ZimmCast on Clean and Renewable Fuels

Cindy Zimmerman

ZimmCastThe push for everything to be more carbon neutral and sustainable has never been stronger, and that continues to increase the demand for clean and renewable fuels.

Clean Fuels Alliance America and the Renewable Fuels Association have both held their annual conferences this year to focus on the challenges and opportunities for the U.S. biofuels industry. The Clean Fuels Conference was held in Fort Worth and the National Ethanol Conference took place in San Diego.

This episode of the ZimmCast includes comments from leaders of both organizations, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and representatives from the two major players in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry – Gevo and LanzaJet.

Listen to the episode here:ZimmCast 726 - Clean and Renewable Fuels (22:25)

That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

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Audio, aviation biofuels, Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance, Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Ethanol Volumes Up in 2023, Blend Rate Hit Record

Cindy Zimmerman

The latest data from the Energy Information Administration show that U.S. ethanol production and consumption rose nearly two percent in 2023 to reach their highest levels since 2019, while the blend rate hit a record 10.39 percent, pushing further above the hypothetical 10-percent “blend wall,” according to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA).

Once again, the ethanol blend rate exceeded 10% each month, twice approaching 10.70 percent. This progress is the result of continued expansion in the number of retail stations offering E15, a blend containing 15% ethanol that is typically priced at a significant discount to regular unleaded gasoline, together with waivers by the Biden administration allowing E15 to be sold year-round. Additionally, EIA’s estimate of E85 sales hit a record high, as ethanol flex fuels such as E85 have been especially popular in California under the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

“It is clear from the data that drivers are choosing mid- and high-level blends of ethanol where those fuels are offered. While American consumers still face elevated prices for many basic necessities, ethanol saves them money at the pump,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper.

E15, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

GREET Model May be Announced at Classic

Cindy Zimmerman

A record number of attendees at the Commodity Classic today will hear from both USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and EPA Administrator Michael Regan in an unprecedented appearance that is expected to announce the updated GREET model that would allow corn-based ethanol to qualify as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) credits.

Mary Kay Thatcher, Federal Government and Industry Relations for Syngenta, says speculation is they will be bringing good news. “They both requested to be here so you have to believe that in an election year, you don’t bring bad news,” said Thatcher. “The speculation is that Administrator Regan will indeed announce something about the GREET model.”

However, Thatcher says it may take some time to figure out the details of the announcement. “I suspect it’s going to be so darn complex…it’s really going to take a few days to read the fine points.”

Listen to this interview with Thatcher and stay tuned for the news from Classic today.
Classic24 Mary Kay Thatcher, Syngenta 5:29

2024 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Audio, aviation biofuels, Commodity Classic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Syngenta

Ethanol Industry Partners for Progress

Cindy Zimmerman

L-R: Troy Bredenkamp, RFA; Lance West, API; Rick Gezelle, Toyota; Marykate O’Brien, Southwest Airlines; Doug Kantor, NACS; Harold Wolle, NCGA

Powered by Partnerships was the theme of the 2024 National Ethanol Conference last week in San Diego and the partners for the ethanol industry now include some brand new alliances and former adversaries.

The Partnering for Progress panel at the conference included representatives from the petroleum industry, car makers, airlines, convenience stores, and farmers.

Much of the conversation centered around lowering carbon intensity and being part of the sustainable aviation fuels market. “If we’re going to motivate farmers to produce low carbon corn, there has to be a financial incentive for them,” said National Corn Growers Association president Harold Wolle.

NCGA president and Minnesota farmer Harold Wolle

The highly anticipated revision of the GREET model that will determine the future for corn ethanol in SAF is expected to be announced March 1, as Wolle and thousands of corn growers are gathered this week in Houston for the Commodity Classic. “I want to see a model that accurately depicts what we’re doing on the farm,” said Wolle. “We need to be able to show that we have lower carbon intensity corn as a feedstock for ethanol and sustainable aviation fuel.”

In addition to Wolle, the panel included Lance West with the American Petroleum Institute, Rick Gezelle of Toyota, Marykate O’Brien with Southwest Airlines; and Doug Kantor, NACS. RFA Senior VP, Government & Public Affairs Troy Bredenkamp moderated the conversation.

