Honolulu Port Moves to Portable Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Joanna Schroeder February 26, 2014

The Port of Honolulu is moving to portable hydrogen fuel cells by 2015. The move to the emerging technology comes on the heels of a 2013 study and analysis that confirmed the viability of hydrogen fuel cells to provide auxiliary power to docked or anchored ships. Hydrogen researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have joined with several partners in the project, which will result in a portable, self-contained hydrogen fuel cell unit that can float on a barge, sit on a dock or be transported to wherever it’s needed to provide electrical power.

The next phase of the fuel cell demonstration project led by Sandia National Laboratories will feature a portable, self-contained hydrogen fuel cell unit currently in the design phase. Once completed, it will be deployed to the Port of Honolulu by Young Brothers, Ltd., one of the project partners and a primary shipper of goods throughout the Hawaiian Islands. The unit is undergoing detailed engineering and design through mid-2014. After fabrication, assembly and training for Young Brothers operators, the hydrogen fuel cell unit will be operational during a six-month deployment in early 2015.

“No one has ever built this kind of custom unit for this purpose,” said Sandia’s project manager, Joe Pratt. The unit, he said, will fit inside a 20-foot shipping container and will consist of four 30-kilowatt fuel cells, a hydrogen storage system and power conversion equipment.

Ports have been a major source of water and air pollution in the U.S. but remained relatively unregulated until recent years. As ports have begun to expand and their impact on the environment has become more apparent, port operators face a variety of regulations. Many ports have begun to enact sustainability goals or adopt green practices, and that’s where fuel cells can play a role.

The Hawaii project is jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD).

Alternative energy, Hydrogen

RFS is Revitalizing Rural Iowa

Joanna Schroeder February 26, 2014

The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released its Preliminary 2012 Farm Census data and according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), it’s easy to see that increased in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) have revitalized rural Iowa.

The USDA data shows that since the increase in the RFS in 2007, Iowa has experienced nearly a 51 percent increase in the value of Iowa farm products, with a more than 67.7 percent increase in crop values and a more than 33.5 percent increase in livestock values. These value increases took place during a time when the amount of land being farmed in Iowa actually dropped 132,193 acres to 30.6 million acres.

“It’s no coincidence the increases in the RFS since 2007 have coincided with the most impressive run of rural prosperity in Iowa history,” said IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “Throughout history, farmers have been so innovative and productive they usually produce themselves out of profitability. This time, the growth in renewable fuels provided new markets for increased production, resulting in the positive economic results detailed by the USDA. However, if the Obama Administration’s proposal to slash the RFS is allowed to move forward, we could see a complete reversal in this rural revitalization.”

Iowa was not the only state to benefit from the growth in renewable fuels. Nationally, farm product values increased 32.8 percent from 2007 to 2012, with crop values increasing 47.9 percent and livestock values increasing 18.7 percent. Meanwhile, U.S. land devoted to farming declined by nearly 7.5 million acres.

Agribusiness, biofuels, Iowa RFA, RFS

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder February 26, 2014

The AEGPL Congress will be taking place in Genoa, Italy May 14-15, 2014. Hosted by the European LPG Association, the AEGPL Congress is expecting more than 1,200 LPG industry professionals to convene for the event, themed, “Today’s Successes, Tomorrow’s Opportunities”. The event will cover all sectors of the LPG industry with speakers from Europe and around the world.
The Asia-Pacific (APAC) solar photovoltaic (PV) module market value is forecast to show modest growth by the end of next year, jumping from $6.7 billion in 2012 to $8.6 billion by 2015, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.9%, says a new report from research and consulting firm GlobalData. The APAC region’s solar PV installed capacity is also expected to increase over the coming years, from 19.6 Gigawatts (GW) in 2012 to 420.6 GW by 2030, at a CAGR of 18.6%. In 2013, China and Japan led the region with a combined total of 77% of its solar PV installed capacity.
The Chinese government has approved a biobased aviation fuel for commercial use. On Feb. 12, 2014, the Civil Aviation Administration of China published a notice announcing it has granted Sinopec the first certificate of airworthiness for biobased jet fuel. According to information published by the aviation administration Sinopec filed the application for the certificate in February 2012.
Chromalloy announced that it has renewed a 10-year agreement with Solar Turbines Incorporated to provide component repairs and new production support for the manufacturer’s leading power systems. Under the agreement Chromalloy will be the preferred supplier for a number of component repairs including turbine blades, nozzles and cases.

Bioenergy Bytes

Utah Recognizes Biodiesel as Clean, Renewable Fuel

John Davis February 26, 2014

It only figures that a state known for some awfully pretty blue skies would recognize biodiesel as a good way to keep that air pollution free. This article from the Deseret News says the Utah state legislature’s Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee has endorsed HJR5, a measure recognizing biodiesel as a clean, renewable resource that should be encouraged in the state.

“I have been extremely impressed with what this particular technology can do with our domestic fuel supply, for clean air, in making use of natural products out there,” said Rep. Johnny Anderson, R-Taylorsville, the resolution’s sponsor. “This is a Utah-based company producing really good, solid-based Utah jobs.” [referring to Washakie Renewable Energy in Plymouth, Utah, that creates 10 million gallons of biodiesel a year from used cooking oil.]

Washakie’s Jeff Peterson said the company made a $40 million investment in its Plymouth location and is bringing on a seed crusher to extract oil from soybeans or other plants that also leaves a protein residual that can be used in feed stock.

Washakie pays 40 cents per gallon for used vegetable oil it collects from restaurants along the Wasatch Front and would also like to tap into supplies from jails and other big producers.

“We take that waste product and turn it into a renewable product,” Peterson said, adding that company’s biodiesel fuel ultimately costs less per gallon than traditional petroleum-based diesel.

Lawmakers say they want to encourage more growth in this type of biodiesel production in the state.

Biodiesel

Changes in the Law Drive U.S. Biodiesel Trends

John Davis February 26, 2014

While the proposal to cut the amount of biodiesel and ethanol to be blended into the Nation’s fuel supply has green fuel makers nervous, a new report shows that turmoil at the end of 2013 actually helped biodiesel spike. Financial services provider for agricultural producers and agribusinesses Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research (FAR) says the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to adjust the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) at the end of last year could actually end up providing an environment for a stable long-term outlook for biodiesel demand

“We saw a record level of biodiesel production in 2013 due to the expiration of the one dollar per gallon tax credit on biodiesel production and an anticipated soybean shortage in 2014,” notes report author and Rabobank analyst Al Griffin.

According the Rabobank U.S. Biodiesel Outlook, the U.S. biodiesel industry is expected to remain commoditized with tightening margins and periods of negative returns. The industry players best positioned for success are those focused on becoming the low cost producer, gaining access to multiple feedstock sources, and accessing adequate working capital to withstand volatile margins.

“Increases in biodiesel production will bolster demand for soy oil, corn oil, canola oil, yellow grease, and palm oil, along with other, less common inputs,” says Griffin. “With biodiesel feedstock being split roughly evenly between soy oil and all other sources, the fats and oils sector will benefit from intensified production.”

The report goes on to point out that while ethanol runs into issues with the blend wall, biodiesel doesn’t really face the same issues. In addition, recent signals from the EPA that it will go back to original RFS mandate levels during 2014 have helped provide the biodiesel optimism in the report.

Biodiesel, Government, Legislation

Advanced Ethanol Here at Last

Cindy Zimmerman February 25, 2014

During the National Ethanol Conference, representatives of four leading companies talked about how advanced ethanol is here at last. Moderated by Advanced Ethanol Council Executive Director Brooke Coleman, the panelists included Chris Standlee with Abengoa; Kenneth Hill with DuPont Cellulosic Ethanol; Delayne Johnson, CEO of Quad County Corn Processors; and Steve Hartig, Licensing General Manager for POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels, LLC.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am thrilled to finally be able to say that this is the pivotal year for second generation ethanol for the United States and perhaps in the world,” said Chris Standlee with Abengoa Bioenergy, who talked about the upcoming launch of their 25 million gallon/year cellulosic ethanol facility in Hugoton, Kansas. The company has invested nearly 10 years into developing its own proprietary second-gen technology and the biorefinery in Kansas that will go online in 2014 is the fruition of this commitment. Learn more about Abengoa’s cellulosic refinery here: Remarks by Chris Standlee, Abengoa

