New Biodiesel Mandate Pleases Canadian Farmers

John Davis

gfoThe new biodiesel requirement north of the border is pleasing farmers in that area. The trade group Grain Farmers of Ontario welcomed its province’s new 2 percent biodiesel mandate, expected to be a boon for soybean farmers.

“The creation of an Ontario Greener Diesel mandate will reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by the
transportation sector and will help build a market for made-in-Ontario soy biodiesel,” says Henry Van Ankum, Chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario. “Local fuel made from soybeans reduces greenhouse gas emission in vehicles up to 85 percent and the mandate will provide a potential market for 680,000 tonnes of soybeans.”

Creating new markets takes a commitment and collaboration between government and industry. “We were pleased we could work with our partners at the Ontario government and the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association to initiate this Greener Diesel mandate and grow this market for our Ontario farmers,” added Van Ankum.

The mandate started at 2 percent this week and moves up to 4 percent in 2017. It’s expected to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 280,000 cars per year off the road.

Biodiesel, International

Biodiesel Tax Incentive Moves Out of Committee

John Davis

cap pic1A measure that would renew the federal $1-per-gallon biodiesel tax incentive has cleared a congressional committee. The credit, which expired at the end of 2013, passed the Senate Finance Committee as part of a package of tax provisions. The news was welcomed by the National Biodiesel Board, which still appeared miffed it expired in the first place, as Congress let happen in 2010 and 2012.

“This is the third time in five years that the biodiesel incentive has lapsed, making it incredibly difficult for biodiesel businesses to plan for expansion or build infrastructure,” said Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board, the industry trade association. “We applaud the Senate Finance Committee for taking the first step toward extending it and urge the House and Senate to continue the committee’s bipartisan work by acting quickly to extend this credit so the biodiesel industry can get back to work.”

“The U.S. biodiesel industry has plants in almost every state in the country, and this tax incentive is something Congress can pass today to stimulate growth and economic activity at all of them,” Steckel added. “This incentive is a job creator, and it also pays tremendous dividends in terms of reducing harmful emissions and strengthening our energy security.”

The measure calls for the incentive to be restored retroactively back to Jan. 1, 2014, and extended through the end of 2015.

Biodiesel, Government, Legislation, NBB

SheerWind Commissions Pilot Project in Dubai

Joanna Schroeder

SheerWind Inc., had commissioned a pilot project at Dubai Aluminium PJSC (DUBAL). The 250kW INVELOX wind power generation pilot project will help sustainably offset the company’s carbon emissions.

SheerWind-INVELOX-Demo3“We are very pleased to be the pioneer in this innovative pilot project in the GCC, especially as the project will contribute measurably to environmental conservation,” said DUBAL’s Tayeb Al Awadhi. “As a responsible corporate citizen, we are committed to sustainable principles. Moreover, the project is closely aligned with our corporate emphasis on continuous improvement through innovation.”

According to Sheerwind, its INVELOX technology offers high-performance, cost-efficient wind energy. When compared to average wind turbine technology:

  • Produces 600% more electrical energy (kWh)
  • Operates at wind speeds as low as 1 mile per hour
  • Reduces installation capital cost to less that $750 per KW
  • 90% less land use than traditional wind power generation utilities
  • Increases energy production capacity to record high of 72%
  • No harm to humans, animals, or flying creatures

Steve Hill, COO of SheerWind, added, “This installation is very exciting for SheerWind. We see this as the beginning of a great partnership with a company that is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and finding ways to make a difference globally. This partnership will assist in SheerWind’s mission to provide affordable, clean, electrical energy to anyone—anywhere.”

Electricity, International, Renewable Energy, Wind

Oil Spills & Contaminated Gas – Ethanol Takes On API

Joanna Schroeder

RFA_GrowthEnergy_Dear_Oil_AdA recent edition of the New York Times and Politico have published what the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy are calling “good-humored, but factual takedown of Big Oil’s false, hypocritical attacks against clean, renewable ethanol”.