NEC24 Partnering for Progress panel 1:00:14

NEC24 Interview with Harold Wolle, NCGA 5:20

2024 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Audio, aviation biofuels, Carbon, Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference, NCGA, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

ACE Submits Land Use Change Analysis to SAF Group

Cindy Zimmerman

Ron Alverson and Brian Jennings

In advance of the March 1 expectation for the modified GREET model to be announced, American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings sent a letter this week to members of the Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Interagency Working Group tasked with determining the changes.

Accompanying ACE’s letter was an analysis prepared by Ron Alverson of the ACE board of directors comparing modeled estimates of land use change (LUC) to what has occurred in the real world.

“As the much-anticipated deadline nears for 40B GREET for SAF, I stress the importance of GHG credits for climate-smart agriculture practices and a final methodology based on real-world observations of land use change instead of inflated assumptions generated from unreliable economic models,” Jennings wrote. “ACE believes carbon credits for climate-smart agriculture are essential because they incentivize on-farm practices which can reduce or even prevent land use change-related emissions.”

The ACE letter also references a recent USDA decision to provide $25 million for a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) led by ACE. The funding will help farmers adopt reduced tillage, nutrient management and cover crops on nearly 100,000 acres across 167 counties surrounding 13 ethanol facilities partnering with ACE in a 10-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

“Our USDA-RCPP project can help members of the Interagency Working Group minimize or even control land use change if you ensure GREET is used to provide carbon credits for climate-smart ag practices, not only for 40B, but also for the 45Z clean fuel production credit,” said Jennings.

ACE, aviation biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, SAF

Senate Introduces Ocean-Going Renewable Fuels Bill

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) this week introduced the Renewable Fuel for Ocean-Going Vessels Act to allow companies to preserve Renewable Identification Number credits (RINs) under the RFS program for renewable fuel, when the fuel for use is in ocean-going vessels.

The legislation designates renewable fuel used in ocean-going vessels as an “additional renewable fuel” (similar to jet fuel) under the Renewable Fuel Standard. This will enable biodiesel and renewable diesel producers to preserve Renewable Identification Number credits (RINs) in the RFS program, when the fuel is used in ocean-going shipping.

Clean Fuels Alliance America strongly supports the legislation, along with the Nebraska, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana Soybean Associations, and other groups seeking to increase use of low-carbon fuels and reduce carbon emissions in international shipping and travel.

“The international shipping industry is seeking to decarbonize and clean fuels like biodiesel and renewable diesel are available today to help,” said Kurt Kovarik, Vice President of Federal Affairs for Clean Fuels. “This commonsense legislation will enable biodiesel and renewable diesel producers to meet the low-carbon fuel demand from shipping companies operating on both coasts and the Great Lakes. It will open new markets to American clean fuel producers and their farmer partners.”

The RFS currently excludes “fuel used in ocean-going vessels” from the definition of transportation fuels and from refiners’ and blenders’ obligations. Refiners and blenders are currently required to retire RINs from any biodiesel and renewable diesel used in vessels with Class 3 engines operating in international waters, including the Great Lakes. In 2023, 6.8 million D4 RINs were retired under this rule.

Kovarik talked about the legislation, which has already been introduced in the House, during his policy update at the recent Clean Fuels Conference.
Clean Fuels Conference - Kurt Kovarik Remarks 8:52

Audio, Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance, renewable diesel

Southwest Invests $30 Million in LanzaJet SAF Growth

Cindy Zimmerman

Sustainable fuels technology company LanzaJet today announced a $30 million investment by Southwest Airlines for the development of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility and collaborate on the corn stover to ethanol technology company SAFFiRE Renewables.

LanzaJet plans to undertake project development efforts for the SAF production facility in the United States, with Southwest as the anchor SAF offtaker. The biorefinery is expected to utilize LanzaJet’s pioneering technology, which is capable of scaling production to the levels needed to decarbonize aviation through widely available and sustainable feedstock, emerging commercial residue-based feedstock solutions, and promising economics. LanzaJet will also support Southwest’s efforts to commercialize SAFFiRE’s technology that processes corn stover into ethanol.

​“The U.S. is an incredibly important market for us – it’s our home, where our technology originated and scaled, the site of our and the world’s first commercial ethanol-to-SAF plant, and an important opportunity to support the existing U.S. biofuels and ethanol industries with our leading ethanol-to-SAF technology,” said Jimmy Samartzis, Chief Executive Officer of LanzaJet. ​“The alignment of Southwest and LanzaJet is a powerful combination that has the potential to integrate the SAF value chain and to double-down on the US ethanol, aviation, and biofuel industries. Our work together will lead us closer to meeting aviation’s decarbonization goals by continuing to scale SAF production in the United States, while also tapping into the U.S. ethanol industry’s potential to catalyze the next generation of SAF production.”

