Evolution of Minnesota Biofuels Industry – Part 2

Joanna Schroeder

The Minnesota biofuels industry has been evolving since its inception, which was discussed in Part 1 of this feature article. In this part, we look at how the industry is taking shape in Minnesota and what some of the most promising new technologies are on the horizon.

An interesting element of the biofuel industry is that while it is evolving on a national level, it has also evolved locally. Tim Rudnicki, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association, explains that states and regions have differing available resources as well as differing types and tons of biomass available.

Al-Corn Clean Fuel ethanol plant“Biofuel producers in any particular region adapt to the availability of various resources including, for example, access to energy, water, transportation infrastructure and so on,” says Rudnicki. “The availability of these important resources helped to accelerate the evolution of the biofuel industry in Minnesota and is what has made, and will continue to make, Minnesota one of the leading states when it comes to the production of biofuels.”

It’s interesting to review what could be deemed the top improvements that the ethanol industry has adopted over the past few years. Randall Doyal, CEO of Al-Corn Clean Fuel, says that since the plant went online they have adapted their process and technology to reduce down time, increase throughput and increase yield.

Al-Corn was designed as a 10 million gallon per year plant, and today they are operating at 50 million gallons per year. “We have increased our fuel ethanol yield from two and a half gallons per bushel to over two point nine gallons per bushel,” says Doyal. “We have added CO2 recovery, distillers corn oil recovery, and focused on our distillers grains quality to add value to our ethanol production.”

So, what are the new best technologies coming down the pipeline? Rudnicki says the future is very exciting because it will involve many facets including the interface between biological processes and technology. He believes some of the processes to watch include technologies that will enable corn oil to be more efficiency extracted as well as the use of existing biomass.

From an ethanol plant perspective the next three to five years could bring big changes. Read More

biofuels, Ethanol, Renewable Energy

Invenergy Wind’s Le Plateau 2 Wind Farm in Operation

Joanna Schroeder

Invenergy Wind and the Régie intermunicipale de l’énergie Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine have begun commercial operations at their 21.15 MW Le Plateau 2 wind farm in Québec. Le Plateau 2 is located in the Ruisseau-Ferguson unorganized territory in the MRC d’Avignon, Québec, Canada, approximately 300 miles east of Québec City. The project features nine Enercon E-92 wind turbines, with output purchased by Hydro-Québec Distribution through a 20-year power purchase agreement.

Screen Shot 2014-12-15 at 9.28.21 AM“We are delighted to reach this milestone together with our community partner, the Régie,” said Jim Shield, Chief Development Officer at Invenergy. “Le Plateau 2 enhances our growing presence in Québec and demonstrates our ability to work in partnership with local communities. The Régie is an excellent and innovative example of the benefits of economic diversification in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region.”

The wind farm is a collaboration between leading North American clean energy company Invenergy and the Régie, a coalition representing MRC’s and municipalities comprising more than 90% of the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine administrative region. The facility is sited nearby Invenergy’s existing 138.6 MW Le Plateau wind farm that began operations in 2012 and also has a 20-year power purchase agreement with Hydro-Québec Distribution.

“Today all of the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region is delighted with its 2008 decision to establish the Régie,” added Richard St-Laurent, spokesman for the Régie. “The wind farm brings financial benefit to the municipalities through our share of the profits, in addition to the usual host voluntary payments. Our establishing a solid and successful relationship with Invenergy reflects a regional consensus and proves that by working together, we can achieve great results.”

Electricity, Renewable Energy, Wind

Biofuels Economic Outlook

Cindy Zimmerman

asta-css-14-basseBack again by popular demand this year at the American Seed Trade Association CSS 2014 and Seed Expo was AgResource Company president Dan Basse giving his economic outlook for the year ahead.

Basse told attendees that the biofuels market is mature now, which means more stagnant demand for corn. “We have an EPA that can’t even make a decision on what the mandate should have been for 2014 and surely can’t make one for 2015,” he said. “We’ll still see corn demand for ethanol somewhere in the vicinity of five billion bushels, but there’s not that growth engine we’ve had in the last five years.”

Basse notes that this crop year is historic in that it’s the first time we’ve seen record world production for corn, wheat and soybeans. “So something agronomically is afoot here,” he said. “World producers are starting to pick up on some of the traits that American farmers are using – whether more seeds per acre, better seeds, better fertilizer…we’re not sure what it is but we’re impressed what the world is producing for grain.”