In response to American Petroleum Institute’s (API) current national anti-biofuel campaign, the two ethanol associations have published an ad that is an open letter to Jack Gerard, API president in Politico and all DC editions of the New York Times.

Dinneen and Buis write, “Despite the millions of dollars your industry has spent on bogus TV ads, there hasn’t been a single reported case of engine damage from ethanol blended fuels like E15. But last week, Exxon admitted selling customers in Louisiana more than 5 million gallons of oil-based gasoline that was so bad that it’s been stopping cars dead in their tracks. In fact, one auto shop reported 40 or 50 customers who had trouble starting their engines as a result of Exxon’s contaminated gas. That’s 40 or 50 more cases of engine problems than have been reported in the entire country from E15, and that’s just one shop in Baton Rouge!”

With summer around the corner consumers are getting their boats ready for the waters and API has taken the opportunity to run ads about boats not being able to use E15 or other higher blends of ethanol. However, what API does not acknowledge is that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not approve E15 for small engines or boats.

Going directly at the current API boat ads, the open letter continues, “While your ads are misleading people about the impact of ethanol on marine engines, boats in Houston are in dry dock because of your oil spill! In fact, that one company has been fined for 77 different oil spills since 2008, which means they have averaged more than one oil spill per month for the last six years. That’s a lot of boaters impacted by oil spills, Jack.”

The open letter is summed up in one simple closing thought, “You see, Jack, the real environmental peril is oil, not renewable fuels like ethanol.”

biofuels, Ethanol, Growth Energy, Oil, RFA

PERC Recognizes Top Clean Cities Coalitions

Joanna Schroeder

Five Clean Cities Coalitions were awarded with the first ever Outstanding Propane Supporter awards at the Energy Independence Summit in Washington, D.C. by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). The award recipients included Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, Greater Indiana Clean Cities Coalition, Clean Fuels Ohio, Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities, and Virginia Clean Cities. They were given the award in recognition of Propane-Council logotheir promotion of the use of propane autogas and other alternative fuels through grants, training programs, and community outreach. Their support of clean, American-made propane autogas has led to major adoptions of propane autogas vehicles in their states and across the U.S.

“For 20 years, Clean Cities has built partnerships with local and statewide organizations to encourage the adoption of alternative fuels and new transportation technology,” PERC President and CEO Roy Willis said. “Our Outstanding Propane Supporter award winners are examples of how public and private partnerships in the transportation sector are creating a cleaner future for fleets and communities nationwide.”

About the award winners:

  • Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition works with a large number of propane stakeholders, including propane retailers AmeriGas, Blossman Gas, Ferrellgas, and Heritage Propane in addition to the Alabama Propane Gas Association and propane vehicle manufacturer Roush CleanTech. They also promote propane vehicles on their website by listing applicable vehicle purchase incentives.
  • Greater Indiana Clean Cities Coalition managed a Recovery Act grant that has put more than 1,300 propane vehicles on the road in Indiana to date. The coalition also helped facilitate the construction of 120 alternative fueling stations in partnership with eight other project partners, and has secured more than $22 million in federal and state grants since 2002 for coalition member projects.
  • Clean Fuels Ohio helps organize the state’s Energy Independence Day event and actively promotes the use of alternative fuel vehicles. They’re also working on a $16 million project that would provide funding for conversions and infrastructure.
  • Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities is a major participant in organizing the Texas Alt Car Expo and helps fleets identify and obtain Texas grant funding for conversions. The group also works with the Texas Department of Transportation, Dallas County Schools, the City of Fort Worth, and other fleet managers on new vehicle purchases and training.
  • Virginia Clean Cities manages a Recovery Act grant to convert more than 1,200 vehicles to propane autogas. The coalition created a propane subcommittee and hosts frequent webinars and events promoting propane autogas.
Alternative energy, Propane

