Fuel Grant

Joanna Schroeder December 30, 2014

Vertimass is in negotiations with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive a $2 million grant to aid them in commercilizing the conversion of their “green” catalyst technology that converts ethanol into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel blend stocks. The resultant fuel is compatible with current transportation fuel infrastructure.

The company has a world-wide exclusive license for the technology from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Vertimass hopes to expand the ethanol market and believes that its fuel will be certified under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). According to the company, benefits of their technology include:

A single step conversion of ethanol into a hydrocarbon blend stock without the addition of hydrogen.
The ability to process between 5 percent and 100 percent of ethanol concentrations.
Production of minimal amounts of light gases.
Operation at relatively low temperature and atmospheric pressure.
The ability to shift product distributions in response to changing market demands. The technology, which dilutes ethanol streams, will result in higher yields to gasoline, jet fuel and diesel products and is expected to prolong the life of vehicles.

“This green catalyst technology can be rapidly added to an existing ethanol plant with low capital and operating costs while providing fuel flexibility and essentially replacing dehydration operations,” said Charles Wyman, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Vertimass. “With the ability to add operations to existing plants at a rapid pace and low cost, the new product will help meet the goals of Renewable Standard Fuel production and also help the Federal Aviation Administration achieve their target of 1 billion gallons of renewable aviation fuel by 2018.”

The new Vertimass technology has an estimated yearly production potential of 140 billion gallons. The technology would also expand opportunities to use more ethanol from corn in the U.S., sugarcane in Brazil and cellulosic biomass worldwide.

advanced biofuels, aviation biofuels, biojet fuel, Ethanol

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder December 30, 2014

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has announced that Iowa’s 43 ethanol plants produced 3.9 billion gallons during 2014, up from 3.7 billion gallons the previous three years. Iowa continues to be the number one ethanol producing state, and is estimated to account for roughly 27 percent of national ethanol production in 2014. For the first time, a small amount of the ethanol production came from cellulosic feedstocks such as corn stover and corn kernel fiber.
The Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA), in partnership with The Electrochemical Society (ECS), is requesting proposals from young professors and scholars pursuing innovative electrochemical research in green energy technology. The purpose of the ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship is to encourage young professors and scholars to pursue research in green energy technology that may promote the development of next-generation vehicles capable of utilizing alternative fuels.
According to the latest report from GTM Research, “The Future of Solar-Plus-Storage in the U.S.,” the nation will install 318 cumulative megawatts of behind-the-meter solar-plus-storage capacity through 2018. Between California’s recent mandate for the state to procure 1.3 gigawatts of energy storage for its grid and the announcement of Tesla’s Gigafactory, the energy storage market is nearing a tipping point.
BBI International has announced that Heating the Midwest, a regional conference focusing on biomass derived thermal energy, will be co-located with the 2015 International Biomass Conference and Expo. Heating the Midwest will be held on Monday, April 20, 2015 at the Minneapolis Convention Center and will bring together leaders of the woody and agricultural biomass industry interested in supporting and expanding the use of biomass for heat and combined heat and power in the Midwest.

Bioenergy Bytes

Solar Tariff Ups Solar Costs, Hurts Consumers

Joanna Schroeder December 30, 2014

A final decision has been made by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding solar tariffs on solar parts assembled in China using components from a third country. The decision created a Separate Rates Group that will be subject to an AD tariff of 52.13 percent and a CVD tariff of 38.72 percent. For example, Yingli will be subject to a combined AD/CVD rate of 29.18 percent.

“We are deeply disappointed in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s decision to accept such a broadly defined scope for this ruling, and to levy harsh, protectionist tariffs,” said Robert Petrina, managing director of Yingli Green Energy Americas. “It’s well known that our customers, partners, and other stakeholders represent the majority of the solar industry and U.S. jobs. We will continue our vigorous defense on their behalf with the hope that national efforts to increase solar power’s cost-competiveness are not derailed further.”

According to the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) this ruling will not only increase the cost of solar imports but will also adversely affect U.S. solar manufacturers. For example, following the announcement Hemlock Semiconductor announced it will close down its plant in Clarksville, Tennessee where the company produced silicon for solar panels. The company cited the ruling as a factor in its decision to close down U.S. production. CASE also says the decision will affect Georgia-based Suniva company.

“Imposing unilateral tariffs on all solar modules assembled in China, including those with solar cells produced in the U.S., Taiwan or any third country, will undercut the growth of American solar jobs and hurt our domestic solar industry,” said Jigar Shah, CASE president.

“Suniva, based in Norcross, Georgia, is America’s leading solar manufacturer. But the Department of Commerce’s decision to broaden the scope of the case may put American companies like Suniva in the bizarre position of paying severe import duties on a product (PV cells) they manufactured in America when those cells are assembled into modules in China,” continued Jigar. “More drastically, Hemlock Semiconductor announced that it plans to close its Clarksville, Tennessee manufacturing plant due to ‘ongoing challenges presented by global trade disputes.’ Over $1.2 billion of investment and 50 jobs will be lost, in addition to the 400 jobs already lost to layoffs in 2013 as a result of the initial 2012 tariffs.”