Lots more in this interview with Basse here. Interview with Dan Basse, Ag Resources

Audio, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFSunPower Corp. and Tendril, Inc. have announced that SunPower has invested $20 million of growth capital into Tendril and will license its Energy Services Management (ESM) Platform software. Enhanced by SunPower’s vast amount of solar related data, the ESM Platform will power the development of new Smart Energy applications for a broader set of consumers and utilities.
  • According to a report from TrendForce, the worldwide solar market demand in 2014 was approximately at 44GW, even though the China market did not perform as well as expectations, due to the continuous growth in Japan and the U.S. market, the supply and demand remained stable. At the end of 2014, the overall supply chain maintained a solid utilization rate, while China’s tier-one module manufacturers also continued to break shipment records. The 2015 worldwide solar demand is projected at 51.4GW, with the key markets remaining in China, United States, and Japan, taking up 57% of the overall share.
  • SunEdison Inc. has announced the closing of an approximately $146 million USD non-recourse debt financing arrangement with the International Finance Corporation, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the OPEC Fund for International Development. The debt proceeds will be used to fund construction of three solar photovoltaic power plants totaling 81.7 megawatts in the Republic of Honduras.
  • Consumers Energy’s $255 million Cross Winds Energy Park in Michigan’s Upper Thumb has begun serving electric customers. With completion of Cross Winds, Consumers Energy now meets Michigan’s renewable energy standard of 10 percent, one year ahead of the scheduled requirement. Cross Winds is Consumers Energy’s second wind park and has a generating capacity of 111 megawatts. It consists of 62 wind turbine generators, all located in Akron and Columbia townships in Tuscola County.
Bioenergy Bytes

New Iowa RFA Officers

Cindy Zimmerman

IowaRFAlogoThe Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) today announced its Board of Directors, Officers and Executive Committee for 2015, elected at last week’s annual meeting. New officers will serve a one-year term during the 2015 calendar year.

The new officers are:
President Brian Cahill, Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy
Vice President Tom Brooks, Western Dubuque Biodiesel
Treasurer Eamonn Byrne, Plymouth Energy
Secretary Rick Schwarck, Absolute Energy

“The renewable fuels industry had many accomplishments this past year, but many challenges remain for 2015,” says IRFA President-elect Brian Cahill. “Providing certainty in the marketplace and leveling the energy playing field through the restoration of a strong and growing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), and allowing greater consumer choice at the pump through wider availability of E15 and higher biodiesel blends will be crucial to building upon the progress we’ve made.”

Elected to join the IRFA officers on the executive committee for 2015 are, Past President Steve Bleyl of Green Plains, Inc.; and at-large members Brad Albin of Renewable Energy Group and Craig Willis, Archer Daniels Midland.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Iowa RFA

Philippines Looks to Increase Biodiesel Blends

John Davis

philippinesflag1Government officials in the Philippines are looking to increase biodiesel blends in the coming year. This article from Business World says that country’s Department of Energy (DoE) is hopeful the country will be able to move from a 2 percent to 5 percent blend in 2015 and possibly up to a 20 percent blend by 2030.

“We are still considering several factors right now like the economic impact [of increasing the blend] and some technical issues,” Mario C. Marasigan, director of the department’s Renewable Energy Management Bureau, said at the sidelines of a solar project inauguration in Manila.

Mr. Marasigan said his departmetn asked the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to study the overall impact of an increased blend.

“We want to confirm the claims of the coconut farmers that the increase can help their socioeconomic development. At the same time, we want to know the cost to consumers and overall impact of increasing the blend,” the official explained.

Officials hope to get results on the study of the data by early next year.

Biodiesel, International

MN Company Finds Cheaper Way to Brew Biodiesel

John Davis

superior_process_technologies1A company in Minnesota has found a way to brew biodiesel cheaper and more efficiently. This article from the Minneapolis Star Tribune says Superior Process Technologies figured out how to refine grease, tallow and other waste oils into biodiesel and hopes to take the process to a commercial level.

Superior Process engineers Kirk Cobb and Joe Valdespino, whose innovations draw on decades of experience in the paper and oleochemical industries, now are working toward a big step: constructing a commercial-scale biodiesel refinery.

[Parent company] Baker Commodities plans next year to start building a 20-million-gallon-per-year biodiesel plant in Vernon, Calif., to recycle waste grease into fuel, said Doug Smith, general manager of Superior Process and assistant vice president for R&D at the parent company.