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFMillions of California households will see a Climate Credit averaging $35 dollars on their April utility bill. The California Public Utilities Commission and California Air Resources Board said the Climate Credit is made to households and small businesses to promote a cleaner and more efficient energy California. The goal of the credit is to encourage consumers to save money while fighting climate change.
  • Ocean Electric, Inc. a developer of marine-based alternative energy solutions, received notification from the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office that its application for international patent PCT/ES2013/070911 will be processed. The patent, titled “Power Plant for the Generation of Electrical Energy from Waves,” protects the company’s core innovation: a low-cost, floating platform that converts wave action directly into electricity. The company says this patented technology represents a major clean energy opportunity, decreasing the cost of owning and deploying wave-generated electricity plants and making the ocean a more practical source of renewable electricity.
  • Data from satellite sensors show that during the Northern Hemisphere’s growing season, the Midwest region of the United States boasts more photosynthetic activity than any other spot on Earth, according to NASA and university scientists. According to co-author Christian Frankenberg of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., “The paper shows that fluorescence is a much better proxy for agricultural productivity than anything we’ve had before. This can go a long way regarding monitoring – and maybe even predicting – regional crop yields.” The research found that during the Northern Hemisphere’s growing season, the U.S. Corn Belt “really stands out”.
  • The City of Lancaster has partnered with Green Charge Networks to install an intelligent energy storage system and an electric vehicle charging station at the Lancaster Museum of Art & History. Funded by a California Energy Commission grant, the system will be installed by private partner Green Charge Networks at no cost to the City. The project will generate an estimated $3,200 annually in cost savings. The energy storage system will be the first installed in the High Desert region of California. The electric vehicle (EV) charging station – specifically, a Nissan DC fast charger – will also be the first of its kind in the High Desert.
Bioenergy Bytes

Sustainability Ctr. Gets Springfield Biodiesel Refiner

John Davis

springboardbiodieselA maker of biodiesel equipment has donated a processor to a center dedicated to sustainable farming practices. California-based Springboard Biodiesel gave the Center for Sustainable Energy Farming (CfSEF), a nonprofit research organization, its industry-leading biodiesel processor.

The processor, a BioPro™ 380, is an appliance that converts a wide variety of vegetable and animal oils into premium-grade biodiesel. This fully automated biodiesel processor is capable of producing 100 gallons (or 380 liters) of biofuel every 48 hours.

Springboard’s CEO, Mark Roberts, said in a statement: “We are impressed by the research that CfSEF is doing into alternative non-food-based seed crops that can be economically grown and converted into renewable fuels. We are hopeful their research, specifically with Camelina and Jatropha, will be enhanced by Springboard Biodiesel’s equipment and that American farmers will continue to benefit from their findings.”

“The Center is very pleased to receive this donation from Springboard Biodiesel,” says CfSEF’s President & CEO, Richard Palmer. “We are planning to use this equipment to demonstrate the effectiveness of local farmers growing, processing and utilizing biodiesel on their own farms. This unit has the potential to help farmers achieve true sustainability by eliminating their need for diesel fuel to power their farming equipment. They can grow their own non-food-based energy crops, such as Camelina sativa and Jatropha curcas, and process it on-farm for their own use.”

Springboard Biodiesel is known for its small-scale biodiesel production equipment.

Biodiesel

Hemp-to-Biofuels Research Gets Green Light

John Davis

vote-hempA crop that has had an undeserved stigma attached to it could now become a source for biodiesel and ethanol. The recently passed and signed Farm Bill contains a provision that would allow hemp to be grown for research purposes, including making it into the green fuels.

“Hemp is a great crop for biodiesel, and we’ve already started experimenting with [cellulosic ethanol made from hemp],” explained Ben Droz with Vote Hemp, a group trying revitalize industrial hemp production in the U.S., at last week’s National Agriculture Day in Washington, D.C. He pointed out that hemp goes back a long ways in this country’s history, including being grown by the Founding Fathers and the founder of our modern automobile industry. “Henry Ford was actually doing research on hemp fuels and hemp biocomposites. And now today we are looking back to see if we can grow hemp once again.”

