Renewable Diesel Helps Green Music Festival

John Davis

flowfestneste1A European music festival will keep it green this year with some help from renewable diesel. This news release from Neste Oil says the company’s 100 percent NEXBTL renewable diesel will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from this year’s Flow Festival held August 8-10 in Helsinki, Finland by 90 percent.

“NEXBTL renewable diesel fits in very well with Flow’s aim of reducing its emissions, as it can result in up to 90% lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fossil diesel,” says Kaisa Hietala, Neste Oil’s Executive Vice President, Renewable Products. “We are very pleased that our product can help events like Flow offer an exciting program of music and other material, while at the same time helping reducing their impact on the environment.

“This is yet another example of the broad range of opportunities that our NEXBTL products have to offer for cutting emissions on the road, in the air, and at events.”

“We are very satisfied that we will be able to generate all the electricity needed at this year’s Flow Festival using renewable energy sources,” says Flow’s Production Manager Emilia Mikkola, who is also responsible for the event’s environmental profile. “Through our partnership with Neste Oil, we will be able to use NEXBTL renewable diesel in our generators for the first time instead of fossil fuel.”

Neste Oil’s NEXBTL diesel can be produced from just about any vegetable oil or waste fat.

Biodiesel

Report Shows Oil Companies Block Renewable Fuels

Cindy Zimmerman

gasoline_pumpThe biggest names in the oil industry get failing grades when it comes to offering alternative transportation fuels like ethanol, according to a new report card released today by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA).

A new “Consumer Choice Report Card” grades the nation’s largest retail gasoline chains based on whether they are providing consumers with alternatives to regular gasoline that cost less, reduce pollution and are higher octane for better engine performance.

RFANewlogoAccording to RFA, the “Big Five” oil companies all scored at the bottom of the list — with fewer than one percent of stations offering American made, renewable alternatives like E85 or E15 — while a number of major independent retail chains received “A+” grades, with more than 25 percent of their stations offering E85 or E15. Those five companies are Exxon, BP, ConocoPhillips, Chevron and Shell. At the head of the class are independent chains such as Break Time, Meijer, Thorntons, Kum & Go, and Kwik Trip – all of which earned a grade of A+ for their support of renewable fuels. Among oil company affiliated brands, only Speedway/SuperAmerica and Cenex received high marks (“A-“ and “B,” respectively.)

The Consumer Choice Report Card is part of a new report from the RFA titled “Protecting the Monopoly: How Big Oil Covertly Blocks the Sale of Renewable Fuels” which exposes how the five largest oil companies, along with a number of leading refiners, are “engaging in strong arm tactics and covert practices to prevent and discourage the sale of renewable fuels, especially at stations carrying their brand name.” The report finds that oil company distribution contracts “routinely include provisions that make it difficult, needlessly expensive, or simply impossible for a retailer to offer consumers choices like E15 or E85.”

RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen and RFA Senior Vice President Geoff Cooper held a media call to discuss the report and scorecard. “Cynically, oil companies frequently cite a shortage of fueling infrastructure as a reason why the EPA should lower the requirements of the Renewable Fuel Standard. Yet, as demonstrated in this analysis, the oil industry itself has deliberately created this shortage by making it as difficult and burdensome as possible for retail gas stations to offer greater volumes of renewable fuels,” said Dinneen. “We have to enforce the Renewable Fuel Standard.”

Cooper explains some of the tactics used by the big oil companies to prevent or discourage sales of renewable fuels. “Most of these contracts require supplier exclusivity meaning the retailer can only sell fuels made by supplier,” said Cooper. “So if the supplier doesn’t make E15 or E85 available at the terminal, the distributor can’t distribute it to the retailer.” Cooper says many agreements actually actively discourage retailers from promoting the availability of E85 and some have been fined for doing so.

Listen to or download the call here: RFA report on how oil companies block renewable fuels

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Oil, RFA, RFS

Battery Bat Houses for Hydroelectric Projects

Joanna Schroeder

Bat Houses from scrap volt battery casesEagle Scout Matthew Netherland has developed a creative way to help bats who live near hydroelectric projects. Using discarded scrap Volt battery covers donated by GM, Netherland built 22 bat houses for Consumers Energy to install in their energy properties.