The U.S. facility to be developed by LanzaJet is also intended to enable the opportunity to convert SAFFiRE’s cellulosic ethanol into SAF.

LanzaJet recently opened Freedom Pines Fuels – the world’s first commercial-scale ethanol-to-SAF plant, located in Soperton, Georgia, which serves as a blueprint for utilizing first-of-its-kind innovation to scale SAF production and enables LanzaJet’s aspiration for 1 billion gallons of SAF production by 2030.

Samartzis spoke just last week to the National Ethanol Conference – listen to his comments.
NEC24 Jimmy Samartzis, LanzaJet 19:36

2024 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Audio, aviation biofuels, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, SAF

Beth Calabotta Grant Winner Announced

Cindy Zimmerman

The Clean Fuels Alliance Foundation has awarded the Beth Calabotta Sustainable Education Grant to Pranab Adhikari.

Adhikari is currently pursuing a computer science degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also works as a data analyst intern at the City of Madison where he is involved in overseeing the implementation of initiatives such as the B100 biodiesel pilot programs actively contributing to the operation of almost 500 diesel assets on blends of B5, B20 and B100. This grant provides Adhikari the opportunity to attend this year’s Clean Fuels Sustainability Workshop where he will share his work with industry and scientific leaders in the field.

“The journey into biomass-based diesel is not just a career choice for me, it’s a personal commitment to environmental stewardship and the promotion of sustainable alternatives,” Adhikari wrote in his application. “My experience has taught me that the intersection of technology and alternative fuels is where innovation thrives, and it is this intersection that I aim to explore and contribute to in my future endeavors.”

The Beth Calabotta Sustainable Education Grant was established in 2018 to help deserving students interested in clean fuels, science and research. The grant honors scientist and past Foundation director Beth Calabotta whose legacy and dedication to biodiesel sustainability made a lasting impact on the industry.

Biodiesel, biofuels, biomass, Clean Fuels Alliance

B20 Club of Illinois Celebrates Ten Year Milestone

Cindy Zimmerman

The B20 Club of Illinois is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year with a new milestone in adoption of biodiesel with 110 million gallons of biodiesel blends of 20% and higher used by members in the state since 2014.

The B20 Club is an award-winning partnership between the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff program and the American Lung Association. It represents a diverse group of Illinois fleets, companies and organizations dedicated to cleaner air and more sustainable operations through production and use of biodiesel.

Starting with a handful of fleets in 2014, the B20 Club has since grown to 30-plus members, representing a cross section of the transportation industry. Fleet members represent municipalities, park districts, fuel suppliers, mass transit operators, trucking companies, utility companies, marine vessel operators, environmental companies and more. Affiliate members include not-for-profits, government agencies and other organizations that support B20 as a high-quality fuel source. Associate members encompass biodiesel producers and marketers.

“By fueling with biodiesel, our members have prevented significant levels of harmful pollutants from entering the air over the past ten years, including more than 123,000 pounds of particulate matter and 196,000 tons of carbon dioxide and equivalents (CO2e). That translates to an estimated $25 million in heath related savings and a carbon reduction equivalent to planting more than 3.3 million trees,” said Bailey Arnold, director of clean air initiatives at the Lung Association and program lead for the B20 Club of Illinois.

Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance, Soybeans

Ethanol Report on 29th NEC

Cindy Zimmerman

The 29th National Ethanol Conference held in San Diego California last week may go down as one of the best and most timely industry meetings ever, setting the stage for major decisions that hang in the balance this year, including year-round availability of E15 and a revised GREET model that will determine ethanol’s role in sustainable aviation fuel.

The Renewable Fuels Association was pleased to welcome USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to the NEC this year, as well as Doug McKalip, Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. This edition of the Ethanol Report includes comments from both of them, as well as RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper, RFA Chairman Erik Huschitt of Badger State Ethanol, Dr. Michael Wang with Argonne National Laboratory, and RFA Senior VP, Industry Relations & Market Development Robert White.

Ethanol Report 2-26-24 19:10

2024 National Ethanol Conference Virtual Newsroom

The Ethanol Report is a podcast about the latest news and information in the ethanol industry that has been sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association since 2008.

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Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, National Ethanol Conference, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA