Ohio Ethanol Plant Signs up for Enogen

Cindy Zimmerman

Corn featuring the Syngenta Enogen trait designed for ethanol production will soon be used at an Ohio biorefinery.

enogenSyngenta has signed a commercial agreement with Three Rivers Energy, LLC of Coshocton, Ohio, to use grain featuring Enogen trait technology following the 2014 corn harvest.

“We are thrilled to announce this agreement with Three Rivers Energy, as we extend our Enogen corn geography into Ohio, demonstrating the growing acceptance of Enogen technology and the value it is creating for ethanol plants, farmers and local communities,” said David Witherspoon, head of renewable fuels for Syngenta.

According to Syngenta, Enogen grain delivers alpha amylase enzyme in the corn kernel, eliminating the need for an ethanol plant to use liquid alpha amylase. The alpha amylase enzyme found in Enogen grain helps an ethanol plant reduce the viscosity of its corn mash and can lead to better levels of solids loading, which directly contributes to increased ethanol yields and throughput, as well as cost savings from reduced natural gas, energy, water and chemical usage.

Three Rivers Energy recently resumed ethanol production in Coshocton, Ohio. Its sister plant, Plymouth Energy, LLC (Merrill, Iowa) signed a commercial agreement with Syngenta in the fall of 2012 to use Enogen grain, and is currently completing its first year contracting with local growers to produce Enogen corn commercially. Three Rivers Energy and Plymouth Energy are operated by Lakeview Energy, LLC.

Three Rivers Energy is recruiting growers to produce Enogen corn in 2014 and will begin using the specialized corn grain in commercial production following the 2014 corn harvest. Growers under contract will deliver their Enogen grain to the ethanol plant and will be paid an average premium of 40 cents per bushel for their grain.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Facilities

LanzaTech’s Gas-to-Biofuel Earns RSB Certification

John Davis

lanzatechLanzaTech’s venture in China to turn steel mill waste gases into biofuel has earned an important sustainability certification. The company’s partnership with Shougang Jingtang Iron and Steel United Company and the Tang Ming Group is now Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) certified as sustainable for biofuels and biomaterials production. When commercially producing biofuels next year, the LanzaTech technology-enabled facility becomes the first RSB-certified biofuel plant in China.

“The joint venture uses a process that creates a sustainable biofuel and does so by efficiently reusing greenhouse gases that would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere,” said Peter Ryus, RSB Services’ CEO. “This solution, which does not impact the food chain or land use, meets the RSB principles and practices and serves as an example of how continued innovation in the industry will lead to sustainable biofuels in the future. We are honored to be working with LanzaTech and their joint venture partners on greenhouse gas reduction and global sustainability improvements.”

The use of novel gas fermentation technology to convert industrial waste gases into biofuels is aligned perfectly with the RSB Principles and Criteria, which go beyond greenhouse gas emissions reductions to focus on economic and social sustainability. By using a widely available waste resource located in areas typically unsuitable for agriculture, LanzaTech’s process reduces overall emissions without negatively impacting the food chain or causing land use changes. By enabling the production of fuels from available steelmaking waste, Beijing Shougang LanzaTech New Energy Science & Technology Co., Ltd. will help China balance economic growth with sustainability, as well as increase its supply of domestic biofuels.

“The RSB certification is an incredibly important step for the development of our commercial production facilities which we expect to bring online in 2014,” said Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. “In addition, we trust this certification will help accelerate the acceptance of biofuels made through carbon capture technologies and serve to showcase the possibilities opened up by thinking of carbon emissions as an opportunity, not just a problem.”

LanzaTech is also partnering with Virgin Atlantic Airlines, one air travel company which prefers the RSB certification when getting sustainable biofuels for their operations.

biofuels, International, Waste-to-Energy

DuPont: Lowering RVO Targets Would Be a Mistake

John Davis

Jan KoninckxA company with experience successfully commercializing a variety of new technologies says it would be a mistake if government targets for renewable fuels are lowered. During yesterday’s Fuels America conference call on the prospect the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could drop renewable volume obligations (RVOs) next year from the statutory level of 14.4 billion gallons to between 12.36 and 13.18 billion, DuPont Global Business Director for Biorefineries Jan Koninckx said they were shocked by the leaked draft proposal.

“We’re very concerned about the RVO numbers that have been leaked,” although he admitted they’re not sure if those numbers are even factual. “But it’s a reversal, it’s something that very much surprises and disappoints us, and is something that will rob the country of a great opportunity.”

Koninckx also pointed out that DuPont has a long history of commercializing new technologies, and he’s sure advanced cellulosic will be successful as well. DuPont’s $200 million advanced cellulosic biorefinery in Nevada, Iowa is on target to start operations sometime next year, so the company has an obvious stake in the success of the technology, something that will be helped as long as the EPA sticks to its guns on the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).

“If we implement the RFS as it is conceived and put in place, then we will see great benefits, as we already see from corn ethanol,” he said.

When asked if Congress will extend the cellulosic ethanol tax credit and how the possible lowering of the RVOs might have an impact, Koninckx said he just doesn’t know what Washington will do these days. But he thinks the extension would certainly promote more investment in the cellulosic industry, although DuPont has been in this business since the early 2000s and is staying in.

“Are we going to shift our strategy and change what we do on the basis of one EPA decision? No. We’re in this for the long haul. This is technology that is very viable and is going to see the light of day.”

You can here Koninckx’s opening remarks and response to the first question here: DuPont's Jan Koninckx

And you can listen to or download the entire conference call here: Fuels America press conference

advanced biofuels, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Fuels America, RFA, RFS

Beetle-Infested Trees to be Turned into Biofuel

John Davis

usda-logoTrees lost to beetle infestations might not be a total loss; they could be turned into biofuels. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded nearly $10 million in grants to a consortium of academic, industry and government organizations led by Colorado State University (CSU) to see if insect-killed trees in the Rocky Mountains could be a sustainable feedstock for bioenergy.

“Infestations of pine and spruce bark beetles have impacted over 42 million acres of U.S. forests since 1996, and a changing climate threatens to expand the threat from bark beetle on our forest lands,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “As we take steps to fight the bark beetle, this innovative research will help take the biomass that results from bark beetle infestation and create clean, renewable energy that holds potential for job creation and promises a cleaner future for America.”

There are many benefits to using beetle-killed wood for renewable fuel production. It requires no cultivation, circumvents food-versus-fuel concerns and likely has a highly favorable carbon balance. However, there are some challenges that have been a barrier to its widespread use. The wood is typically located far from urban industrial centers, often in relatively inaccessible areas with challenging topography, which increases harvest and transportation costs. In addition to technical barriers, environmental impacts, social issues and local policy constraints to using beetle-killed wood and other forest residues remain largely unexplored.

CSU researchers, together with other scientists from universities, government and private industry in the region, created the Bioenergy Alliance Network of the Rockies (BANR) to address these challenges. The project will undertake comprehensive economic, environmental and social/policy assessment, and integrate research results into a web-based, user-friendly decision support system. CSU will collaborate with partners across four states to complete the project. Partners include: University of Idaho, University of Montana, Montana State University and the University of Wyoming, U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, National Renewable Energy Lab and Cool Planet Energy Systems.

The release goes on to say that they are exploring recent advances in scalable thermochemical conversion technologies to produce advanced liquid biofuel and co-products on-site.

Vilsack also points out that this type of program highlights why a new farm bill is needed.

biofuels, biomass, Cellulosic, farm bill, USDA

Lowering RFS Will Raise Big Oil Profits

Cindy Zimmerman

Big Oil will reap big profits if the Environmental Protection Agency actually proposes a substantial cut to the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requirement for conventional biofuel blending, according to a new analysis released by the ethanol industry today.

The analysis finds that the oil industry stand to make an additional $9-14 billion in 2014 if the EPA were to change the renewable volume obligations (RVOs) next year from the statutory level of 14.4 billion gallons to between 12.36 and 13.18 billion.

fuels-americaDuring a telephone conference call organized by Fuels America this morning, biofuels stakeholders talked about the allegedly “leaked” EPA draft of the 2014 RVO plan and what the results could be if it actually happens.

“A decision to lower the RVO in 2014 would be a huge step backward for the corn ethanol industry and would amount to a substantial transfer of wealth away from America’s farmers and small businesses to oil and gas companies,” said said Geoff Cooper, Vice President for Research with the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), who presents the analysis on the RFA E-xchange blog.

Both DuPont Global Business Director for Biorefineries Jan Koninckx and Chris Standlee with Abengoa Bioenergy said changing the RVO would have a chilling effect on advanced biofuels investment. “Publication of this ‘leaked’ draft would force us to reexamine (our) investment plan and consider other countries that are more friendly for future investment,” said Standlee.

Koninckx called the oil industry is “a powerful incumbent industry that’s resisting innovation” and noted that “it is the RFS that brought leadership in biofuels.” He added, “What we need to see is leadership in simply implementing the law as it is.”

Listen to or download conference call here: Fuels America press conference

advanced biofuels, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, RFS

Missouri Governor Voices Support for Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

nixonWith the harvest nearing completion in Missouri, Governor Jay Nixon last week joined the Missouri Corn Growers Association at a grain elevator in the northeast part of the state to support the state’s corn growers and ethanol industry.

“Each year about 20% of Missouri’s corn crop is turned into about 300 million gallons of ethanol – a renewable, domestic energy source that fuels vehicles worldwide,” said Nixon during the event at the recently-expanded Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) facility. “Last year Missouri’s ethanol plants accounted for $829 million of increased economic activity in the state, including about 1500 jobs.”

Despite action in the state legislature last month that rejected a rule change to allow sales of E15 (15% ethanol fuel), Governor Nixon indicated his administration will continue to work on that issue. “We’re going to keep supporting fuels from the farm and work to get Missouri drivers more choices at the pump through safe and sensible options like E15,” said Nixon.

Listen to the governor’s remarks here: Missouri Governor Jay Nixon

Audio, corn, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government

DOE Announces Rooftop Solar Challenge

Joanna Schroeder

DOE Rooftop Solar ChallengeThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced eight teams that have been selected to participate in the Rooftop Solar Challenge. The teams will receive a combined $12 million, matched by more than $4 million in outside funding. The groups are tasked with moving the solar rooftop industry forward through cutting the red tape surrounding residential and small commercial solar rooftop projects. The teams will work to streamline and standardize solar permitting, zoning, metering and connection processes.

“Responsible development of all of America’s rich energy resources is an important part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan and will help ensure America’s continued leadership in clean energy,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “Today, solar modules cost about one percent of what they did 35 years ago, and permitting and interconnection are an increasingly large portion of overall solar system costs. Through the Rooftop Solar Challenge, the Energy Department is helping to make the deployment of solar power in communities across the country faster, easier and cheaper – saving money and time for local governments, homeowners and businesses.”

The Energy Department’s Rooftop Solar Challenge is a part of a larger effort to make solar energy more accessible and affordable and position the U.S. as a leader in the quickly growing global solar market. Non-hardware, or “soft,” costs like permitting, installation, design and maintenance now account for more than 60 percent of the total cost of installed rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States. Across the nation, there are more than 18,000 local jurisdictions with their own PV permitting requirements as well as more than 5,000 utilities that set rules for connecting to the power grid.

DOE Rooftop Solar Challenge TeamsThe Rooftop Solar Challenge brings together city, county and state officials, regulatory entities, private industry, universities, local utilities and other regional stakeholders to address differing and expensive processes required to install and finance residential and small business solar systems. During the Challenge’s first round, 22 regional teams worked to dramatically reduce the soft costs of solar – serving as models for other communities across the country. These efforts helped cut permitting time by 40 percent and reduce fees by over 10 percent – making it faster and easier for more than 47 million Americans to install solar.

Building on the Challenge’s first round, the eight teams announced for the next phase will help further expand the reach of innovative strategies that are making it easier, faster and cheaper for more homeowners and businesses to finance and install solar systems. These awardees will develop and replicate creative solutions that help standardize complicated permitting and interconnection processes that often vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction; facilitate easy, cheaper bulk purchasing; and support user-friendly, fast online applications. See a full list of the Rooftop Solar Challenge teams and their projects.

Alternative energy, Electricity, Solar

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFZephIR Lidar has signed a new distributor agreement with Chinese firm Beijing New Energy Technologies (BNET). The deal will allow ZephIR, manufacturers of the world’s first commercial wind lidar, to tap further into the Chinese wind market: currently the world’s largest, in terms of installed capacity. The company’s ZephIR 300 is a successful, ground-based, continuous wave (CW) wind lidar system that has been deployed for over 4 million hours on projects across the globe. The partnership sees ZephIR Lidar and BNET bring the ZephIR Dual Mode (DM) to the Chinese market for the first time.
  • RGS Energy, the commercial and utility division of Real Goods Solar, Inc. has been selected by Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) to deploy a 425 kilowatt (kW) elevated solar power plant at its Hayward D6 Bus Facility in Hayward, California. The company will design, install, monitor and maintain the solar power plant at the Hayward Bus Facility. The project involves the installation of a 14-foot high, 22,000-square-foot solar bus-port canopy. The canopy will be capable of generating more than 15 million kWh over the next 25 years. Construction is scheduled to begin by the end of the year and be completed by March 2014.
  • Bharat Book Bureau has published, “Renewable Connecting to the Change – Analysis Outlook and Opportunities“. The report comprises a deep-rooted analysis of the sector focusing on the market scenarios and carves out key strategies for the investment potentials of new entrants. As like the CPV (solar) market is estimated to reach $266 million in 2014, there are only few Indian companies participating in the production of CPV. The report is designed to guide new players’ entrance into the market.
  • The New England-Canada Business Council (NECBC) will hold its 21st Annual Energy Trade and Technology Conference 2 -7 pm Thursday, November 7, 2013 and 7 am – 3 pm Friday, November 8, 2013 at the Seaport Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts. The conference will address the Keystone XL oil pipeline and cross-border siting issues, proposed hydro and wind electricity projects for the New England market, and the fast-moving and often controversial development of shale gas and shale oil and how that is causing upheavals in energy markets and energy prices.
Bioenergy Bytes

How To Make E85 Sales Soar

Joanna Schroeder

A bottleneck of too few fuel stations that offer E85 (85% ethanol 15% gasoline), along with price incongruity are two major factors that reduce the ability of E85 to help meet increasing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) biofuel mandates. Iowa State University economists Bruce A Babcock and Sebastien Pouliot state in “How Much E85 Can Be Consumed in the U.S.” that flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) on the road are sufficient in number to consume 3 billion gallons of ethanol if E85 was priced at parity with E10 (estimates for 2014 are 16 million FFVS on the road in the U.S.).

Today, nearly every gallon of gasoline sold in the U.S. already contains a 10 percent ethanol blend. When looking at the RFS goals of 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022, this means that in order to achieve the goals, higher blends of ethanol will be required to be sold. Only FFVs can use ethanol blends above E15 and only vehicles manufactured in 2001 or newer can use E15.

E85 price v regular unleaded gas priceThe dichotomy lies in the fact that while 7 percent of vehicles on the roads are FFVs and growing, only 2 percent of the approximately 121,446 fuel stations in the country offer higher blends of ethanol. In addition, the distribution of flex fuel vehicles does not correspond well with the location of the E85 stations. For example, Texas, California and Florida are several examples of high FFV concentration versus low E85 availability. This results in a loss of potential market.

One other barrier to adoption, according to the paper, was that historically, E85 was priced at a level that increased drivers’ fuel costs versus conventional fuel blends due to the fuel economy loss (studies range from 15 percent to 40 percent depending on type of vehicle, driving habits, etc.) disinclining FFV owners to purchase the fuel. However, this trend is changing due to better pricing of E85 at the pump.

The authors note that while the RFS mandates renewable fuel volumes in excess of 10 percent and flex fuel vehicles and higher ethanol blends exist that would help achieve that mandate, market conditions have not been adjusted to take advantage.

“The dilemma we attempt to answer is how much E85 would be consumed if consumers had unhindered access to the E85 fuel and it was priced competitively with other fuel choices,” said Bruce Babcock, co-author of the study. “When priced at parity under these conditions, with no change to fleet size, consumption of E85 could increase to 3 billion gallons. Introducing E85 pumps in areas with large flex vehicle fleets such as Texas would also increase consumption.”

The paper also details how higher Renewable Identification Numbers (RINS), the currency per se, of ethanol credits that obligated parties such as oil companies accumulate to show compliance with the RFS, also create incentives to price E85 more competitively. This would also result in higher use of ethanol blends.

The paper and its two companion pieces, “RFS Compliance: Death Spiral Or Investment In E85?” and “The Economic Role of RIN Prices” assess the complicated path that the liquid fuel industry must take to meet the federal mandate for renewable fuel volumes.

biofuels, E85, Ethanol, RFS, RINS

Energy Title “Vital” in Farm Bill

Joanna Schroeder

More than 40 bipartisan House and Senate members including Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Representatives Dave Loebsack (D-2-IA) and Aaron Schock (R-18-IL), sent “Dear Colleague” letters to Farm Bill Conference leaders stressing the vital importance of the energy title (Title IX). In response, the Agriculture Energy Coalition (AgEC) praised the legislator’s letter of support.

Farm in Wisconsin“The energy title is critically important to helping rural areas move towards diverse renewable energy and energy efficiency opportunities including wind, solar, biomass, biogas, efficiency upgrades, and hydro in all 50 states,” said Congressman Dave Loebsack on the Farm Bill’s Energy Title. “These programs are also helping our agricultural producers and rural economies be more efficient and adding value to things like farm waste for energy production. They also are critically important to continue to develop cutting edge advanced biofuels that will create jobs here at home and help our nation become more energy secure for use in everything from cars and trucks, to planes and our military.”

The letters continued by saying “REAP, BCAP and BAP are just three examples of energy title programs that are helping our nation utilize our rich agricultural capacity to produce reliable domestic energy. American farmers have long led the world in food crop production, but as we seek to become more energy independent and less reliant on foreign sources of energy to power our economy, ag-based energy products are increasingly important; energy title programs significantly enhance the development of our nation’s clean energy and agriculture economy.”

Lloyd Ritter, co-director of the Agriculture Energy Coalition (AgEC), said of the letters of support, “We would like to extend thanks to the more than 40 Senators and Representatives who expressed their support for vital Farm Bill Energy programs. We especially thank Senators Klobuchar and Blunt, along with Representatives Loebsack and Shock, for their leadership. These Farm Bill energy programs have supported renewable energy development and energy efficiency in rural communities and have helped create or save thousands of good paying jobs. The continued success of these programs requires the long term sustainability of a five year Farm Bill and the necessary investment to maintain healthy programs.”

Agribusiness, Alternative energy, biofuels, farm bill, Solar, Wind