Oberon Fuels Receives Biogas RFS Approval

Joanna Schroeder

Oberon Fuels has received approval as a renewable fuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its biogas-based dimethyl ether (DME) fuel. The company’s biogas-based DME is now eligible for high value D-Code 3 (cellulosic) and D-Code 5 (advanced) renewable identification numbers (RINs). The EPA determined that biogas-based DME produced from the Oberon process resulted in an approximate 68% reduction in greenhouse gases when compared to baseline diesel fuel.

Oberon Fuels logo“Less than a year after submitting our pathway petition, this biogas produced fuel was approved. We are excited to see the EPA continue to support innovative, new fuels and include Oberon’s DME under the Renewable Fuel Standard,” said Rebecca Boudreaux, Ph.D., president of Oberon Fuels.

According to Oberon co-founder and COO Elliot Hicks, DME is a simple fuel. It requires a simple diesel engine and has simple propane-like handling properties.

The EPA’s approval of biogas-based DME is the latest milestone for the growing DME industry. In February 2014, ASTM International, a globally recognized organization that develops technical standards, released a specification for DME as a fuel. ASTM D7901 provides guidance for fuel producers, engine and component suppliers, and infrastructure developers on DME purity, testing, safety, and handling.

Susan Alt, Volvo Group North America’s senior vice president of public affairs said of the approval, “The transportation industry, particularly the heavy-duty sector, now has another option under the RFS for a domestically produced, renewable fuel. Our customers are engaged in heavy-duty applications and need the power and torque of a diesel engine. Oberon’s DME offers that power without the need for the cryogenics or high compression associated with other diesel alternatives. We look forward to continuing our work with Oberon to demonstrate the benefits of this clean-burning, non-toxic diesel alternative for the heavy truck industry.”

While the approval of Oberon’s biogas-based DME introduces another renewable fuel option to the fuel supply, there are still nearly 40 other pending pathways for feedstocks, technologies and types of fuels that are still waiting approval from the EPA. This issue according to the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA), is stalling the introduction of additional renewable fuels it the marketplace and putting investors and entrepenuers on the sidelines rather then on the playing field.

“While the recent approval of a new dimethyl ether pathway will bring more gallons under the RFS, too many cutting edge technologies are still trapped in limbo, stuck in an EPA approval process that simply takes too long,” said Michael McAdams, ABFA President in response to EPA’s approval. “EPA must move quickly to determine the fate of these pending pathways. By delaying, EPA puts innovators on the sideline and removes potential sustainable gallons from being counted towards the Renewable Volume Obligation targets.”

advanced biofuels, EPA, RFS, RINS

Pennsylvania Biodiesel Plant to Re-Open

John Davis

pennsylvaniasealAfter being shuttered for the past three years, a biodiesel plant in Pennsylvania is looking at new life. This article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says Pennsylvania Biodiesel in Monaca, which had operated from 2007 through 2011, is poised to re-open, despite the uncertainty in the biodiesel market right now.

It’s not clear why Pennsylvania Biodiesel shut its doors in 2011. [Ed Vescovi, who ran the plant from 2007-2011,] said he doesn’t know if the plant was profitable, since financial information was kept under wraps by the former owner. He can tick off a list of variables that turned against the biodiesel industry at the time: the expiration of a 75-cent-per-gallon state tax credit given to biodiesel producers; a federal tax credit available some years and lapsed during others; and the state’s 2 percent biodiesel mandate that didn’t kick in until 2010.

“I believe the plant is a very good plant. I know that it makes good quality biodiesel. The issue is, is the biodiesel market a good, stable market?”

The market for biodiesel is entirely driven by state and federal mandates, which have been in flux.

Nationally, the Environmental Protection Agency through its renewable fuel standards, requires oil companies to blend biodiesel into their product or buy renewable fuel credits from others that do.

For the first time since the mandates went into effect in 2007, the EPA is considering lowering the biofuel thresholds in the face of incredible oil industry opposition. The agency still hasn’t said what the 2014 target should be and hasn’t settled on one for next year.

Another point of uncertainty is whether the federal $1-per-gallon federal blenders tax credit will be restored retroactively, if at all, after expiring at the end of 2013. Throw in European trade tariffs that have basically kept the American version of the green fuel out of Europe, and there might not be a lot of optimism. But Vescovi is giving a measured amount of trust that it will work out.

“I don’t think we’re going be millionaires on it,” he said. “But I think it can survive.”

