Brazil Looks to Up Biodiesel Blend

John Davis

brazilBiodiesel blends in Brazil could soon rise above the 5 percent mix to 7 or even as much as 10 percent. This story from Bloomberg says the South American country wants to move more of its biodiesel glut.

“We’ve already sent to the Presidency a proposal to increase the mixture of biodiesel with diesel,” Energy Minister Edison Lobao told reporters today in Brasilia. “There’s still been no decision taken.”

The world’s second-biggest biodiesel industry is operating at 50 percent of capacity, Jeronimo Goergen, president of a parliamentary lobby group for the renewable fuel, said today in a telephone interview.

Goergen said the blend rate may rise to 7 percent and then expand again to 10 percent in 2020. Lobao didn’t give a figure for the proposed increase.

Five years ago, Brazil instituted a 2 percent mandate, moving to 5 percent in 2010, three years ahead of schedule when capacity grew rapidly.

Biodiesel, International

Farm Bill Conferees Urge Energy Funding

Cindy Zimmerman

The Senate version of the farm bill includes $800 million in mandatory funding for energy programs while the House version contains zero – one of the relatively minor differences in the two bills that could get resolved quickly in conference.

fb-confSeveral senators spoke in support of providing mandatory funding for the energy title during the first meeting of the House Senate Conference Committee on Wednesday. “This title helps our country be more energy independent,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). “This is a win-win-win for rural communities and America’s future.”

Sen. Amy Kobuchar (D-MN) said she strongly supports funding for the energy provisions “including expanding home-grown renewable energy” noting that biofuels now account for ten percent of the nation’s fuel supply.

Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) urged his colleagues on the House side to support the senate version for the sake of jobs at home. “We spend over a billion dollars a day importing oil from countries that hate us – they’ll hate us for free,” he said. “Get some mandatory funding for this. It will come back to us economically, it will come back to us in jobs, and it will come back to us in national security.”

The Senate energy title includes increased funding for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), Biorefinery Assistance, Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) and Biomass Research and Development.

biofuels, Energy, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government

American Ethanol Storms Into the Lone Star State

Joanna Schroeder

American Ethanol is racing in the Lone Star State this week and team spokesman Austin Dillion is closing in on a championship. Ethanol supporters and NASCAR fans will be heading to Texas to cheer on their driver and interact with fans about ethanol.

NASCAR driver Austin Dillion Photo NASCARDillon is known for his signature cowboy hat, but he wouldn’t mind trading in his hat for a new one at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday. Because what else would they give you as a trophy in Texas except a cowboy hat and a boot trophy? Dillon, who has never finished outside the Top 10 at Texas Motor Speedway in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition, currently leads the series standings by eight points over Sam Hornish Jr. As in other races, he will display the American Ethanol logo on the side of his car.

Corn farmers from Texas, Minnesota and North Dakota will also be on hand to distribute American Ethanol green starter flags throughout the campgrounds; more than 2,500 flags will be distributed over the course of the weekend. This weekend marks the largest activation for the American Ethanol brand in 2013, and the final one for the season.

A fan exhibit is also planned on the midway. The centerpiece for the exhibit will be a mobile biofuels education unit that will allow fans to learn more about how ethanol is made to provide consumer fuel and Sunoco Green E15 for NASCAR. This weekend the American Ethanol exhibit will be adding a new educational piece, a graphic that shows all of the toxic and in some cases carcinogenic, substances in modern gasoline. The visual carries a clear message that consumers need to know; “Some Fuels are Greener Than Others.”

The NASCAR Nationwide Series O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT Saturday, November 2 and will be aired on ESPN2. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway starts at 3 p.m. EDT Sunday, November 3 and will be aired on ESPN.

American Ethanol, biofuels, Ethanol, Growth Energy, NCGA

Bob Greco’s Greatest Hits

Joanna Schroeder

The fight over the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was not in recess during the government shutdown and the accusations and arguing are ratcheting up in fervor this week as the introduction of new anti-RFS legislation is pending as well as a Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Representative Bob Goodlatte sent to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is causing a DC mud slinging competition.

In the midst of all the heat, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has said that some statements “cry out” for correction. For example, they created a “fact check” video of comments made by American Petroleum Institute’s (API) Bob Greco during his recent interview with Monica Trauzzi of E&E TV. IRFA has coined the video: Bob Greco’s Greatest Hits Volume 1 and 2 and promise more to come.

Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Iowa RFA, Video

‘Cheap Corn Caucus’ Undermines American Biofuel Industry

Joanna Schroeder

A “Dear Colleague” letter is being circulated by Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) with dozens of signatures calling for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Administrator Gina McCarthy to reduce the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blending requirements.

In the letter that energy.agwired.com obtained, Goodlatte writes:

“Last month, EPA conceded that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) will soon require more ethanol be blended into gasoline than can be safely blended into gasoline. Given this reality, we must urge the EPA to adjust the normally rigid RFS to recognize market conditions and realities.

bob-goodlatteThe RFS mandates that 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels be used in our nation’s fuel supply by 2020, with as much as 15 billion gallons of the mandate being fulfilled by corn ethanol. In 2014, the mandate is estimated to be 18.15 gallons of renewable fuel of which approximately 14.4 billion gallons will be made up by corn ethanol. The government has one tool that can provide immediate relief from the RFS. The law gives the Administrator of the EPA flexibility to reduce the required volume of renewable fuels in any year. While the EPA has consistently refused to use this authority, the supply realities should be the impetus for long awaited action by the EPA when setting volume levels for 2014.  Prompt action by the EPA can help to ease short supply concerns, prevent engine damage, save jobs across many U.S. industries, and keep families fed.  Now is the time to use this authority to reduce the RFS.

We urge you to join with us in sending this letter to EPA urging relief from the RFS. If you wish to sign on to the enclosed letter, please contact Carrie Meadows with Mr. Goodlatte, Donald Grady with Mr. Costa, Chris Huffaker with Mr. Womack, or Jake Oster with Mr. Welch.

The ethanol industry fired back against the letter to the EPA with Bob Dinneen, CEO and president of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) responded, “The oil industry is expending a lot of resources to create anxiety over the Renewable Fuel Standard, which in fact has been extremely successful. We are confident that when all the facts are assessed, the efficacy of the RFS will be affirmed. Americans want to decrease our reliance on petroleum. Americans need relief at the pump. This policy is generating jobs and stimulating investment in the new energy technology that will drive our future. Now is simply not the time to roll back the RFS.”

RFA is not the only association with heartburn over the ongoing heated debate surrounding the RFS. Read More

biofuels, Ethanol, Growth Energy, RFA, RFS

Solar Helps to Lighten the Load

Joanna Schroeder

According to the Office of Naval Research (ONR) a recent field test that entailed Marines wearing a solar-powered system to extend the battery life of crucial electronic devices was successful. The exercise took place at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. The Marine Austere Patrolling System (MAPS) combines solar power and an individual water purifier to help lighten the load of Marines conducting lengthy missions in remote locations with few or no options for resupply.

OfficeofNavalResearchlogo“The primary challenge facing the Marine Corps in expeditionary environments is that we’re carrying too much weight,” said Capt. Frank Furman, logistics program manager for ONR’s Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism Department.

Furman noted that MAPS gives individuals the ability to manage power and filter water on the move. A key feature is a flexible solar panel, about the size of a piece of paper, made possible by breakthroughs at the Naval Research Laboratory.

The new gear proved to be a go-to power source to keep radio communications up and running during the field test with the 1st Battalion 5th Marines at the Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, California. While in a remote mountainous area, company and platoon commanders had to rely on Marines using the MAPS gear because their radios were the only ones that still had power.

“As engineers, we rely heavily on Marine feedback to improve system function, form and fit,” said Justin Miller, MAPS lead systems integrator. “Actually observing Marines use the system in this challenging terrain to sustain their gear is very positive, because we can incorporate their feedback into the design.”

Marines use an exceptional amount of electronic devices including radios, night-vision goggles and GPS systems. Each comes with its own set of batteries and spares, which can add several pounds to what they have to carry and charge.

“Marines planning a 24-hour mission may need four batteries, but we bring eight as a safety factor, because we can never risk running out completely,” said Furman, an infantry officer who served in two tours to Afghanistan. “MAPS provides two benefits. First, we can lessen the risk of batteries running out completely. Second, the weight of spare batteries and extra water is eliminated. This directly affects on our endurance and ability to move and stay alert.”

For a 96-hour patrol, MAPS has the potential to reduce the weight of batteries and water carried by a Marine from more than 60 pounds to 13 pounds. The system’s ability to sustain Marines for longer stretches reduces the need for dangerous logistics resupply operations, a goal stated in the Marine Corps Expeditionary Energy Strategy and Implementation Plan.

military, Renewable Energy, Solar

Biodiesel Import Ban Boosts Feedstocks to Europe

John Davis

eu-flagAs the European Union (EU) blocks biodiesel imports to the continent, demand for biodiesel feedstocks are getting a boost. Bloomberg reports imports of of palm oil and rapeseed oil to Europe are going up, as is domestic production of the green fuel.

Biodiesel production is climbing within the EU as the bloc implements duties on imports from Argentina and Indonesia, the Hamburg-based researcher said. The EU imported 494,000 metric tons of biodiesel from Argentina this year, down from 1.273 million tons in the first 10 months of 2012, Oil World said. Anti-dumping duties may go into effect at the end of November, ranging from 217 to 246 euros ($299 to $339) a ton on Argentine biodiesel and 122 to 179 euros a ton on supplies from Indonesia, it said. Provisional tariffs have been in place since May.

“The steep decline in arrivals of biodiesel has triggered a recovery in EU biodiesel production, thus raising feedstock requirements, primarily of palm oil and rapeseed oil,” Oil World said. “Permanent hurdles for biodiesel imports from the two key countries will lift the dependence on rapeseed oil as a feedstock for the European biodiesel market.”

Palm oil imports to the EU for this year through July are up 63 percent compared to the same time a year ago. Rapeseed exports from the Ukraine reached near-record levels.

Biodiesel, International

Methes Energies to See Best Biodiesel Quarter Ever

John Davis

Methes1Several developments are prompting a biodiesel company to predict its best production quarter ever. Methes Energies International Ltd., a company with biodiesel production operations north of the border in the form of Methes Energies Canada Inc., says its $1.5 million facility has helped it really get its biodiesel operations moving.

Over the last several weeks Methes Canada has made good use of the facility resulting in September 2013 being the highest production month in gallons in its history. Furthermore, Methes Canada has already secured sufficient feedstock for the months of October and November 2013 to produce biodiesel which it expects will allow for its fiscal fourth quarter to be its best on record in production volume.

BQ-9000® Quality Management Program – Methes Canada is proud to have initiated the process of becoming an accredited BQ-9000® Producer. The program is a unique combination of the ASTM standard for biodiesel and a quality systems program that includes sampling, testing, storage, retain samples and shipping. The program helps companies improve their fuel testing and greatly reduce any chance of producing or distributing inadequate fuel. To receive accreditation, companies must pass a rigorous review and inspection of their quality control processes by an independent auditor. This ensures that quality control is fully implemented.

Methes Canada is also boasting its sales of its Denami 600 and Denami 3000 equipment to help ethanol producers extract corn oil from their corn for refinement into biodiesel. The “bolt-on” Denami equipment is seen as ideal for ethanol plants across North America and overseas. The company also points to increased capacity at its Sombra, Ontario facility from 13 Million gallons per year (MGY) to 26 MGY using the Denami technology.

Michel G. Laporte, Chairman and CEO of Methes Energies said, “We are pleased to provide this general business update covering several projects that are on the go. Our focus remains on making more biodiesel, improving efficiency and quality at our Sombra facility. Thanks to the working capital facility, September was our best month in production volume. The team is doing a great job and the morale is high.”

Biodiesel

Minnesota Welcomes E15 With Open Arms

Joanna Schroeder

20131030_092937Minnesota welcomed its first E15 station with open arms this week. The Penn Minnoco service station in Minneapolis now has four dispensers selling E15 to drivers of vehicle model year 2001 or newer. The Penn Minnoco service station is located at 6001 Penn Avenue South in Minneapolis.

When asked by DomesticFuel why E15, station owner Rick Bohnen, who is also offering E30 said, “E15 gives my customers a price break while providing me with a competitive advantage.” Bohnen’s family has owned the fuel and repair station for more than 30 years and he has been telling his customers to use E15 because in his words, “ethanol is great fuel”.

The fueling equipment of the new Penn Minnoco service station was made possible, in part, through a public-private partnership between Bohnen and a coalition comprised of E15 Bargain!the American Lung Association in Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Growth Energy, Minnesota Biofuels Association and the Minnesota Corn Growers Association/Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council.

“Today is a great day for Minneapolis area consumers looking for more affordable fuel choices that are better for the economy and the environment. E15 is a proven fuel, a cheaper fuel, a cleaner fuel, and I know that it will be a major success for Penn Minnoco and its customers,” said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy.

As part of the partnership, four additional retail locations are planned to begin offering E15 within the state by the end of the year.

biofuels, E15, Ethanol, Growth Energy

Legislation to Eliminate Corn Ethanol A “Killer”

Joanna Schroeder

Senator Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Coburn (R-OK) are introducing legislation to eliminate conventional biofuels from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). According to a story first published by Greenwire, the impending bill would leave the advanced biofuel targets in place, but would eliminate the corn-based ethanol target.

Corn crop“I think the mandate for ethanol, which is forcing a lot of additional use, is really not wise,” Feinstein told Greenwire.

Some may remember that back in 2011 Feinstein and Coburn teamed up and introduced a bill called the “Fuel Feedstock Freedom Act,” that according to the duo, was designed to allow for a more sensible implementation of corn-ethanol policy while encouraging greater competition in the pursuit of advanced biofuels. The Bill, that did not pass, would allow fuel markets to respond to consumer demand for ethanol free gasoline where it exists. In addition, the bill would have given individual states the option to not participate in the corn ethanol portion of the RFS. There is speculation that the new legislation may mirror some of the goals of this Bill.

“This legislation is incredibly short-sighted. This legislation is nothing more than a job killer that will also gravely damage innovation and the robust rural economy. More than anything, it seems like legislation is appeasing the wishes of Big Oil,” responded Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy in response to the news of the impending legislation.

“You cannot have advanced biofuel without conventional biofuel, and the reality is that if such legislation were to move forward it would embrace the status quo of our dependence on foreign oil, concede we no longer are serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and are seeking to pursue a policy that would result in massive uDont Mess with RFSpheaval and job loss in today’s booming rural economy.

“It appears to me, this legislation is nothing more than a large concession to Big Oil, which continues to have a stranglehold on the liquid fuels marketplace. Furthermore, this is a slap in the face to consumers who deserve a choice and savings when they go to fill up at the pump.”

For many years Feinstein has been a vocal critic of corn-based ethanol and has repeatedly called for changes to the RFS and the new legislation is the latest in her battle to modify the energy policy.

“This legislation is monumentally stupid,” said Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). “Eliminating the conventional ethanol portion of the Renewable Fuel Standard would eliminate the opportunity to further evolve the biofuels industry and commercialize new technologies and feedstocks. We all understand that Senator Coburn just wants a world free of competition for his oil industry. But, Senator Feinstein professes to support second generation biofuels. What she is failing to understand, however, is that we will never see those technologies develop if the policy is gutted and the investment community is given the unambiguous signal that Congress is not serious about reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

biofuels, corn, Ethanol, Growth Energy, RFA, RFS