DuPont CEO Calls for Supporting RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

dupont-kullmanThe CEO of DuPont today called on Congress and the administration to preserve Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

In a keynote speech at the 11th Annual World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology, DuPont Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman said preserving the RFS would ensure regulatory stability for the renewable fuel industry and continue to encourage “private investment from companies like DuPont to create a sustainable bio-based economy.”

“Legislative and regulatory uncertainty has a direct impact on the growth of this industry,” Kullman said. “If the EPA issues an RFS rule with increasing biofuels volumes, supporting a stable regulatory environment, our industry can thrive.”

DuPont has invested heavily in the future of renewable fuels and will soon complete one of the world’s largest commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol biorefineries, set to open in Iowa later this year. DuPont committed over $200 million to the project, which will yield 30 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year, produced from corn stalks, leaves and cobs left in fields after harvest.

Kullman attended the BIO World Congress to accept the 2014 George Washington Carver Award, which each year honors one individual in the private sector, government or academia for leadership in using industrial biotechnology innovation.

advanced biofuels, BIO, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Five Reasons To Love the RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has created a new video that briefly and creatively outlines five major reasons why the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is good for America.

1. The RFS saves money – 50 cents to $1.50 per gallon last year
2. The RFS reduces oil imports – ethanol displaced $48 billion in imported oil last year
3. The RFS cuts greenhouse gas emissions – equivalent of taking 7.9 million cars off the road
4. The RFS creates jobs – 86,000 direct and 300,000 indirect jobs from ethanol
5. The RFS spurs investment and innovation – cellulosic ethanol is here today

What’s not to love? Watch and share.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, RFS

Boeing & Embraer Create Aviation Partnership

Joanna Schroeder

Boeing and Embraer S.A. have joined together to open a joint research center with the goal of advancing a sustainable aviation biofuel industry in Brazil. Under a memorandum of understanding, the two companies will perform joint biofuel research, as well as fund and coordinate research with Brazilian universities and other institutions. The research will focus on technologies that address gaps in a supply chain for sustainable aviation biofuel in Brazil, such as feedstock production and processing technologies. The companies’ biofuel research center will be located in Sao Jose dos Campos Technology Park.

“Boeing is working aggressively around the world to expand the supply of sustainable aviation biofuel and reduce aviation’s carbon emissions,” said Julie Felgar, managing director of Sao Jose dos Campos Technology ParkEnvironmental Strategy and Integration, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “With our joint biofuel research center, Boeing and Embraer are making a strong commitment toward a successful, sustainable aviation biofuel industry in Brazil.”

In 2013, Boeing, Embraer and the Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa of the State of Sao Paulo (FAPESP) completed an action plan – Flightpath to Aviation Biofuels in Brazil – that identified gaps in a potential biofuel supply chain. The joint research between Boeing and Embraer will help address those gaps. This joint center is the next phase of execution of the plan.

Mauro Kern, Executive Vice President, Engineering and Technology, Embraer, said of the new center, “Embraer is committed in supporting the development of sustainable biofuels for aviation and the joint efforts with Boeing will undoubtedly contribute to the company continuing to be in the forefront of research in this area. Brazil has tradition in the area of alternative fuels and enormous potential yet to be explored in bioenergy research.”

When produced sustainably, aviation biofuel emits 50 to 80 percent lower carbon emissions through its lifecycle than petroleum jet fuel. Globally, more than 1,500 passenger flights using biofuel have been conducted since the fuel was approved for use in 2011.

advanced biofuels, aviation biofuels, Brazil

Crystalline Module Manufacturers Outsource Trend

Joanna Schroeder

According to a new report from GlobalData, significant growth in market demand and attempts to reduce a number of costs are fueling a module production outsourcing trend among the world’s leading crystalline module manufacturers. Ankit Mathur, GlobalData’s Project Manager for Alternative Energy, said that out of the top crystalline module manufacturers – Yingli Green Energy, Trina Solar, Sharp Corporation, Canadian Solar and Jinko Solar – only the latter company and Trina Solar are able to utilize their own module production fabrication lines without the need for outsourcing.

silicon modulesMeanwhile, Mathur continued, the other companies, including Yingli Solar, have a less-than-68 percent factory utilization rate. However, these firms are still able to boast substantial module manufacturing under their own brand names by outsourcing their production to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partners.

“Sharp Corporation’s recent announcement that it will outsource its entire module production from 2014 signifies that most of the leading companies are taking the outsourcing route,” said Mathur. “This is due to a massive increase in global market demand, which is difficult for manufacturers to meet using their existing production capacity. Attempts to reduce other costs, such as logistics costs related to transporting modules from the factory to the customer, are also contributing factors.”

Until last year, key manufacturers could leverage upon plummeting silicon prices to reduce module production costs. However, the expected price recovery of polysilicon in 2014 will make it difficult to implement such reductions further. As a result, said Mathur, companies will either outsource their entire production capacity to OEMs, or produce a certain proportion of modules from their production lines and source the rest from OEM partners.

