The South Dakota Safety Council has awarded a Governor’s Safety Award to POET Biorefining – Hudson for excellence in workplace safety and health. Awards were presented by South Dakota Lieutenant Governor Matt Michels.- Ag Leaders is hosting a webinar on October 29th at 8:00 PM CDT and will feature an interview with Geoff Cooper of the Renewable Fuels Association about the future of ethanol, and it’s impact on the corn market. Participants can send questions ahead of time, and for those not able to attend, the webinar will be recorded.
- The Chinese glaciologist and climate scientist Dr. Qin Dahe has been awarded this year’s Volvo Environment Prize. Dr. Dahe is a key contributor to the fifth assessment report from the UN climate panel (IPPC), whose first section, the “Physical Science Basis,” was released in September. He attracted wide attention last year with a report on how climate change leads to more extreme weather events.
- The IND Solar Farm at the Indianapolis International Airport, with project partners General Energy Solutions, Telamon Corporation, Johnson Melloh Solutions, Indianapolis Airport Authority and Indianapolis Power and Light Company, has commissioned its 12.5 MW DC solar photovoltaic project. The IND Solar Farm, the largest airport-based solar farm in North America, consists of 44,128 panels, producing 12.5 megawatts DC of power on 75 acres of land at the Indianapolis International Airport.
EcoEngineers Recieves “Waste Stream” Funding
EcoEngineers has been awarded a State Energy Program Formula grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) to conduct a feasibility study of waste-to-energy projects in Iowa. The grant will enable EcoEngineers to evaluate the economic and technical feasibility of converting biogenic waste streams from Iowa’s agricultural, livestock and industrial operations and municipal solid waste into renewable natural gas (biogas).
“We are grateful that IEDA chose our project. And, we are excited to be able to advance Iowa’s position as a leader in sustainability and renewable energy technology and production,” said EcoEngineers’ Managing Partner Shashi Menon. “This feasibility study is just one more example of Iowa’s commitment to innovative sustainable practices that could very well result in a future increase to the State’s economy.”
The study will compare costs and revenues associated with generating biogas from anaerobic digestion of waste streams. It will also look at existing biogas collection systems at landfills, and it will offer an analytical tool to determine optimum end use for the biogas. The anticipated outcome of the project is to demonstrate that alternative waste treatment options, such as anaerobic digestion systems are economically feasible and financially viable. The report and tools generated from this project will be free and available for the public to use.
“We are excited to partner with EcoEngineers on this project. Having the tools and resources to make decisions regarding waste-to-energy projects will not only spur economic development in the state but also assist in meeting a number of environmental goals like reduced emissions and improved water and air quality,” said Paritosh Kasotia, Energy Team Leader for the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
Iowa is a good location for the study because the state leads the nation in agriculture, meat production and production of renewable fuels. These industries generate waste streams that are rich in organic material that can be broken down to produce biogas, 
comprised mostly of methane and carbon dioxide. Biogas can be used as a fuel in a gas engine where it is converted into electricity and heat, and can also be purified and compressed, the same way natural gas is compressed to CNG, and used to power motor vehicles.
Other incentives for the project include current federal policy under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) that allows biogas from manure digesters and sewage treatment plants to qualify for Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs). However, the biogas must be used as transportation fuel. Over the past three years, EcoEngineers has supplied engineering and regulatory expertise for several landfill biogas and anaerobic digester projects and successfully connected the projects with environmental credit (RIN) markets, thus closing the loop to allow for financing. Through these projects, EcoEngineers has helped bring over 72 million gallon-equivalents of biogas generation capacity into commerce.
DOE Awards $60M in Solar Projects
Energy Secretary Moniz has announced $60 million in funding to support innovative solar energy research and development. The awards are part of DOE’s SunShot Initiative and will help lower the cost of solar electricity, advance seamless grid integration and support a growing U.S. solar workforce.
“The tremendous growth in the U.S. solar industry over the past few years is helping to pave the way to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future that protects our air and water and provides affordable clean energy to more and more Americans,” said Moniz. “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 innovation.”
According to DOE, over the last three years, the cost of a solar energy system has dropped by more than 70 percent – helping to give more and more American families and businesses access to affordable, clean energy. The series of awards just announced are intended to further reduce costs – including soft costs like permitting, installation and interconnection– and to improve hardware performance and efficiency.
Since 2007, more than 50 American start-ups have participated in the SunShot Incubator Program – attracting more than $1.7 billion in private sector backing, or nearly $18 for every $1 of government support. As part of this announcement, DOE is investing more than $12 million across 17 companies to help commercialize a wide range of technologies and services – from online tools that can map a rooftop’s solar potential in seconds to automated installation systems for utility scale photovoltaic plants.
The Energy Department is also awarding approximately $16 million to four projects that will help develop solar devices that near the theoretical efficiency limits of single junction solar cells, or about 30 percent efficiency. The Department is also awarding about $7 million to develop stronger, more reliable solar components as well as dependable performance tests for microinverters and microconverters. They provide easier installation and more effective capture of energy for both photovoltaic and concentrating solar power systems. Together, these awards are helping to accelerate breakthroughs in solar energy conversion efficiency and performance – driving further cost reductions.
