Most Say Open Ag Data Alliance is Good Idea

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What do you think of the Open Ag Data Alliance?”

Over half of those who participated in this week’s poll thought the Open Ag Data Alliance (OADA) was a great idea. Even though many are for this new software project, there are many who are questioning it’s benefits and believe it is confusing. If the learning curve was easy, would more be for it?

Our poll results:

  • Great idea – 54%
  • Terrible idea – 16%
  • No idea what it is – 22%
  • Other – 8%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “How will you celebrate Ag Day?”

National Ag Day is Tuesday, March 25. The agriculture community will be taking part in festivities across the country to celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. Chuck and Cindy will be in Washington D.C. Chuck is covering the National Ag Day Activities and Cindy the American Coalition for Ethanol Biofuels Beltway March. Whether big or small, we can all do something to recognize the contributions of farmers and ranchers to our nation. What will you do?

ZimmPoll

Research Looks Into Water-Free Biodiesel Brewing

John Davis

waste-vegetable-oil-for-biodieselEfforts to make biodiesel production even more sustainable might get a boost from research into a water-free method of making the green fuel. This story from Biofuels Journal says researchers at the University of Porto in Portugal are looking at a way to eliminate the water normally used water to remove impurities to meet stringent quality standards.

Instead of water, researchers used catalysts to pre-treat and target impurities such as calcium ‘soaps’ in the biodiesel.

The impurities were then removed by absorption into resins or passing through ceramic membranes.

The researchers were able to produce good quality biodiesel from both virgin vegetable oil and, importantly, waste oils used for frying.

The new process could provide significant economic and environmental benefits compared to other more energy intensive water-based production methods.

The researchers believe that finding more water-free or less-water-consuming methods of making biofuels becomes more and more important as more of the world turns to the alternative fuels.

Biodiesel, International, Research

Biodiesel Bites Back… with a Gator CHOMP!

John Davis

gator-fuel-webWe’ve told you before about how researchers found a way to turn alligator fat into biodiesel. But this article in Biodiesel Magazine says new findings show a method using a supercritical methanol to make the scaly-sourced biodiesel even more efficiently.

Researchers reported on a novel method this week at the 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, to produce biodiesel from crude animal fats, including waste fat from alligators, using supercritical methanol in a flow reactor. “Conversion of animal fat to biodiesel has been around for some time, but the traditional biodiesel process generates significant quantities of solid waste,” said Thomas Junk with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. “Our new method creates hardly any such residues.” In an earlier study, Junk used alligator fat and a batch reactor, but for his new research, a flow reactor and supercritical methanol were used. “We set up a flow reactor, and the reaction converting alligator fat to biodiesel happened within a few minutes,” said Junk. “That’s important for commercial manufacturing, where you want to produce as much fuel as quickly as possible.”

The biggest advantage to using the supercritical method is that it doesn’t require a catalyst, which creates residue. In addition, the fat doesn’t have to be extracted and can be used in its raw form. That means while gator fat could be a viable feedstock, the researchers also see a bigger application for even more plentiful animals fats, such as chicken and beef, that might otherwise be dumped into a landfill.

Biodiesel, Research

An Energy Enthusiast Version of March Madness

Joanna Schroeder

March Madness is upon us. For those not living in the United States, it’s the two weeks where college men and women’s basketball teams battle it out on the court until the last team is standing and crowned champion. Now that the NCAA teams have been announced and the brackets determined, people are filling out their official tournament forms with hopes of also being the last one standing (this assures bragging rights for one year).

This year, the Americans United for Change has released its own version of March Madness: the 1st Annual Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Renewable Fuel Standard Elimination Tournament. Jeremy Funk, communications director, notes that there is only one possible upset in this tournament and its a long shot and that is the renewable energy industry coming out the victor. He says “everyone knows the fix is in at this tournament if the EPA ejects the RFS and guarantees victory for 1st seed team Big Oil over the 16th seed team, The American Consumers”.

tumblr_n2n687cBjP1ts83mmo1_1280The EPA is currently reviewing more than 100,000 comments submitted in response to its 2014 proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) – an energy policy designed to reduce the use of imported oil while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“Big Oil has been working the refs in Washington for decades, complaining they need billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, even when they’ve got $100 billion in profits on the scoreboard,” added Funk. “Now the oil industry has a full court press on Washington to once again rewrite the rules in their favor by ejecting the cleaner, cheaper renewable fuels competition from the game. Without a strong Renewable Fuel Standard promoting healthy competition, Big Oil would be free to give consumers the Bobby Knight treatment at the pump.”

He says he is confident that when the EPA’s referees review this call, they’ll see the RFS has been an incredible Cinderella Story for rural communities when it comes to creating jobs, income and opportunity.

Funk concluded, “They’ll see the RFS has meant our troops have has been playing stronger D by reducing our dependence on oil from unstable regions overseas. They’d see the RFS has been a slam dunk for innovations in cleaner burning, next generation renewable fuels to combat climate change. We’re confident in the end, the EPA will reverse this terrible call and make Big Oil play fair for a change.”

biofuels, Government, Legislation, Oil, RFS

Lockheed Martin Advances Tidal Energy

Joanna Schroeder

Lockheed Martin has signed a contract with global tidal energy company Atlantis Resources Ltd to optimize the design of Atlantis’ new 1.5 megawatt tidal turbine. The AR1500 is designed to facilitate operation in highly energetic tidal locations, and will be one of the largest single rotor turbines ever developed and will have active rotor pitch and full nacelle yaw rotation.

According to Lockheed Martin, the increased capability and integrated, advanced functionality will help bring commercial tidal energy to reality, and will initially support the MeyGen project in Scotland’s Pentland Firth and deployment in Canada’s Bay of Fundy. Once completed, the MeyGen LOCKHEED MARTIN AR1000project – the world’s largest tidal stream project under development and in development to contributed to the country’s 100 renewable energy goal– is expected to deliver up to 398 megawatts of power, enough energy to power 200,000 homes.

“By 2040, world energy demand is expected to dramatically increase,” said Tim Fuhr, director of ocean energy for Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems and Training business. “Lockheed Martin’s technology, development and expertise in ocean systems and global system integration skills will enable the AR1500 to use powerful tides to produce safe, clean renewable energy for homes and businesses around the world.”

Tidal turbines work like an underwater wind turbine. The tides’ ebb and flow force the blades to spin, which rotate the turbine and activate a generator that produces electricity. Tidal energy’s greatest advantage over other alternative energy sources, such as wind power and solar energy, is that it is almost entirely independent of the weather. The movement of the tides can be accurately forecast several years out.

“With us acquiring the MeyGen project, and receiving full consents to begin construction of the project’s first phase, it has been an amazing 12 months of growth for Atlantis,” said Tim Cornelius, chief executive officer of Atlantis Resources Ltd. “Our AR1500 development program with Lockheed Martin will ultimately deliver the rapidly growing tidal energy industry the most advanced, robust and powerful tidal turbine system available on the market.”

Last year, Lockheed Martin and Atlantis entered into an exclusive teaming partnership to develop technology, components and projects in the tidal power sector on a global basis.

Renewable Energy, water, Wind

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFEPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership is celebrating 10 years as a market-driven initiative that empowers businesses to move goods in the cleanest most energy-efficient way possible, saving businesses money while protecting public health and fighting climate change. Over the last 10 years, SmartWay has eliminated 51.6 million metric tons of carbon pollution, resulting in savings of more than120 million barrels of oil, and $16.8 billion in fuel costs.
  • The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has released the results of its 2014 Iowa Fourth Congressional District Candidate Renewable Fuels Survey, highlighting strong support for renewable fuels among the leading candidates: U.S. Rep. Steve King (R) and Jim Mowrer (D). The IRFA will continue to release candidate survey results for other races.
  • Vista Solar, a Santa Clara-based solar installer and SunPower Commercial Dealer, has received the SunPower “Commercial Regional Top Producer of the Year” award for its outstanding sales performance as a SunPower dealer in 2013.
  • The Alliance for Solar Choice has announced two new wins for rooftop solar in 2014 as the public continues to defeat attacks from anti-solar utilities, their national trade association Electric Institute (EEI), and the American Legislative Exchange Council. In Utah and the state of Washington, solar advocates preserved net metering with zero changes to this core rooftop solar policy.
Bioenergy Bytes

Maryland Offers $70K for Offshore Wind Development

Joanna Schroeder

Maryland state flagThe Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) has launched a grant program to support the development of offshore wind energy. The Market Entry Assistance Grant Program is the first program born of the Offshore Wind Business Development Fund. The fund is designed to help Maryland businesses become participants in the state’s offshore wind industry. MEA will issue grants to support the immediate rollout of emerging businesses’ products and services throughout the state. The grants will also facilitate development of business opportunities within the offshore wind sector.

According to Abigail Ross Hopper, director of MEA, “This ground-breaking program is the result of the Business Development Fund’s Advisory Committee’s recommendations which will aid in job creation and provide greater opportunities throughout the State for emerging businesses, including minority owned emerging businesses.”