Biodiesel

Schools Getting Smarter with Biodiesel

John Davis

schoolbusesStudents all across the country are back in classrooms this week, and biodiesel is providing a clean and smart way for them to get there. This article from the Durham (NC) News & Observer says school districts in Durham, Johnston and Pitt counties will run on biodiesel made from used cooking oil.

The three school systems are among the first to sign on to an alternative energy program called Biodiesel 4 Schools, which converts used cooking oil into biodiesel.

Dean Price, CEO and co-owner with Stephen Caldwell of the waste cooking oil company Green Circle North Carolina, started the program in 2012 in hopes of helping to boost the local economy.

“We’re trying to create a new industry in the Triangle, one that’s local in nature, agriculturally based and can be renewable,” Price said.

Price collects the oil from local restaurants, such as King’s Sandwich Shop in Durham. After passing through a filtering process at a plant in Benson, the oil is converted into biodiesel fuel by Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro.

“I think it’s a huge positive influence, and it’s right in line with a lot of things that are going on in Durham,” said T.J. McDermott, owner of King’s. “Durham is growing, and to be able to participate in a clean-burning fuel, that’s what we should all be doing.”

With more than 24 million children riding some 440,000 buses to and from school each day, the National Biodiesel Board says this is just one example of schools across the country that are helping their students breathe easier with clean-burning biodiesel.

Biodiesel

Project Liberty Opens Its Doors for Business

Joanna Schroeder

After years of hearing about the future of ethanol and Project LIBERTY, the first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant located in Emmetsburg, Iowa using corn stover and corn cobs is officially open for business and in production. The POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels project is a joint venture between POET and Royal DSM.

Project Liberty Grand OpeningProject LIBERTY, was formally opened in the presence of His Majesty Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Deputy Under Secretary Michael Knotek of the Department of Energy, Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa, other dignitaries and thousands of guests.

“Some have called cellulosic ethanol a ‘fantasy fuel,’ but today it becomes a reality,” said Jeff Broin, POET Founder and Executive Chairman. “With access now to new sources for energy, Project LIBERTY can be the first step in transforming our economy, our environment and our national security.”

The cellulosic ethanol facility converts baled corn cobs, leaves, husk and stalk into renewable fuel. The plant has now officially started up, processing its first batch of biomass into cellulosic ethanol and is moving forward toward continuous operation. At full capacity, it will convert 770 tons of biomass per day to produce ethanol at a rate of 20 million gallons per year, later ramping up to 25 million gallons per year.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during the event, “The Project LIBERTY opening demonstrates that America is ready for advanced renewable energy production. USDA invested to help bring this facility online because it is boosting America’s energy independence, cutting carbon pollution, and holds great promise for our domestic agriculture and energy industries. This facility has already created local jobs and opportunities for farmers, and it will continue to spur local investment and open the door for new technology and job growth across rural America. I congratulate the POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels team on their grand opening and for all they have done and the opportunities they will continue to create for farmers and rural communities.”
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advanced biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Renewable Energy

New Study: E15 Would Reduce Smog

Joanna Schroeder

According to a new study conducted by Life Cycle Associates, using E15 ethanol blends rather than regular gas will reduce cancer-causing pollutants and smog in Chicago’s air. The research examined and aggregated a wide range of research to assess changes in the emissions from E15 taChicago E15 logoilpipe and evaporative emissions, compared to regular gasoline. The following factors were considered for the study: ethanol blend composition; vehicle tailpipe emissions; storage and fueling with ethanol blends; changes in evaporative and exhaust emissions; human health impacts; ozone potential; and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions.

To determine how much E15 reduces the risk of cancer, the study looked at several cancer-causing pollutants found in vehicle exhaust and found that using E15 shows a projected reduction in cancer risk because the ethanol in E15 displaces carcinogens like benzene and 1,3 butadiene.

“The most significant changes from a change … to E15 include a reduction in cancer risk from vehicle exhaust and evaporative emissions, a reduction in the potential to form ozone or photochemical smog, and a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” the study reported.

The study found:

  • The renewable fuel in E15 displaces cancer causing emissions from gasoline, resulting in a net decrease in cancer risk of 6.6% compared to regular gas.
  • The smog forming potential from E15 is lower than in regular gas.
  • Using E15 gasoline with 15 percent ethanol results in a 1.5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to regular gasoline which contains 10% ethanol.