Kenneth Hill with DuPont noted that his company is focused on bridging the gap between agriculture and advanced materials. This includes enzymes and cellulosic biofuels. DuPont is working with companies around the world to develop cellulosic biofuels, yet the project that may have the most attention is currently under construction in Nevada, Iowa. Learn about this project and others here: Remarks by Kenneth Hill, DuPont

Delayne Johnson said that since Quad County Corn Processors went into production in 2002 they have continuously been looking for niche ways to add value to a kernel of corn. With the aid of R&D expert Travis Brotherson, five years ago he developed a now patented cellulosic process. The technology has added 6 percent to their yield, they are getting 2 1/2 times more corn oil than they had been getting, and are able to produce a higher protein feed product (DDG) than they had in the past. Quad County is currently in the process of building the technology out at full-scale and the cellulosic portion of their biorefinery is expected to begin production this summer. Learn more about Quad County’s cellulosic technology here: Remarks by Delayne Johnson, Quad Council Corn Processors

For many years Poet has been talking about the future of cellulosic ethanol using corn residue – corn stover, corn cobs, etc. According to Steve Hartig, With major strides over the past few years and a key strategic partnership with DSM, Project Liberty is set to go into production later this summer. Project Liberty is co-located with a first generation ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. Once in production, co-location will be their key strategy for several reasons included excess energy, infrastructure and personnel. Learn about Poet-DSM’s take on the advanced biofuels here: Remarks by Steve Hartig, POET-DSM

2014 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

advanced biofuels, AEC, Audio, biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

Cold Winter Challenges Ethanol Plant Logistics

Cindy Zimmerman February 25, 2014

At the National Ethanol Conference last week, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen had a discussion with Ed Hamberger, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, on Regulatory Crackdown on Rail Transport. They discussed current government proposals focused on rail cars.

Hamberger kicked off the discussion by noting that ethanol has been one of the fastest growing commodity segments for the railroads growing from 40,000 rail cars of ethanol in 2000 to 330,000 in 2011- an 800 percent increase. While he said there were some challenges, new routes, new track, new employees, he said that over the years, the ethanol industry and the rail industry have become good partners for America. Rail Transportation conversation

One ethanol plant of many that is using the railroads to transport its ethanol and byproducts such as dried distillers grains (DDGs) is Patriot Renewable Fuels, located just off I-80 in Annawan, Illinois. Using rail and trucks involves a lot of logistics and Patriot’s Rick Vondra has noted that with the cold weather over the last couple months they, along with other ethanol plants, have had challenges in moving their product, in particular rail movement.

“It’s been a tremendous challenge and we’ve had to find alternative ways to move our product,” explained Vondra. He said they are using more trucks but so are other plants and on top of the increased demand from their plant and the ethanol industry, the trucks still have other products to deliver.

So how is the weather affecting the railroad industry? Vondra said snow and ice have been a big factor because rail workers have to go and move switches that can get frozen. They have to remove ice from lines and with temperatures getting as cold as 20 below zero, workers can’t be outside long.

With the goal of increased use of E15 and other higher blends of ethanol being a recurring theme during the conference, I asked Vondra what some of his takeaways of this conversation were. He noted that Patriot is working closely with retailers, wholesalers, distributors and car dealers in their local community to educate people on the benefits of ethanol, but also to encourage more adoption and use of ethanol in the community.

Listen to my interview with Rick where he talks about cold logistic challenges as well as their work on ethanol education. Interview with Rick Vondra, Patriot Renewable Fuels

2014 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, Patriot Renewable Fuels, RFA, RFS

GreenTECH Provides Youth with Green Education

Joanna Schroeder February 25, 2014

MOUSE and Solar One have launched GreenTECH, a program that provides youth with an opportunity to positively impact the greening of their schools and communities. GreenTECH, funded by a three-year, $1.08 million grant from the National Science Foundation to Solar One, MOUSE, and the NYU Wallerstein Collaborative, is an initiative to boost youth interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills while introducing them to environmental sustainability and green technology.

“MOUSE is about harnessing the spirit and talent of young people to affect change through technology, which for us starts with their learning environment,” said Marc Lesser, MOUSE Education Director. “Ultimately, we view GreenTECH as a way to empower youth to engage with and apply science and technology in ways that position them as activists to address real world problems.” MOUSE is a national nonprofit organization that empowers youth to learn, read and create with technology.