Jigar said that due to the global threat of climate change and the need to reduce carbon emission, it makes no sense to impose tariffs on solar imports. He urges the U.S and Chinese governments to negotiate free and fair trade in the global solar industry.

Electricity, International, Solar

What Were Biggest Ag Stories of 2014?

Jamie Johansen December 30, 2014

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What type of gadget is on your wish or to-give list?”

Did you find your favorite gadget under the tree this year? Our results were pretty evenly spread out. I was excited to see many were wanting to utilize drone technology. But the GoPro video camera exceeded all other gadgets. I think that might be what I use my Christmas money on.

Here are the poll results:

Smart Phone – 12%
Tablet – 9%
Hybrid Laptop – 0%
Wearable Tech – 9%
Mobile Power Supply – 5%
Cordless Power Tools – 9%
Drone – 12%
Camera – 9%
GoPro Video Camera – 26%
Bluetooth Speakers/headphones – 3%
Other – 6%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, What do you think were the biggest ag stories of 2014?

No matter the segment of agriculture you are involved in, their has been at least one ag story throughout the year that has caught your attention. Let us know which topped your list as the biggest ag story of the year. As we review stories from 2014 I can’t help but wonder what 2015 will bring.

ZimmPoll

Sorghum for Cellulosic Ethanol Update

John Davis December 30, 2014

While corn stover might be the big talk recently in the cellulosic ethanol game, sorghum could emerge as an alternative to the feedstock for the advanced green fuel. During the recent American Seed Trade Association CSS 2014 and Seed Expo in Chicago, Leah Guffey caught up with Scott Staggenborg of Chromatin , a sorghum genetics company, and they talked about using sorghum for cellulosic ethanol.

“People forget that many of sorghum’s original uses were for animal feed, so biomass yield is important and digestability is important,” said Staggenborg. “So if you think about cellulosic ethanol production, it’s just really a big, steel or concrete digester, rather than a four-legged digester.”

He went on to say that with the 40,000 varieties of sorghum availability, his company is taking advantage of traditional breeding and modern molecular methods to get the most out of sorghum, especially for cellulosic biofuels. One of the breeds he points to as having great potential for biofuels is sweet sorghum, which he compares to an annual sugarcane, except sorghum has to re-established each year from seed.

“It’s high biomass, and it has high juice yields, as well as high sugar yields,” Staggenborg explained. “Those three combined result in high sugar yields per acre, and that’s the goal of our breeding program, as well as altering the composition of the sugar itself.”

He added that the Renewable Fuels Standard is a big driver in making sure there is a market for sorghum-based, or any other feedstock-based, cellulosic biofuel.

“The RFS establishes a market, establishes a need, sort of primes the pump for the demand, until it becomes something that widely available, although it’s already widely accepted, and allows a fledgling industry to move forward.”

You can hear all of Leah’s interview with Scott here: Scott Staggenborg, Chromatin

Agribusiness, Audio, Cellulosic, Ethanol, feedstocks, sorghum

Ethanol Report 2014 Year in Review

Cindy Zimmerman December 29, 2014

Every year is interesting for the ethanol industry and 2014 was no exception.

Some of the highlights included record production and sales, healthy exports, and the commercial reality of cellulosic ethanol. The low point of the year was definitely the inability of the federal government to set volume obligations for 2014 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), leaving the industry in somewhat of a limbo.

In this Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen takes a look back at some of the good news and bad news for the ethanol industry in 2014 and wishes us all a very happy new year.

Ethanol Report on 2014 Year in Review

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, RFA

MPM Technologies Signs Waste to Energy Deal

Joanna Schroeder December 29, 2014

MPM Technologies, a subsidiary Carbon Cycle Power (CCP) has signed a lease agreement with an affiliate of Spokane Valley manufacturer Wheeler Industries, Inc., to house the demonstration unit of CCP’s waste-to-value solution. The patent-pending photon-induced, electric-arc gasification technology can process biomass or municipal solid waste to produce heat and power.

“After reviewing several viable options, the one that made the most fiscal sense was to manufacture and demonstrate in the same location,” said Brian Burrow, interim CFO for CCI/MPM. “We’re literally building the unit on one side of the street and deploying the demo on the other side of the street. It really is an ideal scenario.”

Carbon Cycle Investments acquired a controlling interest in MPM following a stock purchase agreement in April 2013. The company already has an agreement with Wheeler Industries as the manufacturer of the reaction chamber of its gasification technology. Manufacturing will begin immediately.

biomass, Electricity, Waste-to-Energy

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