Maryland emerging businesses who are ready to supply products and services in the offshore wind market can apply for grant funds. The monies are designed to reduce the costs associated with establishing commercial offshore wind sector exports. The program will provide two types of grant assistance: Administrative Costs Grants will be available to cover up to $25,000 for organizational needs; and Capital Equipment and Facility Upgrades Grants for amounts up to $500,000 will offer financial support for significant equipment investments.

“It is important that we support innovative Maryland businesses that seek a dominant position in the offshore wind supply chain with products that challenge the established European market,” added Hopper. “It is our hope that with MEA’s help these burgeoning companies will develop competencies and become invaluable assets to Maryland’s clean energy economy and the global offshore wind supply chain.”

offshore wind, Renewable Energy

German Biodiesel Sales Have Big Drop

John Davis

Sales of German biodiesel dropped dramatically last year. Germany’s Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP), an association that advocates for oil and protein crops in that country, says 300,000 fewer tonnes of biodiesel were produced in 2013, down from the previous five-year average of 2.5 million tonnes to just 2.2 million tonnes.
ufop318
UFOP has determined that the actual decline in vegetable methyl esters turns out to be much more dramatic because the data of the BAFA also includes the offset amount of hydrated vegetable oil (HVO) and biodiesel from waste oils. Assuming HVO sales as in the previous year (around 420,000 tonnes) and an estimated sale of up to 200,000 tonnes of biodiesel from waste oil, the actual sale of conventional biodiesel is only about 1.6 million tonnes.

The consumption statistics spell out the significance of pure fuel marketing in the years 2007 to 2008 and the total energy quota of 5.25 percent introduced in 2009 as well as its increase to 6.25 for the period 2010 to 2014. However, with the resolution for the Biofuel Quota Act having been passed as a clear indication of political will, the UFOP has criticised that volume balancing for compensation of the incremental reduction in the tax concession – biodiesel has been subject to full taxation since 2013 – will creep in due to the double apportionment of biofuels from waste oils and as a result of HVO imports.

Biodiesel, International

Celebrating Biodiesel Day Advocating for Green Fuel

John Davis

biodieselday1While yesterday was National Biodiesel Day, our friends at the National Biodiesel Board were not just cutting birthday cake. They were advocating on Capitol Hill for the green fuel. March 18th marks the 156th birthday of Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the engine that bears his name and a man who wanted it to run on peanut oil, not petroleum. The NBB’s governing board spent the day talking to lawmakers and taking part in meetings in Washington, D.C.

While hearing more about the NBB’s communications efforts, NBB Governing Board Member Tim Keaveney, HERO BX (shown to the right), reviews a selection of the several dozen letters to the editor published to date regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to cut drastically the amount of biodiesel required to be blended into the Nation’s fuel supply.

biodieselday2Meanwhile, in this picture on the left, NBB Governing Board members listen to representatives of Bingham McCutchen as they provide an update on litigation related to the RFS.

In a separate news release, while pointing out that the EPA is proposing 1.28 billion gallons of biodiesel to be blended – a sharp drop from last year’s record production in the biomass-based diesel of 1.8 billion gallons – NBB officials made another push for biodiesel.

“Nearly every product that ends up on a store shelf is dependent on diesel fuel to get it there. That heavy reliance on one fuel means our economy is directly linked to petroleum price swings. It’s in everyone’s best interest to have a choice in transportation fuel, and that’s where biodiesel – America’s first Advanced Biofuel – comes in,” said Joe Jobe, National Biodiesel Board CEO.

Biodiesel, NBB

Iowa Biodiesel Board Gets New Leader

Cindy Zimmerman

The new executive director for the Iowa Biodiesel Board started his new job on National Biodiesel Day.

ibb-kimberlyThe Iowa Biodiesel Board named Grant Kimberley, formally Iowa Soybean Association director of market development, as its new executive director. Kimberley succeeds Randy Olson, who accepted a position earlier this year with the U.S. Soybean Export Council.

Kimberly was pleased to start his job today on National Biodiesel Day. “Biodiesel has been a passion of mine for the last decade,” Kimberley said. “Since the early 2000s, I’ve seen tremendous growth and change in the biodiesel industry, hitting a record 1.8 billion gallons last year. I look forward to working more closely with all aspects of Iowa’s thriving biodiesel industry.”

The IBB’s mission is to promote the commercial success of biodiesel in Iowa. In this expanded role, Kimberley will develop and implement strategic plans for the organization, including critical policy efforts. His duties will include overseeing the day-to-day operation of the organization, and collaborating with the board for the future of the organization.

Biodiesel