“Our process is superior to the traditional method,” said Valdespino in an interview at the company’s lab and office on NE. Broadway. “It saves energy. It increases yield. … It enables you to use cheaper feedstocks.”

The article goes on to say the process is able to take better advantage of cheaper feedstocks, such as used deep-fryer oils, rendered animal fats and the contents of grease traps in sewer lines, hoping that when the process is commercialized, they’re able to make the green fuel for less than $2 per gallon.

Biodiesel

Platts Awards “Oscars” of Energy

Joanna Schroeder

The “Oscars” of energy were distributed this week during the 16th annual Platts Global Energy Awards. The honors were given to companies in the renewable and sustainable energy sector and included 17 performance categories along with “Energy Company of the Year,” going to Peabody Energy. The Awards were aligned to strategic vision, industry leadership, stewardship, premier projects and leading technology initiatives. Winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges.

2014 Platts Global Energy Awards“We congratulate each of the 2014 Platts Global Energy Awards winners and finalists alike for their individual accomplishments and their contributions to the betterment of the industry as a whole,” said Larry Neal, president of Platts, a leading global energy and commodities information provider and host of the Awards.

Winners of the Industry Leadership category:

  • “Industry Leadership – Biofuels,” Florida-based biotechnology company Algenol Biofuels won for its algae-based fuel-production method. The patented process, which converts more than 85% of carbon dioxide (CO2) feedstock into ethanol, gasoline, jet fuel and diesel, was hailed by judges as a “forward-thinking way to use CO2 directly from manufacturing, before it hits the atmosphere.”
  • “Industry Leadership – Grid Optimization” went to Germany’s 50Hertz Transmission GmbH, which, according to judges, “set a new model of performance” following a government-mandated ban on nuclear power plants. The company planned an expanded grid serving approximately 18 million people in northern and eastern Germany and has been a notable contributor to the country’s renewables initiative.
  • “Industry Leadership – Electricity Generation” was awarded to Sempra U.S. Gas & Power, LLC for its commitment to renewable energy production. The California-based, clean-energy company and its partners generate power for more than one million homes and businesses using sun, wind, and low-emission natural gas.
  • “Industry Leadership – Exploration & Production” went to Netherlands-based Royal Dutch Shell plc for its Mars B project to expand oil exploration in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico’s Mars Field. Judges noted that Shell employed the latest technology to develop significant new infrastructure ahead of schedule, despite economic, supply and regulatory challenges.
  • “Industry Leadership – Midstream” was taken by Switzerland-based Nord Stream AG, which successfully linked Russia’s pipeline grid directly to Western Europe. The judges said the company surmounted significant technical, environmental and political hurdles in the name of supply security.
Electricity, Energy, Renewable Energy

DOE Honors Alabama Clean Cities Leaders

Joanna Schroeder

Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition Executive Director Mark Bentley and President Phillip Wiedmeyer have been honored for their work in making Alabama cities cleaner places to live, work and play by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). National Clean Cities Co-Director Linda Bluestein recently inducted the pair into the Clean Cities Hall of Fame where representatives from nearly 100 Clean Cities coalitions from across the country gathered for the 2014 Clean Cities Coordinator Workshop.

In 2013 alone, the Alabama coalition saved more than 3 million gallons of petroleum and averted more than 12,000 tons of greenhouse gases through the deployment of alternative and renewable fuels, advanced vehicles, idle reduction and fuel economy improvements. The coalition has developed effective programs to support fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, natural B-W Alabama Clean Fuelsgas, propane, electricity and hydrogen. These accomplishments contributed to Clean Cities’ major milestone in 2013 of reducing U.S. petroleum consumption by one billion gallons in a single year for the first time ever.

“For many years, Mark and Phillip have proved themselves to be true pioneers and have made a significant impact in the deployment of alternative fuels and advanced vehicles, both in their coalition area as well as nationally,” said Bluestein.

Bentley has been the executive director of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition since 2006. Wiedmeyer has served as president for the coalition since 2002.

“It’s been our privilege over the years to promote the use of alternative fuels that are better for our environment, easier on our wallets, good for our local economy and a step toward energy independence for our country,” Bentley said. “We are delighted to be recognized for this important work.”

Alternative energy, Biodiesel, biofuels, Electric Vehicles, Natural Gas