Community Fuels Gets $4.9 Mil to Expand Biodiesel

John Davis

communityfuelsA California biodiesel refinery has received a $4.9 million state grant to expand its biodiesel operation. Biodiesel Magazine reports Community Fuels picked up the California Energy Commission grant for its Port of Stockton biorefinery.

“Community Fuels’ biorefinery was specifically designed to allow for multiple phases of expansion,” said Lisa Mortenson, co-founder and CEO of Community Fuels. “This important grant will enable our team to expand our production capabilities to meet the anticipated demand for low carbon fuels expected as a result of the California low carbon fuel standard (LCFS).”

Chris Young, director of operations for Community Fuels, said, “Through years of dedicated effort we successfully commissioned and optimized our biorefinery which has a reputation for producing one of the highest quality biomass-based diesel fuels in the nation. That work will contribute greatly to our ability to install and commission this next phase of expansion. With this new project, we will maintain our focus on quality and compliance.”

“In the initial phase of construction, Community Fuels invested heavily to have a robust, onsite laboratory,” said Steven Sabillon, laboratory manager. “We are the first in the nation to secure both BQ-9000 laboratory and producer certifications. These existing analytical capabilities will be relied upon during the installation and commissioning efforts associated with the expansion.”

The grant was funded through California’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel Vehicle Technology Program.

Biodiesel

IL State Rep Moffit: Ethanol is Still Exciting

Joanna Schroeder

Illinois State Representative Donald Moffitt knows agriculture. He grew up on a family farm, on which his son still farms (and Don occasionally helps). This has been a huge asset for him in his role because agriculture is the number one industry in both the 74th District as well as the state of Illinois.

Rep Moffitt was serving in this role seven years ago when Patriot Renewable Fuels broke ground on their ethanol plant (and in November they broke ground on a biodiesel plant) and I asked him what IL State Rep Donald Moffittthe feelings were like about ethanol during that time. He said there was a lot of excitement and there still is a lot of excitement.

“But finally, we’d been hearing about ethanol. We knew as farmers and producers we wanted to encourage the use of ethanol,” said Rep. Moffitt. “We were trying to get acceptance of ethanol years ago and finally one comes to our area with the construction of Patriot Renewable Fuels. So it was genuine excitement.”

The excitement went way beyond agriculture, explained Moffitt. First there were the construction jobs to build the plant and that brought a lot of jobs and economic activity to the area. Once the plant was running, there are the permanent jobs and then he noted there is the benefit to the community such as value added benefits to corn, for example. Producers are now able to get a higher price for their corn. The economic activity of Patriot brings more people to the restaurants, to the gas stations and other local businesses.

“So it’s a win-win for our state, for our community, for agriculture and we need to have this type of diversity,” said Rep. Moffitt.

He noted that biofuels help our entire nation by creating a more diversified fuel supply, and they reduce our dependence on foreign oil. “And I’m old enough to remember oil embargoes that occurred in the past, and long lines at gas stations when OPEC embargoed shipments to the U.S.,” said Rep. Moffitt. “It put us in a real bind. With a domestic supply that is also a renewable supply it helps relieve that problem; it helps prevent it from happening. We’d be better off, safer as a nation, if our fuel was all domestic IL Rep Moffit groundbreakingand renewable. So ethanol and biodiesel help make that happen. It’s a trend in the right direction.”

Moffitt continued, “The production of biofuels is actually a national security issue. Because we don’t want to be dependent on foreign countries for our energy supply. Not all of them are friendly to the United States. But the American farmer is always going to be our friend.”

“For the distractors from biofuels, if they want to depend on foreign oil for energy supplies they can do that,” said Rep. Moffitt. “They’re wrong and its not a safe concept to have. We must have as much of our energy, and I hope all of our energy eventually, produced right here.”

Listen to my interview with IL State Rep Donald Moffitt here: IL State Rep Moffitt: Ethanol is Still Exciting

Check out the Patriot Renewable Fuels photo album.

Alternative energy, Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Patriot Renewable Fuels

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFBroadwind Energy, Inc. has announced new tower orders from Siemens. Broadwind will produce these towers in its Manitowoc, Wisc. and Abilene, Tex. facilities. Since the start of 2013, Broadwind has recorded $389 million in new tower orders.
  • POET has reached its first milestone under the company-wide “Ingreenuity” sustainability program. Since 2009, POET biorefineries have produced more than 700 million pounds of bio-based products, surpassing the target set in 2010. POET’s increase in production of bio-based products has been led by Voilá™ Corn Oil, which is now installed in all of POET’s 27 plants and is responsible for over 700 million pounds of product since 2009. In addition to POET’s Ingreenuity goals, POET produces approximately 9 billion pounds of high-protein animal feed annually and has sold more than 1.2 million tons of liquefied CO2 into U.S. markets since 2009.
  • Natural Power has been appointed by Vattenfall as Ecological Clerk of Works at Clashindarroch Wind Farm in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The 18-turbine development will have an installed capacity of 36.9 MW, generating enough electricity to power over 20,000 homes.
  • Admirals Bank, a provider of residential renewable energy financing, will participate in an effort alongside EmPower Solar to offer Breezy Point, New York residents financing options to purchase solar systems for their homes. The Breezy Point Green Committee developed this initiative to foster the sustainable rebuilding of homes and community buildings affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Bioenergy Bytes

ACCIONA Turbines Selected for Wind Farm

Joanna Schroeder

ACCIONA has signed a contract to supply 34 turbines for a 102 MW wind farm in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The company will carry out the construction, internal electrical infrastructures and assembly, and will also undertake the operation and maintenance of the facility.

The South Canoe wind farm, which will be the largest in Nova Scotia, has been developed by three local companies: Oxford Frozen Foods, Minas Basin Pulp and Power and the utility company Nova Scotia Power, to which the power generated will be sold. It will use ACCIONA Windpower AW3000/116 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 3 MW, hub height of 92m, and a rotor diameter of 116 metres.

ACCIONA_parque-eolico-canada-pThe facility will supply electricity equivalent to the consumption of 32,000 homes and will help the province of Nova Scotia reach its renewable energy targets.

“ACCIONA was able to deliver what the South Canoe Project team asked for: a complete solution including highly-reliable and high-capacity turbines, construction services and operations and maintenance,” said Ilya Hartmann, CEO of ACCIONA Energy North America. “We’re pleased to apply our full range of wind energy services to provide the best value for this project.”

ACCIONA Windpower North America CEO Enrique Teruel says the company “is proud to be part of the South Canoe Wind Project and to continue expanding the track record of our AW3000 turbine in North America.”

To date, orders for the AW3000 turbines amount to 1,491 MW and the wind turbines are destined for wind farms in nine different countries. Nearly half this figure corresponds to wind farms in North America, and 78 percent of the total capacity will be supplied to customers outside the ACCIONA Group.

Alternative energy, Electricity, Wind

UL Approves Biobutanol Use for Storage & Dispensing

Joanna Schroeder

Butamax Advanced Biofuels, LLC, has announced that a joint research program with UL (Underwriters Laboratories) has determined that gasoline fuel storage and dispensing equipment meeting latest UL standards can safely and successfully use blends of up to 16 percent biobutabutamaxnol. This is the first time that UL has made such a determination.

Butamax’s Fuel Product Manager, James Baustian, said, “UL represents the gold standard for product safety, testing, and certification. This guidance clears the way for State Agencies to consider and approve dispensing of isobutanol gasoline fuel blends. This is a major milestone for the commercial distribution of biobutanol. Butamax will immediately begin to work with State and Federal authorities to complete final approvals for dispensing of gasoline containing isobutanol.”

State regulations require fuel dispensing equipment to be listed by independent product safety testing laboratories such as UL. Butamax says at the time current UL dispensing equipment test standards were finalized, biobutanol was not commercially available and was not tested. This announcement by UL means that if butanol had been available as a fuel, says Butamax, it would have been included for service use in equipment meeting latest UL standards.

Butamax CEO Paul Beckwith added, “UL has conducted a comprehensive assessment of isobutanol compatibility jointly with Butamax and we have found them to be an excellent technology partner. This milestone is a reflection of UL’s commitment to promotion of new product safety, together with Butamax’s fuel market expertise.”

Alternative energy, biobutanol, biofuels

OriginOil Launches Aquaculture Showcase

Joanna Schroeder

OriginOil has launched its Permanent Technology Showcase with a demonstration of its EWS Aqua Q60 and EWS Algae A60 models at Aqua Farming Tech, a sustainable fish farm in Thermal, California, located in the Coachella Valley.

OriginOil Aqua Farming Photo Jessica Sterling Photography“Worldwide, more fish is now being farmed than beef,” said Riggs Eckelberry, president and CEO of OriginOil. “While this is good news, the aquaculture industry will have to address the environmental and operational problems it faces if it is to continue to grow, including the fact that fish is often farmed under toxic conditions. Our Coachella Valley showcase is intended to serve as a living demonstration of the feasibility of clean, sustainable aquaculture.”

OriginOil’s commercial fish farming pond water treatment system can rapidly remove ammonia, bacteria and other aquatic invaders from pond water. And farmers who want a healthier and less-expensive alternative to fish meal can use OriginOil’s algae harvesting system to produce nutritious fish feed. Together, the OriginOil Aquaculture System can help spur the growth of sustainable fish farming on a global scale by reducing costs, eliminating the need for chemical treatment and improving the quality of the product.

Aquaculture is a fast-growing industry. The $100 billion industry is expected to increase by 33 percent between 2012 and 2022, compared to an increase of only 3 percent in capture fisheries, according to the United Nations (The State of World Fisheries, P. 206). But the growth is leading to operational and environmental problems, including the high costs of energy and fish feed, which have forced many fish farms in the Coachella Valley to close.

According to OriginOil, EWS works by recirculating water through a low-voltage electrical pulsing system that causes contaminants or algae to coagulate, or clump together. The clumped-up material then enters a second stage in which low-power electrical pulses generate a cloud of micro-bubbles that gently lift the concentrate to the surface for harvesting.

The EWS Aqua Q60 commercial fish farming pond water treatment system can service 50,000 liters daily, says OriginOil, while consuming less than 20 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day (about $2.40 worth). The system is designed to reduce fish stress and improve yields, while sharply reducing or eliminating the need for chemicals and antibiotics.

The EWS Algae A60 is a mid-scale harvester that can process up to 60 liters (16 gallons) per minute of algae water. Individual EWS Algae A60 units can be assigned to manage a pond or bioreactor assembly of up to 500,000 liters. Units can be combined to achieve massive parallel processing capability. The unit removes 99 percent of the water to produce an algae concentrate. Algae-based fish feed costs up to 60 to 70 percent less than traditional fish feed.

Agribusiness, algae

Greenlight to Turn Waste Oil into Biodiesel at BWI

John Davis

greenlightFlying into the Washington, D.C. area will soon become a bit greener, thanks to a partnership to turn waste cooking oil at an area airport into biodiesel. The Environmental Leader reports Greenlight Biofuels is partnering with airport concessions giant Airmall USA to turn the waste cooking grease at Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) into biodiesel.

The recycling program shows the key role industries can play in promoting energy independence, says Jim Kingdon, president of Greenlight Biofuels.

On average, every 100 gallons of processed oil is equivalent to 70 gallons of biodiesel, which can offset up to 1,212 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, the companies say.

Greenlight Biofuels has been around since 2007, and its principals have been involved in renewable energy for more than a decade.

Biodiesel

Argentina Files Complaint on EU Biodiesel Tariffs

John Davis

argentinaflagArgentina is not sitting still for what it terms as “illegal tariffs” against its biodiesel going to the European Union. This story from the Wall Street Journal says, for the third time, the South American country has complained to the World Trade Organization about the EU’s block on the imported biodiesel.

Last month, the EU slapped steep import taxes on Argentine biofuel ranging from 217 to 246 euros ($298-$336) per metric ton, “having the direct and immediate effect of closing the European market to Argentine biodiesel and affecting exports worth over $1.5 billion per year,” the country’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.

A spokesman for the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The first step in the dispute resolution process is a request for consultations, in which the parties involved have 60 days to try to reach an agreement, the WTO said about the latest Argentine complaint. If no agreement is reached, Argentina can then request a WTO panel be convened to settle the dispute.

EU biofuels makers say Argentina unfairly dumps its biodiesel on the European market.

Argentina is also trying to counter the effects of the EU ban on its biodiesel by increasing its own domestic biodiesel blending requirement for vehicles and start using it in power plants.

Biodiesel, International

What Winter Shows You’re Going To

Talia Goes

zp-nhOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “ Which winter farm shows/events are you planning to attend?”

Our poll results:
· National – 29%
· None – 24%
· All of the above – 19%
· State – 10%
· Other – 10%
· Regional – 5%
· Local – 5%

Looks like quite a few of you will be traveling to shows this winter. Be careful and we hope you find what you’re looking for.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “ What is your traditional Christmas dinner?” Will there be a big bird in the middle of your family dinner table or a mouthwatering roast beef? Let us know!

ZimmPoll

Report: Global Biodiesel Market Worth $12.6 Billion

John Davis

marketsandmarketsThe global biodiesel market is expected to be worth a whopping $12.6 billion in 2014. A new market research report, “Global Biodiesel Market (2009 – 2014),” put out by MarketsandMarkets, details how the European market should make up about 55.6 percent of the revenues and 28.6 percent in the Americas.

Increasing environmental concerns and the need for energy independence have led to the biodiesel market. Despite the economic recession, global biodiesel production totaled 5.1 billion gallons in 2009, representing a 17.9% increase over 2008 levels. The biodiesel market is expected to grow from $8.6 billion in 2009 to $12.6 billion in 2014. Market growth is primarily dependent on the availability, quality, and yield of feedstock, as it accounts for 65% to 70% of the cost of biodiesel production.

Biodiesel derived from rapeseed oil forms the largest segment of the overall market. Germany is the single largest producer of biodiesel with 2.8 million tons produced in 2008. The biodiesel market also offers immense opportunities countries such as U.K., India, and China, as these regions have high diesel fuel prices and a large number of diesel fueled vehicles.

While growth may be affected by feedstock availability issues and the food v/s fuel debate, the market is expected to witness a paradigm shift with the increasing conversion efficiency of existing feedstock, and the development of newer feedstock sources such as algae.

Transportation fuels still make up the lion’s share of the biodiesel market, with 70 percent of the green fuel going into vehicle tanks.

Biodiesel