Members of Iowa’s biodiesel industry hosted Congressman Bruce Braley (IA-01) at the REG Mason City biodiesel plant. The plant is one of 12 in the state hanging in the balance as they await the Obama Administration’s final Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2014. The current RFS proposal would set biodiesel volumes at 1.28 billion gallons, a sharp cut from last year’s actual production of nearly 1.8 billion gallons. REG bought the 30-million gallon per year nameplate capacity facility in 2013, and began a $20 million upgrade of the plant shortly after restarting it.- Growth Energy has welcomed Vireol Bio Energy LLC as its newest member, bringing total plant membership to 84, with another 85 associate members. Vireol Bio Energy is based in Hopewell, Va.
- Microgrids are among the most promising tools of modern distribution networks due to their versatility. In North American Microgrids 2014, GTM Research describes the North American microgrid market including a forecast through 2017 and competitive positioning of key vendors, as well as market drivers and barriers that shape the current and emerging microgrid landscape.
- Pattern Energy Group has announced the acquisition of AEI’s 38.5% net ownership interest in the El Arrayan Wind project. The project, which was completed earlier this month and is now fully operational, is located approximately 400 km north of Santiago on the coast of Chile. At 115 megawatts (MW), El Arrayan Wind is the largest wind power facility in Chile and all of South America. The transaction increases Pattern Energy’s ownership in El Arrayan Wind to 70% with Antofagasta Minerals SA owning the remaining 30% minority stake.
UK Company Offering 100% Biodiesel Marine Motor
A company in the United Kingdom is carrying a line of marine motors able to run on 100 percent biodiesel. Mermaid Marine says it has the Citius series of heavy duty engines from AGCO SISU Power, which is unique in being the only common rail engine available and is approved to run on pure biodiesel with no compromise in performance.
“The importance of biodiesel is continuously increasing with biodiesel such as rapeseed accepted as an alternative fuel for use in engines,” explained Mermaid Marine sales executive Julian Osborne. “The fuel – either 100% biodiesel alone, or in any mixture ratio with diesel fuel according to EN 590 or ASTM D975, can be used in all the engines which are equipped with a mechanic or electronically controlled injection pump.”
AGCO SISU Power, formerly Sisu Diesel, was originally founded in 1942 and since then has produced engines known for their quality and reliability. The engines are built at the company’s main factory in Finland and comply with IMO 2 emission regulations and are future proofed for the forthcoming IMO 3 legislation.
Direct injection technology, crossflow cylinder head, centrally supported cylinder liners – unique in engines of this size – and advanced turbocharger technology have been everyday features in SisuDiesel engines for decades.
The engines have been designed for reliability, low operating costs and easy servicing. Classic, sturdy basic construction is combined with new generation control electronics and modern injection system, producing an engine that meets even the most demanding user needs.
You can get the engines in four and six cylinder versions from 130hp to 410hp. Mermaid Marine says they are designed for extreme conditions from blistering equatorial heat to the harsh winters of Northern Europe.
Biodiesel Helps Fuel Monsanto’s Profits
The world’s biggest agriculture company says it will double its profits by the year 2019, and it’s crediting biodiesel, at least indirectly and in part, for that growth. This article in the Globe and Mail says Monsanto is cashing in on the growth in soybeans, which is being helped by biodiesel growth.
Sales in Monsanto’s soybean business rose by 24 per cent to $816-million in the third quarter, and corn revenue fell by 16 per cent. “I think corn had a good year, not a great year. [Soy]beans picked up a lot of the slack,” said [Monsanto chief executive officer Hugh] Grant, who is forecasting “the decade of the soybean.”
U.S. prices for soybean meal in the United States have risen by 48 per cent since the beginning of 2012, driven by rising production of biodiesel and growing demand from livestock producers. Soybean meal has become a popular and inexpensive source of protein for farm animals – especially pigs. Chinese hog producers, scrambling to meet rising demand for pork, have been among the biggest buyers of the U.S.-grown soy.
Farmers have responded to the new demand. Canadian growers expected to seed a record 5.3 million acres of soybeans this year, up more than 16 per cent over 2013, according Statistics Canada. In the United States, growers planned to seed a record 81.5 million acres this year, a 6-per-cent increase over last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Monsanto also announced a share buyback worth $10 billion and raised its short-term profit outlook for 2014, which helped boost its shares by 5 per cent this week.
Ethanol Boat Races Ride Into Garnett
Love to race? Love to boat? Then consider attending the Garnett Ethanol Hydroplane Shootout in Garnett, Kansas July 12-13, 2014. The competition, sponsored by the National Boat Racing Association (NBRA, pits drivers of hydroplanes and roundabouts against each other. The race is sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), East Kansas Agri-Energy, and the Kansas Corn Commission. Admission is free and earplugs or noise reducing devices are suggested.
The NBRA, host of the event and representing more than 250 drivers in 30 states, has a long history of using E10. They broke speed records on the high-octane ethanol blend. According to Vernon Barfield, tech chairman and vice president of the NBRA, he has had no issues using E10 in their more than 20 years of racing. He has also won more than 35 national championships.
“The Garnett Ethanol Hydroplane Shootout is a popular, family-friendly event where people of all ages can enjoy high-stakes action while learning about the environmental benefits and high-octane power boost of ethanol-blended fuel,” said Robert White, RFA’s director of market development. “There is a lot of misinformation out there about ethanol’s impact on boats, but E10 is safe and approved for use in all marine engines. The Lake Garnett event gives us an opportunity to educate boat owners and non-boat owners, and set the record straight.”
Jeff Oestmann, president and CEO of East Kansas Agri-Energy, touted the race as a unique opportunity to highlight the benefits of ethanol. He noted, “It is exciting to see a national organization select Garnett for this event. It allows us to further promote the benefits of ethanol, not only in marine engines, but in all engines. We are proud to be a sponsor, and look forward to the races.”
E10 (10 percent ethanol, 90 percent gasoline) is approved for use in marine engines, including two-stroke powered engines, motorboats, outboard motors, and inboard motors. However, E15 (15 percent ethanol) is not approved for use in marine engines. Boat owners should always follow the 
manufacturer’s recommendations, check the owner’s manual before filling their engine with fuel, and read labeling at the pump.
Popular names in boating have embraced the use of ethanol. The NBRA uses E10 in all two-stroke motor races. Additionally, respected names in marine motor manufacturing allow ethanol blended fuel in their engines, including Honda, Kawasaki, Mercury Marine, OMC (Johnson/Evinrude), Pleasurecraft, Tigershark (Artco), Tracker and Yamaha.
Greg Krissek, head of the Kansas Corn Commission, added, “The Garnett Ethanol Hydroplane Shootout is a great opportunity to spotlight Kansas agriculture and ethanol. We are excited to sponsor this year’s race and hope everyone will join us to cheer on the competitors.”
RFA staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide education on ethanol use in marine engines. Additionally, RFA’s “Fueled with Pride” logo will be displayed on uniforms, course buoys and flags, t-shirts sold at the races by NBRA, trophies, near refueling areas of all boats, and on signs placed throughout the viewing area.
Murphy USA Offering E15, E85 in Indianola, IA
Murphy USA is now offering E15 and E85 in Indianola, Iowa location. This station is the first one to begin selling the ethanol fuel blends in Iowa, with six more locations coming online over the next few months. By the end of the summer, E15 and E85 will be available at Murphy USA locations in Clinton, Davenport, Fort Dodge, Mason City, Newton, and Sioux City, Iowa. Murphy USA made a major announcement several months ago that it would begin offering E15 and higher level ethanol blends to consumers at its retail stations throughout the country.
“We are very proud Murphy USA chose to expand its offerings of cleaner-burning ethanol blends in Iowa,” said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Managing Director Lucy Norton. “There is strong collaboration in Iowa for servicing the E15 market, making it an ideal place to offer E15 at multiple locations. When the conversion is complete, motorists in seven large Iowa cities will have easy access to lower-cost, more locally-produced ethanol blends.”
In accordance with summertime fuel regulations, E15 will only be sold to flex-fuel vehicles throughout the summer driving season at Murphy USA locations. In mid-September, E15 will be available to all consumers driving 2001 and or newer vehicle. In addition, Iowa motorists will soon have greater access to biodiesel at Murphy USA’s Clinton, Davenport, Fort Dodge, Mason City, and Sioux City locations.
“We’re happy to see a major retailer like Murphy USA move their E15 and E85 efforts into Iowa,” added Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Director of Market Development Robert White. “This should demonstrate to others that the business case for these fuels exists, and that more chains will follow Murphy USA’s lead.”
The Murphy USA Indianola fueling site is located at 1502 N. Jefferson Street. Of Murphy USA’s 1,200 stations in 23 states, the Indianola location will be the second Murphy USA station to offer E15, and the third Murphy USA station to offer E85. In addition to higher ethanol blends, Murphy USA’s Iowa locations will offer three grades of gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol.
Windiga Energy to Become Indepedent Solar Producer
Burkina Faso, located in Africa, is going solar. Windiga Energy will become the first independent solar energy producer in the country with the signing of an investment support agreement. The company has selected Siemens Energy Smart Generation Solutions to build and operate the 20MW photovoltaic power plant to be located in Zina, in the Mouhoun province. The solar power system is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2015 and will be the largest PV power facility in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Honourable Edward Fast, Canada’s Minister of International Trade who was in Burkina Faso as part of a trade mission to Africa congratulated Windiga for the signing of the historic agreement saying, “This US $50 million project will help to meet the country’s electricity needs.”
The electricity will sold to the National Electric Company of Burkina (SONABEL) through a 25 year power purchase agreement. Funding for the project includes monies from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Frontier Markets Fund Managers and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund.
“We are very pleased with the support that we received from both the Governments of Burkina Faso and Canada allowing us to conclude this strategic agreement that will bring about the construction of a major renewable energy project and the launch of the solar energy industry in Burkina Faso,” said Benoit La Salle, president and CEO, Windiga Energy. “This power plant will also contribute to the economic development of the region, employing about 150 Burkinabé workers during the construction phase.”
La Salle added, “The strong support and commitment of our employees, our African colleagues and our legal advisors, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, were key to the success of this historic agreement.”
CGI America Launches Feed-Out Program
The world is about to see the first market-based, fixed-price funding program for solar and renewable technologies through a Feed-Out Program. The program, the brain-child of the Clinton Global Initiative America (CGI America) and Demeter Power Group, has a goal of helping modernize the nation’s power grid with distributed energy.
“The Feed-Out Program will bring together independent power producers and financiers to enable the lowest-cost, fixed-price offering for renewable energy,” said Michael Wallander, Demeter Power Group founder and president. “But unlike other similar ‘feed-in-tariff’ programs, the energy will be used on the customer-side of the meter.”
According to CGI, $1 trillion a year – a total of $36 trillion – is needed for investment in sustainable energy infrastructure to successfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions 50 percent by 2050. The Program will help tackle this challenge focusing primarily on funding for solar energy while also enabling cost-effective investment in energy storage, fuel cells and electrical vehicle car charging stations.
Yann Brandt, Demeter Co-Founder and EVP of Development noted, “What retail tenant or business owner would not want to save money on their energy bills while offering customers and employees the ability to shade their cars and power up with solar energy? We enable funding for solar-powered carports with electric vehicle charging stations at a net-negative cost to the customer.”
Demeter is contributing its finance mechanism – PACE3P – to help overcome credit-related challenges that have prevented scalable finance programs in the past. Demeter explained that PACE3P ties services fees to the buildings where the energy is used through a voluntary assessment on property tax bills.
Initially the Program will make financing available to commercial properties located in Northern California communities participating in the California FIRST property assessed clean energy (PACE) Program offered through the California Statewide Community Development Authority. Interested participants must register with Demeter to participate in the platform, which is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2015.
Biobased Products Important for Ag
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How important are biobased products for agriculture?”
An overwhelming majority of those polled believe biobased products serve a purpose in the agriculture community. At the USB Biobased Stakeholders Dialogue in Washington D.C., USDA officials shared what they are doing to expand biobased opportunities. Listen to those interviews here.
Our poll results:
Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Where are you in #hay14?”
The hay making process is a necessity for all raising livestock across the country. Many got an early start this year, yet others have had delay after delay because of Mother Nature. I was raised to never complain when it’s raining and after droughts the last couple of years I have learned to take all we can get. However, getting hay up on time and between spring showers has been hard for many farmers and ranchers. Have you finished your first cuttings or are you still in the heat of it? Join the hay making conversation on New Holland’s Facebook page and learn about their Roll-Belt app here.
BioEnergy Bytes
- China’s renewable energy capacity increased from 27.8 Gigawatts (GW) in 2001 to 183 GW in 2013, and alternative sources are expected to account for more than 20% of the country’s total electricity generation by 2020, says research and consulting firm GlobalData. “Asia-Pacific Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2014,” states that China’s emergence as a major player in the global renewable energy industry, and the leading country in the Asia-Pacific region, has been accelerated by a combination of government encouragement and market guidance.
- Avantha Group Company CG, along with the other consortium partners Fabricom and Iemants, has been selected by Van Oord, for the offshore wind project “Gemini” in the Netherlands. As part of the scope CG, will design, deliver and install 2 high voltage (HV) offshore substations and 1 HV onshore substation. The volume of the order for the consortium is in excess of €150Mn. CG’s scope covers approximately 30% of the overall contract. The project is expected to start in the second quarter of 2014 and to be completed in 2016.
- Ellomay Capital Ltd., an emerging operator in the renewable energy and energy infrastructure sector, has announced the execution by the Italian President of a decree presented by the Italian Government that will, if approved by the Italian Parliament, decrease the Feed-in-Tariff (“FiT”) guaranteed to existing photovoltaic plants with nominal capacity of more than 200 kW (the “Decree”). The Decree forms part of the Italian Government’s efforts to reduce electricity costs and has entered into force with its execution by the Italian President, but is subject to the approval of the Italian Parliament within a period of 60 days.
- OneRoof Energy Group, Inc., a complete solar services provider, has announced that Henry K. Yun, Ph.D. has joined OneRoof Energy’s board of directors. Yun is the Vice President of Corporate Planning for Hanwha Q Cells USA Corp. and brings a depth of global experience in scaling market-leading enterprises. In addition to being a member of the board, Yun will also be a member of the Governance, Nomination & Compensation Committee.
Biodiesel Feedstock Gets Approval as Cattle Feed
A new feedstock for biodiesel has gained approval as a feed for cattle. Agrisoma Biosciences Inc. announced that its meal from Carinata, or Ethiopian mustard, used in biodiesel production with their partner company PGF Biofuels Ltd., gained approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for use in feed for grower and finisher beef cattle in Canada.
Marketed under the brand name Resonance® Carinata, this industrial oilseed produces a high protein meal that can now be used as a source of protein in livestock feed. The CFIA’s approval, in conjunction with similar approvals in other international markets allows for Canadian Carinata meal sales and is an important part of the continued development for the Resonance Carinata value chain.
CFIA regulatory approval for cattle feed in Canada means that Resonance Carinata meal has been through rigorous animal safety and efficacy testing. In his research-based evaluation of the Carinata meal, Dr. John McKinnon, Professor at the University of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Beef Industry Chair, concluded that, “Carinata meal is relatively low in fibre and an excellent source of crude protein that is readily degradable by rumen bacteria. As such, this meal can be used effectively to meet the rumen degradable protein needs of growing cattle.”
“While the primary market for Resonance Carinata has always been renewable aviation and biodiesel fuels, the value of its high quality meal is an important part of Carinata’s overall market success,” said Mr. Andrew Paterson, Chief Executive Officer of PGF Biofuels. “With Resonance Carinata meal now approved by the CFIA, the market potential for this crop, and its related opportunity for growers, continues to expand.”
Agrisoma officials say being able to sell the Carinata meal adds value to all the products within the production chain.