Using Solar One’s CleanTech science curriculum as a platform, MOUSE launched its own badge-based learning program, which includes three levels of hands-on activities for students and teams, and videos that profile engineers and designers involved in energy careers. MOUSE also developed the GreenTECH Lab, a web app that allows youth to visually-display carbon footprint data in their school and reduce its impact.

“MOUSE has done a really terrific job adapting our CleanTech program to help students better understand energy and renewables,” said Chris Collins, Executive Director, Solar One. “GreenTECH is so engaging and fun that I am confident it will inspire the next generation of green engineers, scientists and architects.”

To formally recognize the achievements and validate their experience in blending technology with environmental science and leading the greening projects in their school, participants in this program will earn a new MOUSE Squad GreenTECH Badge.

GreenTECH will help youth to learn how energy is created and the potential of renewable energy. It offers a range of projects, such as building an electric generator, performing an energy audit and creating solar-powered toys. These projects will create multiple opportunities for young people to gain expertise in technology, data collection and analysis, and sustainable solutions as they improve their STEM skills and prepare for higher education and careers in the growing green economy.

Alternative energy, Clean Energy, Education, Solar

ACE Preparing for Biofuels Beltway March

Joanna Schroeder February 25, 2014

Make Washington keep their word was a common mantra during the National Ethanol Conference last week. American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Executive Vice President Brian Jennings is going to help them do just that. Each March, ACE brings nearly 100 ethanol advocates to the Hill to meet with Legislative and key stakeholders to tell their stories about the benefits of ethanol. This year’s Biofuels Beltway March is just around the corner on March 26-27, 2014 in Washington, D.C.

This year, Jennings said they are doing something a bit different. They are asking retailers from different states who have successfully added the infrastructure or the equipment they need to sell E15, E85 or both, to join them. “So they will deliver the message straight from their own experiences that higher blends work. The RFS [Renewable Fuel Standard] works. We want to see you continue to fulfill what the program was intended to do,” said Jennings.

During the NEC conference, a spokesperson from Marathon said E85 won’t work and E15 is a nonstarter. When asked to respond to those comments, Jennings answered, “We added over 200 E85 sites in 2013 and it was based on price. So he is simply not correct when it come to E85. Retailers are looking at it and understanding better today than they ever have how to price E85 relative to straight gas or relative to E10 so the consumer keeps coming back and makes the choice that it works well in my FFV [flex fuel vehicle].”

In terms of E15, Jennings said he was referring to liability. But there are things ACE is working on along with others to erase liability concerns whether those are real or perceive. The other half of the battle and helping them understand the blending economics.

“I was disappointed to hear what the gentleman from Marathon say what he did about higher blends, but what’s going on on the ground, in the states defies the message he was trying to deliver about E85 and E15,” added Jennings.

Listen to Cindy’s interview with Brian Jennings: Interview with Brian Jennings, ACE

2014 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

ACE, Audio, biofuels, Biofuels Beltway, E15, E85, National Ethanol Conference

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder February 25, 2014

Leading figures in geothermal power development will be participating in the GEA International Geothermal Showcase in Washington, D.C. on Earth Day, April 22. This includes speakers engaged in projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Switzerland, Romania, Turkey, Italy, Japan, Indonesia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nevis, Colombia, the United States, Iceland and more.
The application period is open for the Green Power Leadership Awards. Sponsored by Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Green Power Leadership Awards are competitive awards that recognize outstanding commitments and achievements in the green power marketplace.
GDF SUEZ Canada, Inc. has announced that the 10MW Beckwith Solar Project in Ontario has entered commercial operation under a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Ontario Power Authority. The project was developed under Ontario’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT) Program, and has the capacity to generate clean, renewable energy for approximately 1,700 homes in Ontario. The $50 million project is located approximately 50 kilometers from Ottawa, and consists of 44,000 solar panels on approximately 80 acres of land.
Alterra Power Corp. has completed the acquisition of 100% of the Shannon wind project, a 202 MW wind farm in late-stage development in Clay County, Texas. Alterra acquired the project from Horn Wind, LLC, a north Texas early-stage wind developer that has successfully developed two other wind farms in the region. Last week, Alterra also placed a $4.5 million cash deposit with Oncor, the project’s transmission service provider, which will now begin the design and equipment procurement for the project’s interconnection substation.

Bioenergy Bytes

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