“This project connects a lot of environmental dots,” said Rich Castle, Consumers Energy’s natural resource manager for hydro generation. “Hydro dams generate clean electricity, and cars that run on electricity are a cleaner form of transportation. The battery covers from the electric-powered vehicles are being kept out of landfills, and by being utilized as bat homes they allow biodiversity to thrive along the river habitats that produce renewable energy.”

About 100 or more bats can live in each bat box, which includes five chambers. Netherland, a friend and two adult mentors helped build the bat boxes in about two months that will be installed by Consumers Energy.

“I’m thankful that GM had the perfect shell for the bat box plans, and that Consumers Energy has great locations to place the boxes,” said Netherland from Boy Scout Troop 185 from Clarkston, Michigan. “Both companies have been great to work with, very encouraging and generous.”

Emily McDonald, environmental engineer for GM who coordinated with Netherland on his project, added, “I’m so impressed by Matthew’s energy and dedication to this project. We’ve worked with renowned bat experts on our bat house design and are grateful that we can partner with others who share our passion for conservation and will help us make a lasting impact. The Volt covers are made with durable material and will result in wildlife nesting opportunities for a long time.”

Electric Vehicles, Environment, Hydro, Renewable Energy

Cali Can Broaden Hydrogen Fueling Network

Joanna Schroeder

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have published a study that found a number of existing gas stations in California can safely store and dispense hydrogen. This, the researchers suggest, a broader network of hydrogen fueling stations may be within reach.

The report examined 70 commercial gasoline stations throughout California and sought to determine which, if any, could integrate hydrogen fuel, based on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) hydrogen technologies code published in 2011. The report found that 14 of the 70 gas stations considered in the study could readily accept hydrogen fuel and that 17 more possibly could accept hydrogen with property expansions. Sandia Daniel DedrickUnder previous NFPA code requirements from 2005, none of the existing gasoline stations could readily accept hydrogen. The current code, known as NFPA 2, provides fundamental safeguards for the generation, installation, storage, piping, use and handling of hydrogen in compressed gas or cryogenic (low temperature) liquid form.

Sandia Hydrogen Program Manager Daniel Dedrick said the development of meaningful, science-based fire codes and determinations such as those found in the report will help accelerate the deployment of hydrogen systems. “This work shows that we can reduce uncertainty and avoid overly conservative restrictions to commercial hydrogen fuel installations by focusing on scientific, risk-informed approaches. It turns out that the number of fueling stations able to carry hydrogen can be quantified.” Dedrick added, “We now know that we can build more hydrogen fueling stations if we examine the safety issues within a sound, technical framework that focuses on the real behaviors of hydrogen.”

Sandia’s hydrogen safety, codes and standards program is a diverse portfolio of activities funded by the Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office to provide the technical basis for developing and revising safety codes and standards for hydrogen infrastructure, including the NFPA 2 code. This work is aligned with Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure Research and Station Technology (H2FIRST), a new project established by the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Alternative energy, Hydrogen

Maine Utilities Partner to Improve Grid

Joanna Schroeder

Emera Maine and Central Maine Power (CMP) have agreed to jointly develop electric transmission projects in Maine. The goal of all projects is to improve links between southern New England and northern Maine, where more than 2,100 megawatts of wind power development have been proposed. The agreement between the utilities comes in response to a call by the six New England governors for investments in the region’s energy infrastructure to diversify the energy portfolio and gain access to new renewable energy resources.

As the state’s two largest utilities, the companies serve more than 95 percent of Maine’s homes and businesses. The utilities have significant expertise with transmission projects, including the MEPCO transmission line that extends from central Maine to New Brunswick, Canada.

Transmission Project in MaineCentral Maine Power is the state’s largest utility serving 605,000 homes and businesses in the southern third of the state. The company is nearing completion of the Maine Power Reliability Program, a $1.4 billion investment in new transmission lines and substations to reinforce its 345,000 volt bulk power grid.

