UNICA Asks Gov’t to Educate Country About Ethanol

John Davis

UNICABrazil’s sugar cane growers are asking for some help from that country’s government to educate the public about ethanol. Elizabeth Farina, the President of the Union of the Industry of Cane Sugar Association (UNICA), said the industry needs to overcome prejudices caused by inadequate public policies and interference in the fuel market that hurts ethanol’s competitiveness. To that end, the Parliamentary Front for the Enhancement of the Sugarcane Industry, was officially launched in the capitol city of Brasilia.

“It is very important that society knows that even with negative results in recent years and at the expense of a growing indebtedness and dangerous for the industry, companies have invested heavily in technology to improve performance, increase production and improve sustainability. Unfortunately, the good results on the production side are not translating into financial returns. The nominal average price paid by the ethanol plant is decreasing in the last three years, while the costs of structural and cyclical production has grown relentlessly,” says Farina.

Just last year, more than $4 billion was spent on sugarcane plantation renovations and expansions in Brazil’s South Central region, representing a significant investment in that area’s economy, in addition to the money spent on infrastructure to help the biofuels industry.

“All this does not take into account the increasing resources dedicated to the development of cellulosic ethanol or second generation. It is no coincidence that our companies today get between 7 and 8 thousand liters of ethanol per hectare, while the production of ethanol from corn in the United States, does not exceed 4000 liters per hectare,” stressed the president of UNICA.

UNICA also points out that Brazilian ethanol is recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an advanced biofuel.

Brazil, Ethanol, Ethanol News, International, UNICA

ButyFix- First Carbon-Negative Biobutanol

John Davis

ITRIResearchers in Asia have developed the first carbon-negative biobutanol production technology using cellulose biomass feedstock. ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute) in Taiwan introduced ButyFi, the first biochemical technology for a biobutanol transportation-fuel production with a negative carbon footprint using cellulosic biomass instead of corn.

The total energy content in the lignin-rich biomass has the surplus to cover the energy for production and the entire life cycle of the fuel (well-to-wheel). Therefore, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of ButyFix bio-butanol is slightly negative. ButyFix is available for licensing to biofuel- and chemical-processing organizations. ITRI receives a 2013 R&D 100 Award in November for this breakthrough.

ButyFix technology produces bio-butanol with GHG emission reduction of over 100 percent, much higher than corn ethanol with a GHG reduction of approximately 23 percent. ButyFix achieves a butyrate yield of 0.70 g/g-sugar, which is 94 percent of carbon conversion. This carbon yield is 2.7 times of traditional ABE process.

Replacing corn ethanol with ButyFix butanol in the United States, based on today’s ethanol consumption of 13 billion gallons, would further reduce CO2 emissions by 90 million tons/year. ButyFix butanol is the only biofuel able to achieve a transportation-fuel price of US$2.00/gallon — well below current gasoline and bio-ethanol prices — and without government subsidies.

ButyFix’s proponents say the technology can be retrofitted to current ethanol plants, performs better than ethanol as a drop-in fuel and is more compatible with current gasoline engines (without modification) and existing gasoline infrastructure. In addition, refiners can more quickly meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s renewable fuel standards.

biobutanol, International

SeQuential Adds Seattle Locales for Biodiesel Stock

John Davis

SequentialbSeQuential Pacific Biodiesel is adding more Seattle, Washington locations to its customer base. This story from Pacific Business News says the joint venture between Oregon’s SeQuential Biofuels and Maui-based Pacific Biodiesel is adding the Woodland Park Zoo and Husky Stadium as providers of used cooking oil for the biodiesel producer.

The longest-running commercial biodiesel producer in the Pacific Northwest, the Portland, Ore.-based company said that both facilities join a growing list of Seattle area businesses recycling cooking oil.

In 2012, SeQuential Pacific recycled enough oil from Washington businesses to offset more than 10 million pounds of carbon.

“We’ve worked hard to build a network of partners throughout the Pacific Northwest that truly value our planet,” SeQuential Pacific Biodiesel General Manager Tyson Keever said in a statement. “Our growing customer base in Washington demonstrates the environmental commitment businesses across the state of Washington continue to exemplify of meaningful and economically responsible environmental stewardship.”

Earlier this year, SeQuential produced its 20 millionth gallon of the fuel and struck a deal with the University of Oregon to recycle the athletic department’s cooking oil into biodiesel.

Biodiesel

Dutch Researchers ID Fittest of Fattest for Biodiesel

John Davis

TUdelftalgae1Researchers in The Netherlands are finding the fattest, or best oil-producing, algae in hopes of developing the fittest strain for biodiesel production. This story from TU Delft says the school’s scientists have published their findings in the scientific journal Energy & Environmental Science.

‘The ultimate goal of our research is to make oil-producing algae as fat as possible, then press the oil out of them and finally produce biodiesel suitable for cars from this oil,’ explains PhD student Peter Mooij of TU Delft.

A major threat to the stable cultivation of oil-producing algae is infection by other, thinner algae. One option is to use a sealed cultivation system and keep unwanted algae out of the system by means of sterilisation. Although this is theoretically possible, it would be practically infeasible and extremely expensive to do this on a large scale.

‘Our method is more suitable for large-scale algae production. We try to select for a particular characteristic and not for a particular species of algae. We are unconcerned whether species A or species B is used in our system, as long as they have the characteristic ‘fat’. So all algae are welcome in our system,’ says Mooij.

The article goes on to explain how the researchers are using a technique that provides light and carbon dioxide to the algae during the day that promotes oil production but keeps them from dividing by holding back the nutrients needed for cell division. Those fattest algae are then separated from the others to find the fittest, fattest strain.

algae, Biodiesel, International, Research

IRFA 2014 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Announced

Joanna Schroeder

2013 Iowa RFA SummitThe Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has announced the start of registration for the 8th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit and Trade Show. The Summit is free, open to the public, and will be held January 28, 2014 at The Meadows Conference Center at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa.

With discussion over renewable fuels policy at fever pitch, the 2014 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit will discuss state and national issues facing the renewable fuels industry, including the future of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), biofuels’ impact on future engine technology, and emerging markets for cellulosic ethanol, E15, and biodiesel. Featured speakers will be announced leading up to the Summit.

“The Renewable Fuels Summit is Iowa’s premier renewable fuels event bringing together industry leaders, decision makers and the general public to shape Iowa’s energy future,” said IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “This event provides a great opportunity to hear experts address state and national issues facing the future of renewable fuels, as well as network with biofuels professionals and business leaders throughout the Midwest.”

Click here to register for the Summit and learn about sponsorship and trade show opportunities.

Biodiesel, biofuels, conferences, Ethanol, Iowa RFA

GPRE Acquires BioFuel Energy Ethanol Plants

Joanna Schroeder

Green Plains Renewable Energy (GRPE) has announced a definitive agreement to acquire two of BioFuel Energy Corp’s (BIOF) ethanol plants from its lender group. The ethanol plants are located in Wood River, Nebraska and Fairmont, Minnesota. The two facilities have a combined green_plainsannual production capacity of approximately 220 million gallons, and the acquisition will increase GPRE’s production capacity by 28 percent to over 1.0 billion gallons of ethanol, 2.9 million tons of distillers grains (DDGs) and 230 million pounds of corn oil per year.

BIOF had previously agreed to transfer the ethanol plants to the lender group entity pursuant to a deed in lieu of foreclosure. Following the transfers, GPRE will purchase the ethanol plants and certain related assets from the lender group entity for approximately $101 million, plus working capital. The company intends to fund the purchase with nearly $77 million in term debt and the balance in cash.

The closing of the transaction, which is expected to occur during the fourth quarter of 2013, is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Upon successful completion of the transaction, Green Plains will work to restart the Fairmont, MN plant, which the Company anticipates being back in production by the end of 2013. Carl Marks Advisory Group LLC advised the lender group entity in this transaction.

“Our growth strategy remains focused on right location, right technology at the right price for ethanol production assets and this acquisition meets all three criteria,” stated Todd Becker, GPRE president and CEO. “We have become very proficient in operating multiple process technologies and adding these two ethanol plants continues to drive greater economies of scale in our marketing, risk management and back office operations. We believe this acquisition will be accretive to 2014 earnings and is consistent with our strategy to expand our operations throughout the ethanol value chain and grow long-term shareholder value.”

biofuels, Ethanol, Renewable Energy

SunPower Announces Acquisition of Greenbotics

Joanna Schroeder

SunPower Corp. has announced that it has acquired Greenbotics, Inc., a Davis, Calif.-based company that offers panel cleaning products and services for large-scale solar power plants. With this acquisition, SunPower expands its energy services portfolio for global customers with the SunPower Oasis Power Plant product, especially, says SunPower, in markets with challenging dirt and dust environments. SunPower expects to utilize the robotic technology and the Greenbotics team in conjunction with other product development and large-scale solar field installation projects.

SUNPOWER CORP. GREENBOTICSGreenbotics’ business model is focused on optimizing the performance of solar power plants through a cost-effective cleaning process. For the past two years, the company has used its proprietary CleanFleet robots and service offerings to wash hundreds of megawatts of systems in the Southwest and Western U.S. The robots can be configured for use with a variety of solar panels and mounting types, including fixed-tilt arrays and single-axis trackers and offer a less costly and greener alternative to manual cleaning methods, pressure washers and sprayer trucks. The robots use under a half a cup of water to clean each panel, which is approximately 90 percent less than traditional cleaning methods, making this is viable optimum for solar systems built in desert conditions.

“SunPower’s acquisition of Greenbotics and its CleanFleet robots will allow us to further maximize the proven system performance of our high efficiency, most reliable solar panels, which is critical to a project’s economics and levelized cost of electricity,” said Tom Werner, SunPower president and CEO. “Customers in markets such as the Western U.S., the Middle East and Chile will especially benefit, as dust and debris is a challenge and water is in shorter supply. We are very pleased to add the valuable services offered by Greenbotics to our energy services offerings.”

The CleanFleet robots can be tailored specifically for each power plant to optimize a project’s cleaning schedule. Most panels are cleaned at night to avoid disruption during the daytime, energy-producing hours. Regularly cleaning solar panels located in dry, dusty regions can increase annual energy production by up to 15 percent.

Alternative energy, Electricity, Solar

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFSan Antonio, Texas is the host for the 29th annual conference of the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association (TREIA), titled “Renewable Energy in an ‘All-of-the-Above’ World.” The conference will be held Nov. 11-13, 2013 at the Omni Colonnade hotel. The potential for productive collaboration between the renewable energy and fossil fuels industries will be among several topics of discussion at the event. Headlining the conference will be keynote speaker Dr. Dan Arvizu, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, renowned expert in issues surrounding the integration of 21st century energy technologies with 20th century systems.
  • Sustainable Jersey has announced that $200,000 in grant money is now available to New Jersey municipalities. Funded by the PSEG Foundation, this cycle of the Sustainable Jersey Small Grants Program will support thirty-two local projects that leverage resources to make communities more livable, environmentally friendly and prosperous. This is the second time that the PSEG Foundation has funded the Small Grant Program bringing the total contribution to $400,000. The Sustainable Jersey Small Grants Program will award local governments for projects like electric vehicle charging stations, school food composting centers and community gardens.
  • According to “Latin America Wind Farm Assessment,” just released by Navigant Research, annual wind power installations in Latin America will roughly double, in terms of capacity, over the next 10 years, growing from nearly 2.2 gigawatts (GW) in 2013 to 4.3 GW by 2022. According to Feng Zhao, research director with Navigant, Latin America is expected to account for at least 5.5 percent of the world’s new wind power installations in 2013, and with the strong political support of most governments and rapid economic growth fueling rising electricity demand, wind markets in the region are expected to exhibit double-digit compound annual growth rates through the next 10 years.
  • The Hibiscus Villa eco-resort project in India has been named a finalist for the Intersolar “Solar Projects in India” award. The award winner will be announced at Intersolar India on Nov. 12, 2013. Hibiscus Villa is located in Thanneermukkom on the banks of Lake Vembanad. TeamSustain installed an advanced off-grid renewable energy solar solution featuring Trojan batteries, making the Villa immune to power failure or grid quality.
Bioenergy Bytes

Legislation Introduced to Support Renewable Electricity

Joanna Schroeder

utility scale solar projectU.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Mark Udall (D-CO) have introduced a bill that if passed, would establish a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). The bill would require utilities to generate 25 percent of their power from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources by 2025. The first cousins, say the bill would create jobs, reduce pollution, reduce dependence on foreign fossil fuels, hold down utility rates, boost private investments in state economies and save consumers money.

“Clean energy creates jobs, spurs innovation, reduces global warming and makes us more energy independent. This common-sense proposal would extend Colorado’s successful effort to expand the use of renewable energy alongside natural gas and coal to the entire nation,” said Mark Udall. “I was honored to lead the effort to institute a renewable energy standard in Colorado and am proud to join with Sen. Tom Udall to bring this policy to the nation.”

Christopher Mansour, Vice President of Federal Affairs of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) applauded the proposed legislation. “Removing market barriers and providing a competitive structure that allows the nation to recognize solar energy’s full potential is a top priority for America’s solar industry. We’ve already seen what well-structured renewable energy standards have meant in states. They’ve opened electricity markets to allow for more competition from renewable sources of energy and ultimately driven down the cost of electricity for consumers.

Mansour noted that the success can be replicated at the national level. “A national standard that successfully deploys solar energy would diversify our energy portfolio, reduce costs for consumers, and create jobs. We look forward to constructively working with policymakers to ensure that all forms of solar energy, including solar heating and cooling technologies, work to meet this goal.”

Electricity, Legislation, Renewable Energy, Solar, Wind

Campo Verde Solar Facility Lights Up

Joanna Schroeder

The 139 MW Campo Verde Solar Facility has begun operations in Imperial County, California. The project, acquired by Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, in partnership with Turner Renewable Energy, consists of nearly 2.3 million thin-film modules and is expected to generate enough electricity to power nearly 48,000 homes.

“Southern Company is building for America’s energy future – and solar is an important part of our continued effort First Solar Electric, Campo Verde Solar Project, El Centro, CA~Construction Progressto provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable power,” said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Thomas A. Fanning. “Completing the Campo Verde Solar Facility helps us strategically incorporate more renewables into our diverse energy portfolio.”

The plant, located on nearly 1,400 acres, was built and is operated and maintained by First Solar, a leading global provider of comprehensive PV solar systems. The PV modules use First Solar’s patented thin-film technology and employ a fixed-tilt design.

Ted Turner, owner of Turner Renewable Energy, teamed with Southern Company through a subsidiary in January 2010 to form a strategic alliance to pursue the development of renewable energy projects in the United States. The partnership has primarily focused on acquiring solar PV projects where solar resources are most favorable.

In April 2013, the Campo Verde Solar Facility became the fifth project jointly acquired by Southern Power and Turner Renewable Energy. Including this facility, the partnership has acquired more than 220 MW of solar generation in four states.

Alternative energy, Electricity, Solar