Renewable Energy, Research, Solar

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFAcross the nation, from Florida to Alaska, and in eight countries around the world, events will be held on Saturday, May 17, for the fifth annual “Hands Across the Sand and Land” event, to say no to dirty fossil fuel projects that endanger our local communities, and accelerate the shift to clean, renewable energy such as wind, solar and energy efficiency. The events are a strong show of support for clean energy at a time when a host of new dirty fuel proposals are under consideration. A complete list of events can be found here: www.handsacrossthesand.org.
  • Using the same proven technology that has made the Cushing Storage Report an industry standard for crude oil traders, Genscape has launched the New York Harbor (NYH) Product Storage Report. The new weekly report is available one day before the widely used EIA estimates are published. Currently, Genscape has identified a 90% correlation between the gasoline and distillate storage measurements in the NYH Product Storage Report and the EIA estimates for PADD 1B. In addition to aggregate storage levels, the Genscape report offers volumetric detail down to the tank level for a more specific, relevant, and complete data set.
  • Proposals to maintain the growing momentum behind renewable electricity investment in the UK, while continuing to deliver value for money for consumers, have been unveiled. The proposals are about ensuring the right balance of support for renewables and a smooth transition to the Government’s new Contracts for Difference. Proposals include: Consultation on changes to financial support for solar PV; Support for community energy projects under the Feed-in Tariffs Scheme; and Electricity Market Reform: Further consultation on allocation of Contracts for Difference Government response on allocation of Contracts for Difference.
  • Clean Energy Collective has announced that Next Step Living, the Boston-based provider of whole-home energy solutions, is an authorized agent to sell CEC’s community solar solutions to Massachusetts customers in WMECo and NGRID territories.
Bioenergy Bytes

Brazilian Mid-Level Ethanol Blends Beneficial

Joanna Schroeder

According to a recent report published in Nature Geoscience, when drivers in Sao Paulo switched from ethanol to pure gasoline, there was a 20 percent reduction in local ozone levels in urban areas. However, all gasoline in Brazil is blended with ethanol and upon further review, the report actually showed that using med-level ethanol blends (E25) ozone levels improved.

Steve Vander Griend, with Urban Air Initiative, explained how this is the case. Unlike in the United States, Brazil has two legal fuels: E25 (25 percent ethanol and 75 percent gasoline) and E100 (95 percent ethanol and 5 percent water), better known as hydrous ethanol. Nearly all vehicles sold in Brazil are flex fuel and can use any ethanol blend. Under Brazil’s model, drivers can “choose” their blend of ethanol from E25 up to E100 based on price.

Vander Griend explained that ozone emissions are highest with pure gasoline and also hydrous ethanol. However, emissions are reduced when you add ethanol to gasoline, aka a mid-level ethanol blend such as E15 or E30, blends sold in the U.S. This is why this study found that Brazil saw ozone emissions improve when drivers started using E25 instead of hydrous ethanol (E100). Therefore, said Vander Griend, the notable results of this study are that mid-level ethanol blends do in fact improve ozone emissions.

Sao Paulo gas stationWith 70 percent of Brazilian fuel being E25 during the time frame of this study, the study actually demonstrated Brazil has one of the cleanest burning fuels available, continued Vander Griend, and it also highlighted the value of mid-level ethanol blends.

So why are people being led to believe that ethanol is harmful to the environment? Vander Griend said because you can’t buy pure gasoline in Brazil, when authors refer to gasoline they are really referring to E25 making it appear that the authors studied pure gasoline versus ethanol and this is not the case. With reporters and others not digging into and understanding the study, they are ultimately mis-reporting the facts of the study, added Vander Griend.

The bottom line, said Vander Griend, is that mid-level blends of ethanol have been proven to decrease emissions, and if the U.S. is serious about taking the necessary steps to reduce harmful emissions, it is time that mid-level ethanol blends are offered to consumers.

“Not only will consumers benefit from the availability of a choice and savings at the pump, but when they choose the less expensive, homegrown fuel, they will also be decreasing harmful emissions that are detrimental to our children and future generations,” Vander Griend concluded.

blends, Brazil, Ethanol

Nanoparticles Key in Green Diesel Production

John Davis

Think small. No, really, really small. Okay, now think even smaller yet. If you’re not down to particles so small they have their own name, nanoparticles (because they are just a few BILLIONTHS of a yard in diameter), you might be missing the latest breakthrough that could be key in future green diesel production. This story from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory says researchers there have created a faster, cleaner refining technology that not only combines processes, it uses widely available materials to reduce costs.

Ames Laboratory scientists have developed a nanoparticle that is able to perform two processing functions at once for the production of green diesel, an alternative fuel created from the hydrogenation of oils from renewable feedstocks like algae.

The method is a departure from the established process of producing biodiesel, which is accomplished by reacting fats and oils with alcohols.

IgorSlowing1“Conventionally, when you are producing biodiesel from a feedstock that is rich in free fatty acids like microalgae oil, you must first separate the fatty acids that can ruin the effectiveness of the catalyst, and then you can perform the catalytic reactions that produce the fuel,” said Ames Lab scientist Igor Slowing. “By designing multifunctional nanoparticles and focusing on green diesel rather than biodiesel, we can combine multiple processes into one that is faster and cleaner.” Contrary to biodiesel, green diesel is produced by hydrogenation of fats and oils, and its chemical composition is very similar to that of petroleum-based diesel. Green diesel has many advantages over biodiesel, like being more stable and having a higher energy density.

More details about the process are available in the ACS Catalysis article, “Bifunctional Adsorbent-Catalytic Nanoparticles for the Refining of Renewable Feedstocks,” and the Journal of Catalysis article, “Supported Iron Nanoparticles for the Hydrodeoxygenationof Microalgal Oil to Green Diesel.”

green diesel, Research

Grants Support Research on Biodiesel Feedstock

John Davis

irajcanA Canadian researcher has received $2 million in grants to improve a main feedstock for biodiesel. This story from LabCanada.com says University of Guelph scientist Prof. Istvan Rajcan picked up more than $500,000 in the form of a Collaborative Research and Development Grant by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and another $1.4 million Collaborative Research and Development Grant by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance (CFCRA).

“These substantial grants reflect Istvan’s success as a researcher and the impact of his work on the agri-food industry,” said John Livernois, interim vice-president (research).

Dr. Rajcan uses state-of-the-art technology to pinpoint genetic markers for producing improved soybean varieties.

“We are intent on helping farmers in Canada get access to high-performing soybean varieties, and taking a scientific approach to doing that,” he said.

“We aim to use the latest technology to help develop innovative soybean varieties that meet the needs of various producers and industries, both domestically and internationally,” said Dr. Rajcan.

His team of researchers is also looking at advanced genomic technologies to study how breeding has changed the soybean genome.

Biodiesel, Research, Soybeans

PowerBridgeNY Student Award Winners Announced

Joanna Schroeder

The first student winners of the PowerBridgeNY awards have been announced by New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. The recently established Proof-of-Concept Center aids clean energy ideas move from the laboratory to commercial product. These awards continue to support the development of New York’s cleantech economy to create jobs and businesses focused on emerging clean-energy technologies.

“New York is taking a leading role in supporting the development of cleantech products that are environmentally friendly, reduce energy use and increase reliability of the State’s energy systems,” said Governor Cuomo. “When the best and brightest cleantech researchers in New York State have the opportunity to collaborate with smart, experienced experts in the private sector, the result can be a powerful force for economic development resulting in a cleaner, greener, more sustainable state for future generations.”

cleaning-solar-panelsPowerBridgeNY was created by Columbia University and New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering, leading a consortium of public research institutions throughout the State, and is partially funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The winners, who were awarded up to $150,000, are working on products with the potential to reduce wastewater treatment costs, increase energy efficiency of solar panels, reduce electricity outages, decrease the cost of fuel cells, absorb carbon dioxide.

“The funding announced today will help these scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs move their innovative technology closer to market-readiness as they tackle technical clean-energy issues,” said John B. Rhodes, President and CEO, NYSERDA. “Thanks to Governor Cuomo’s support, the proof-of-concept centers are advancing cleantech innovation in New York State, growing new companies and commercializing the next generation of products that will help reduce the State’s energy use.”

Businesses were judged on the products’ technical potential, the potential appeal to investors and how the scientists could benefit by taking part in this program.Read More

Alternative energy, Clean Energy, Electric Vehicles, Solar

Reuters Story at Odds with Philly Energy Independence

Cindy Zimmerman

novo-phillyThe mayor of Philadelphia delivered a “Declaration of Energy Independence” today to recognize the city’s and region’s contributions to domestic energy and energy security. At the same time Reuters broke a story claiming that Philadelphia oil refinery connections were the main forces behind the Obama administration proposal to lower volume requirements for biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) this year.

Mayor Michael Nutter’s declaration proclamation was made at the request of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and Novozymes, marking the start of BIO’s World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology.

philly-energyAccording to the article, it was The Carlyle Group and Delta Air Lines, owners of two refineries in the Philadelphia area, that put the pressure on the administration to cut back on biofuels requirements by convincing policymakers that “the rising mandates would cripple their businesses and threaten thousands of jobs.”

The article claims that two Pennsylvania congressman were called on to take the refiners’ concerns about the RFS to the White House, and that in July and August of last year, “17 refiners and their allies visited the White House’s rulemaking arm, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to discuss the RFS. Only six biofuel supporters visited the OMB over the same time.” Reuters even produced a graphic to illustrate the comparison between visits by oil and ethanol lobbying interests last year.

Read the story here.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Oil, RFS