“Our Maine Power Reliability Program is the largest construction project ever in Maine, and one of New England’s largest transmission projects,” said Sara Burns, president and CEO of Central Maine Power. “It’s a vast and complex undertaking, but four years into construction, the project is on time and on budget.”

Emera Maine serves approximately 154,000 homes and businesses in eastern and northern Maine. Significant transmission projects completed by Emera Maine include the 43-mile, 115,000 volt Downeast Reliability Project, and the 85-mile, 345,000 volt Northeast Reliability Interconnect in 2007.

“Electric transmission can be a significant challenge to new low/no emitting generation sources seeking to enter our New England market”, said Gerard Chasse, president and COO of Emera Maine. “That’s a challenge that our companies have been working together on for some time, particularly in Northern Maine. With this MOU we are renewing and expanding these efforts to identify and develop creative and cost effective transmission solutions to benefit the State and the region.”

The partners have outlined two initial phases of work. Phase One will analyze the feasibility of each project, including technical feasibility, public policy, regulatory considerations, and outreach to other potential parties to the project. Phase Two will include all development activities from design, engineering, siting, through construction bidding.

bioenergy, Electricity, Smart Grid, Wind

EPA Chief Hopes RFS Rule Coming “Soon”

Cindy Zimmerman

epa-mccarthyEnvironmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy held a conference call with media this morning in advance of her trip to Missouri this week to talk about the proposed Waters of the United States rule, or WOTUS.

I had the last question on the press conference and took the liberty of going off topic to ask about when the final rule on the volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) would be released. “I’m hoping it will come out soon,” she said. Explaining about the delay in releasing the final rule, which was expected by the end of June, McCarthy said it has become clear that there is concern “not only about what the volumes of the fuels are but the way in which we are adjusting those volumes.”

McCarthy stressed that the administration “continues to have a strong commitment to biofuels” and they want to make sure the final rule “clearly reflects that interest.”

“My goal is always to make sure we get it right,” she concluded.

Listen to McCarthy answer the question here. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy on RFS rule release

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, RFA, RFS

Syngenta & FFA Team Up for American Ethanol 200

Joanna Schroeder

Syngenta is joining forces with several Iowa FFA chapters during the upcoming American Ethanol 200 presented by Enogen on Friday, July 11-12, 2014. The team will be helping to increase awareness of the benefits of American ethanol as well as raise funds to support flex-fuel availability. The funds raised by the FFA members will be matched by race-sponsor Syngenta.

“Renewable fuels are an essential part of the American energy equation, benefiting American Ethanol 200 Presented by Enogenconsumers, farmers and American energy independence,” said David Witherspoon, head of Renewable Fuels at Syngenta. “Ethanol, whether from corn or other biomass sources, is an energy source for today and tomorrow driving economic growth and innovation.

According to Growth Energy, there are more than 16 million flex fuel vehicles on America’s highways today. There are also more than 2,800 E85 fueling stations across the country, with 450 having flex fuel pumps offering mid-level ethanol blends, and more than 80 locations in 14 states that offer E15. Investments in flex fuel pump infrastructure are needed to support continued growth and help to expand the market for ethanol.

Witherspoon added, “For more than 45 years, Syngenta has demonstrated its commitment to the future of agriculture through its partnership with the National FFA Organization. We are proud to be partnering with local FFA chapters in Iowa to tell the ethanol story – and to raise money to make flex fuels more widely available by investing in flex fuel pump infrastructure.”

energy.agwired.com will be bringing readers live coverage from American Ethanol 200 presented by Enogen. This is the second year Syngenta has sponsored the race.

American Ethanol, biofuels, corn, Ethanol, NASCAR

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFAs the UK strives to meet its EU target of 15% renewable energy consumption by 2020, the government has taken several steps to reduce the country’s carbon emissions by 34% and 80% by 2020 and 2050, respectively, compared with 1990 levels, according to a report by research and consulting firm GlobalData. Europe Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2014 states that the UK government is now promoting renewable energy sources through a substantial amount of financial support by way of subsidies, active research and development, government-sponsored loans, and tax allowances.
  • Clean Energy Pipeline has published its 2014 edition of its Clean Energy UK Finance Guide, the definitive reference source for UK renewable energy and cleantech in 2014. Alongside thought-leadership from our sponsors, the guide includes detailed league tables of the most active law firms, debt providers and investors in 2013 and a comprehensive directory. The report also includes 10 white papers and market analysis.
  • BayWa r.e. Wind, LLC has announced that it has sold its equity stake in the 19.8 MW Brahms wind project, located in Curry County, New Mexico, to Macquarie Infrastructure Company, an affiliate of the Macquarie Group. The project was placed in service last February and BayWa r.e. Wind announced the closing of tax equity with a Union Bank affiliate in May 2014.. BayWa r.e. Wind, LLC acquired the development rights in July 2013. This marks MIC’s first investment in wind power generation. BayWa r.e. will have a continuing role as asset manager for Brahms. This is the third project BayWa r.e. completed since the takeover and the fourth project will be completed later this year. BayWa r.e. was represented by Morrison & Foerster in the sale while Macquarie was represented by O’Melveny & Myers.
  • Enable Energy, a technology, product development and business strategy consulting firm focused on accelerating the deployment of leading-edge solar technology, has announced the availability of Avanza,a versatile pitched-roof solar racking system. Avanza is the second product launched during the past month by Enable Energy for license to solar module and racking manufacturers. The first product, Solanté, is a flexible and robust system for commercial solar module installations.
Bioenergy Bytes

Aemetis’ Biodiesel Gains EPA, EU Approvals

John Davis

aemetislogo1A California-based company making biodiesel in India has gained important approvals from the U.S. government and the European Union. This news release from Aemetis, Inc. says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved issuance of D4 Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) for Aemetis’ imported biodiesel produced from waste fats and oils (WFO) at Aemetis’ 50 million gallon per year plant on the East Coast of India, as well as the EU certification.

The superior quality and low carbon intensity biodiesel produced at the Aemetis India plant has recently earned [the EU’s] International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) Category 2 certification. With the recent construction and commissioning of a biodiesel distillation column at the India plant, the company is producing a colorless biodiesel with 99.5% esters and nearly no monoglycerides, water or other contaminants. Aemetis biodiesel has met and exceeds all D6751 biodiesel specifications, allowing for use in all diesel engines.

“Receiving ISCC Category 2 and EPA certifications are great steps in ramping up India to full capacity with the capability to grow and implement new technologies,” said Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis. “After the successful installation of the India plant distillation unit, in June Aemetis made its first shipment of Category 2 biodiesel to customers in the E.U.” added McAfee.

Aemetis’ India plant is able to make biodiesel from a wide variety of feedstocks.

Biodiesel, EPA, International, RINS

Biodiesel, Hydrogen Studies Continue Despite Setback

John Davis

scstateA school in the southeast will continue its studies into biodiesel and hydrogen production, despite an academic setback. This story from the Orangeburg (SC) Times and Democrat says South Carolina State University was trying to get its multi-disciplinary study of energy accredited but was put on probation and denied approval of a new master’s in energy and environmental science program by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. But Dr. Kenneth Lewis, dean of the College of Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology, calls the decision a “minor setback,” and while the classes in the program scheduled for this fall won’t happen, the research the school does on biodiesel and hydrogen will go on.

Biodiesel from the cafeteria’s waste cooking oil has gone through various stages and is now at the point where it’s being tested, Lewis said.

“Right now we’re testing the fuel on small engines,” he said. But he’s looking at having the university’s vehicles operating on biodiesel produced at the center within three to five years. He noted that the lab can produce up to 40 gallons of fuel a day.

It’s a great advantage that the supplies for the process and that of the switchgrass/cow manure project [to make hydrogen] are practically free, according to Lewis.

“We can go to any farmer, any slaughterhouse and get the manure,” he said.

Lewis said that bacteria found in cow’s stomachs and manure break down cellulose in the switchgrass and produce hydrogen.

The school has also applied for a $300,000, three-year grant with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pay for the aquatic tanks and other supplies to grow algae to turn into biodiesel. Lewis is also looking at Jatropha for biodiesel production noting that South Carolina’s climate matches that of the plant’s native home, Mozambique.

algae, Biodiesel, Hydrogen