Adding ethanol also displaces gasoline components with higher smog forming potential, resulting in a lower smog forming potential for E15 blends than regular gasoline, according to the paper. In addition, the study reviewed extensive research on E15’s influence on greenhouse gas emissions, finding a reduction of 1.5 percent in E15 gasoline compared to regular, E10 gasoline. However, E15 has had difficulty gaining traction in the marketplace due to infrastructure challenges.

Those discoveries have significant implications for Chicago, which suffers from poor air quality and increased risk from disease-causing pollutants, particularly on the South Side. This study shows how the availability of E15 gasoline could help to solve those problems.

The report was supported by the Department of Energy (DOE), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), California Air Resources Board (CARB), Coordinating Research Council, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Illinois and several other institutions.

biofuels, E15, Environment, Ethanol, Research

SunShare Helps Students Learn with Free Solar

Joanna Schroeder

David Amster-Olszewski, founder of SunShare, Sally Sorte, principal of Academy 360 public charter school and Denver, Colorado Mayo Michael B. Hancock recently announced a new program to provide free solar energy to all families of children to attend the school.

Academy 360“We are grateful to SunShare for helping us bring green, sustainable solar energy to our families. Not only are we contributing to a healthy environment, but every dollar that is saved on electricity is a dollar that families can spend on healthier foods, after school programs, books for their home, and other essential family needs,” said Sorte.

Under the program announced today SunShare will provide free Community Solar energy from its Denver County Solar Garden. Groundbreaking on the Solar Garden is set for late this fall and families should begin seeing reductions in their bills by the early spring. In the coming months, SunShare employees will work with families to get them signed up so they can start receiving free solar energy as soon as the Solar Garden is online.

“I want to commend SunShare for being a good community member and creating this program for the families of Academy 360,” said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “Here in Denver, our goal is to create livable communities, and that means helping to provide the opportunities residents need to inject sustainable practices into their daily lives. With Community Solar, not only can more people enjoy the benefits of clean, renewable solar energy, they’ll see a reduction in their electricity bills as well.”

Amster-Olszewski added, “Through this donation, SunShare is honoring the spirit and intent of Colorado’s landmark Community Solar law, and we could not find a better partner than Academy 360. This school and the innovative learning program is changing education for all students, just as Community Solar is changing the future of energy.”

The school is also launching a fundraising program so that eventually all families could have their entire energy bill offset by free solar energy.

Education, Renewable Energy, Solar

Texas A&M Students Help African Villages with Solar

Joanna Schroeder

Three senior Mechanical Engineering students at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Bryan Hunt, Cody Collins, and Andrew Schippers recently returned from Hanga, Tanzania where they brainstormed ideas for several renewable resource projects including the use of solar energy foTexas AM students in Africar refrigeration, lighting, Internet and improving hydroelectric power. Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering Michael Cornachione is assisting the students with their projects.

“The idea behind using renewable energy is that it will provide electrical power without the community having to put any money into it once it is installed,” said Hunt. “Basically, we can install the renewable resource and walk away. In rural Africa, being able to provide someone with enough solar power to run a small light, a small fridge, or a small electric stove can make a real impact.”

Texas AM Africa ProjectBoth Hunt and Collins spent their time meeting with villagers and getting an up-close look at their energy needs. Schippers, who was not able travel, supported the team from campus by continuing to research other renewable resource and funding options.

“We realized quickly that it was going to be hard to secure funding to just go and collect data without having a specific project,” said Hunt. “Cody and I decided that we just did not want to pass up this opportunity.”

The next step for the team will be to put their ideas into action by selecting the best project to implement, creating a proposal, applying for grants, and finally, building, and testing their project. As of now, all three students are planning to return to Hanga by August 2015 to install their selected project.

“Many of the villagers do not have clean water, electricity, and cook with charcoal or wood,” said Cornachione. “The final project the students choose to build will have a direct impact on the welfare of the Hanga community by providing new energy resources and clean water in remote sections of the village. If this first project is successful, it can then be duplicated in other villages.”

International, Renewable Energy, Solar, water

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFTesla Motors’ plan to build a new 35 GWh lithium-ion cell production facility – dubbed the Gigafactory – for electric vehicles that will bring about only a modest reduction in battery costs, and create significant overcapacity, given likely sales of less than half the targeted 500,000, according to Lux Research. Tesla and its partner, Panasonic, will contribute about 45% and 35%, respectively, of the initial $4 billion required to build the Gigafactory, proposed to go on-stream in 2017. An analysis by Lux Research projects sales of only 240,000 cars in 2020, leading to razor-thin margins to Panasonic and 57% overcapacity.
  • Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC has announced that through a wholly-owned subsidiary it signed a definitive agreement to acquire a $880,000 solar portfolio with assets in Boulder, Broomfield, Denver and surrounding areas in Colorado. The Sunny Mountain Portfolio consists of rooftop and ground mount solar systems located on municipal, commercial and residential properties. Electricity produced by the Portfolio is sold under long term Power Purchase Agreements.
  • LG Electronics USA has joined forces with solar industry leader Borrego Solar Systems Inc. to expand the presence of LG’s high-efficiency solar modules in the U.S. commercial market. Under the agreement, LG will supply 24 megawatts (MW) of its popular Mono X series solar panels, led by the LG Mono X NeON modules, through 2015 to Borrego Solar, which will sell to the commercial sector as an LG preferred strategic commercial integrator in North America.
  • Vestas has received an order for 29 V100-2.0 MW turbines for a wind power project in Poland. The order was placed by EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN). The wind power plant is one of the largest in the Northwestern part of Poland and will be installed in the province of Lubuskie near Rzepin. The wind turbine delivery is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2015 with commissioning expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2015.
Bioenergy Bytes

Protec Fuel Expands E15, E85 in the South

Joanna Schroeder

Protect Fuel is working with retailers in the South and Southeast to open 28 E15 and E85 stations. The announcement marks the first phase of an introduction of E15 to cities including Atlanta, Georgia and Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, Texas. Florida and Virginia will also be on the target list.

protecfuel1“Because of the success of our retailers who have offered E85 in the past, our retail customers are asking us for E15,” said Todd Garner, CEO of Protec Fuel. “With our proven expertise in the field, it’s natural for us to help meet the demand of many convenience store retailers – large and small – who want to offer products different than their competitors. Further, this can aid in helping to meet the Renewable Fuel Standard [RFS] blend wall, after market concentration of E10,” Garner said.

E15 can be used in vehicles 2001 or newer while E85 can be used in any flex fuel vehicle. Protec Fuel provides ethanol blends to retailers as well as installs ethanol stations. The company currently supplies, either directly or through distribution partners, more than 200 E85 stations.

In response to the announcement, Tom Buis, Growth Energy CEO said, “Protec has listened to their customers and retailers, and has taken the initiative to offer higher ethanol blends that improve the environment, create jobs at home, and strengthen our energy and national security. Furthermore, Protec knows that by offering a homegrown, less expensive fuel they will continue to build a customer base by providing a choice and savings at the pump.”

“Bottom line – consumer demand for homegrown, high performance, low cost fuels cannot be ignored,” added Buis. “E15 continues to spread across the nation and Protec is a leader in a larger movement that will increase E15’s footprint across our nation, finally ending Big Oil’s stranglehold on the liquid fuels marketplace.”

biofuels, E15, E85, Growth Energy

Air Force Turning Waste into Synthetic Diesel

John Davis

synthetic-diesel1It takes a lot of energy to run the world’s most powerful military, and the U.S. military is looking at more non-petroleum options for its operations. This article from my favorite scientific blog, Armed with Science, talks about a method by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Advanced Power Technology Office (APTO) to turn synthetic gas (syngas), which could be collected from waste sites even at the most forward of bases, into synthetic diesel.

APTO utilized a company with extensive experience in the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis process. In this application, syngas is passed through a sealed reactor vessel over copper condenser tubes that are coated with a cobalt catalyst. Applying proper heat in the reactor causes a chemical reaction that results in synthetic diesel fuel. The fuel can be used in ground vehicles or diesel generators to create electricity for base operations.

The initial demonstration system, contained in a steel-framed skid for portabililty, produced less than one barrel of fuel per day. Further system refinements could increase the output, with the capability to improve to 10 barrels. Test results showed that the created fuel successfully operated a 20kW diesel generator.

The team created its own syngas supply through a methanol dissociation process, but APTO has other ongoing efforts to supply syngas through Waste to Energy systems that use biomass or municipal solid waste to create syngas.

Not only does this help ensure a fuel supply, but it also helps a base reduce its waste, while helping keep us less energy dependent on some parts of the world that might not be that friendly towards us.

Government, Waste-to-Energy