Ben said the Farm Bill defined industrial hemp, not to be confused with marijuana despite its similar appearance, as having 3/10 of a percent or less of THC – the active ingredient in the drug. Even if you smoked a hemp joint the size of a telephone pole, Ben said you still wouldn’t get high. But it’s only legal to do the research at universities and state ag departments in the 10 states where hemp is already legal to grow. He’s hoping that positive results in those locations will allow the effort to go nationwide.

“Those results will then encourage lawmakers to change the law so farmers can grow this profitable crop. There’s literally thousands of uses for hemp.”

Listen to all of Cindy’s conversation with Ben here: Interview with Ben Droz, Vote Hemp

2014 Ag Day Photo Album

Audio, biofuels, farm bill, Government, Legislation, Research

ASA Applauds Biodiesel Tax Credit in Package

John Davis

ASAlogo1Soybean growers are welcoming news of a couple of important measures moved forward in legislation for biodiesel. The American Soybean Association says a two-year extension of the dollar-per-gallon biodiesel tax incentive and a reinstatement of the pre-2014 expensing amounts for farm infrastructure and equipment under Section 179, both in the Senate Finance Committee Chairman’s Tax Extenders Package, are key issues for group’s members.

ASA First Vice President Wade Cowan, a farmer from Brownfield, Texas, issued the following statement on the committee’s proposal:

“The extension of the biodiesel tax credit is huge. Biodiesel blenders create a renewable and safe domestic energy source for our country and a valuable market for the soybean oil American farmers produce. The credit further encourages the development and sustained success of the biodiesel marketplace, and much credit goes to Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Hatch and specifically Sens. Grassley and Cantwell for recognizing the importance of the biodiesel tax incentive and including it in their proposal…

“The proposal’s Section 179 reinstatement is also important. This enables farmers and other small business owners to expense investments made in new technology, equipment and infrastructure in their operations. Given the land-based and capital-intensive nature of farming, not to mention the ever-advancing technology we need to farm sustainably and competitively, this program helps us to stay on the cutting edge of our industry.”

Cowan also pointed out the biodiesel industry has been operating without the credit since the end of the fiscal year in September and called on the full committee to take up the measures quickly and move them on to the full Senate and House for final approval.

Biodiesel, Government, Legislation, Soybeans

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFFiberight LLC has moved a step closer to constructing a $15-million facility designed to grab the organic material in garbage to convert into ethanol coined “trashahol,” at the company’s ethanol plant now being renovated in Blairstown, Iowa. The Marion City Council agreed to provide the Maryland-based firm with an economic-development incentive worth up to $850,000 to help it build its 50,000-square-foot facility in Marion’s “eco-industrial” park. The money will come from new property taxes generated from Fiberight’s investment, a common economic-development incentive called tax increment financing or TIF.
  • Canadian Solar Inc. has announced that The Manufacturer’s Life Insurance Company has agreed to provide approximately C$50.5 million in construction and term financing to Canadian Solar for the Company’s Mighty Solar power project located in Ontario, Canada. The Mighty Solar project will be acquired by Concord Green Energy Inc. after Commercial Operation. Bowmont Capital and Advisory acted as the Financial Advisor to Concord. Construction of the 10 MW (AC) Mighty Solar power project commenced and connection is expected in Q2 2014.
  • Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. has announced the closing of the acquisition of the remaining 40% of the 400 MW wind power portfolio in the United States from Gamesa Wind US, LLC for total consideration of approximately US$115 million.
  • EverStream Energy Capital Management LLC has announced that a group of investors, led by EverStream and Claro y Asociados and including SunEdison, has recently closed on the 50.7 MWp solar power plant (known as “San Andres”) located in the Atacama Region of Chile, near the city of Copiapo. SunEdison developed the San Andres project, which reached commercial operation on March 14th, 2014, and will retain a partial equity position. It is the largest merchant solar power plant in Latin America and one of the largest such plants in the world.
Bioenergy Bytes