More Oil from Plants Could Increase Biodiesel Output
Government scientists have found the genes that increase the oil production in plant leaves, and that could increase the amount of biodiesel that can be squeezed out of plants. This news release from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory says finding a way to enhance that oil expression in those parts of the plant could have significant implications for biofuel production.
“If we can transfer this strategy to crop plants being used to generate renewable energy or to feed livestock, it would significantly increase their energy content and nutritional values,” said Brookhaven biochemist Changcheng Xu, who led the research. The experiments were carried out in large part by Xu’s group members Jilian Fan and Chengshi Yan.
Think about it in the familiar terms of calories: Oil is twice as energy-dense as carbohydrates, which make up the bulk of leaves, stems, and other vegetative plant matter. “If you want to cut calories from your diet, you cut fat and oils. Conversely, if you want to increase the caloric output of your biofuel or feed for livestock, you want more oil,” said Xu.
But plants don’t normally store much oil in their leaves and other vegetative tissues. In nature, oil storage is the job of seeds, where the energy-dense compounds provide nourishment for developing plant embryos. The idea behind Xu’s studies was to find a way to “reprogram” plants to store oil in their more abundant forms of biomass.
The biggest challenge for the researchers was finding the oil production genes in the vegetative part of the plant, where the oil isn’t normally stored. If this works out, scientists could find ways to transfer the technology to biomass-dedicated crops.
Biodiesel Board Asks for Your Letter of RFS Support
Our friends at the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) are asking for your letter of support of the Renewable Fuels Standard. NBB has launched a letter-writing campaign to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to discourage the agency from cutting the amount of biomass-based diesel in the RFS:
As a supporter of the U.S. biodiesel industry, I want to express my alarm at the draft proposal for 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes that has been circulating recently. I want to make clear that, if approved, this proposal would reduce biodiesel production by some 25 percent and deliver a devastating blow to a young and growing industry, as well as to our bipartisan goals for building America’s energy capacity.
NBB has prepared a template to make it easier to submit the letter, and officials say now is the time for biodiesel advocates to step up to the plate:
The EPA’s draft 2014 volume proposal is now undergoing interagency review and won’t be made public until later this year. Our industry has proven it has the capacity to continue its successful growth, but given the attacks on the RFS this year, it is imperative that the biodiesel industry make its voice heard. We have met several times with [Office of Management and Budget] and EPA and are pressing for a volume increase for Biomass-based Diesel.
More information is available on the NBB’s Fueling Action Center website.
Crowdfunding Campaign to Connect Schools to Solar
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has launched a unique crowdfunding campaign to support a new initiative to help schools purchase and install rooftop solar systems. The crowdfunding campaign – a first for NRDC – initially seeks to raise $54,000 through the site Indiegogo to help three to five to-be-determined schools move forward with solar rooftop projects. At least one of the locations will be selected by contributors to the campaign, who can vote on the city of their choice.
As part of the campaign, NRDC also is developing an online platform that local schools can use to navigate the pathway to obtain solar power. The site will detail state and local rules regarding solar power installations across America, and connect schools and communities with organizations and experts that can support them each step of the way.
“Our ultimate goal is help every school that wants solar power to get it,” said NRDC renewable energy policy director Nathanael Greene. “If we can hold fundraisers for field trips and sports teams, we can do the same to get our schools on solar. Switching to clean, renewable solar energy helps the environment and the health of our local communities, but also helps schools to cut energy expenses and funnel the savings to other programs.”
The benefits to local schools and students can be substantial. In California, for instance, the Firebaugh-Las Deltas United School District was able to reinstate a music program for 2,300 students after installing solar on its schools, thanks to an estimated $900,000 in energy cost savings. Students also get a first-hand look at how solar energy works, and a real life lesson on why science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is important.
“Numerous organizations and programs – mainly through utilities – are putting solar panels on schools,” said Jay Orfield, environmental innovation fellow in NRDC’s Center for Market Innovation. “What’s different about our program is that it aims to make solar an option for any school, anywhere, by beginning with local school administrators, parents, teachers, students and communities and giving them the tools to they need to make solar power a reality.
NRDC is partnering with several other organizations on the campaign, including The Solar Foundation, Community Power Network, Bonneville Environmental Foundation (Solar 4R Schools) and Three Birds Foundation.
Arkalon Ethanol Signs Up for Enogen
Arkalon Ethanol, LLC based in Liberal, Kansas has signed an agreement with Syngenta to 
use corn that features Enogen trait technology. The ethanol plant will begin to use the trait, replacing its liquid alpha amylase, following the 2014 corn harvest.
“We are excited to announce this agreement with Arkalon Ethanol and we’re confident that Enogen technology is a solution that can add tremendous value to its operation,” said David Witherspoon, head of renewable fuels for Syngenta. “We have collaborated with Arkalon throughout this entire process and this agreement is a true example of our commitment to our customers, and the types of partnerships we want to form within the ethanol industry.”
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. This breakthrough reduction 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.
Arkalon’s sister plant, Bonanza BioEnergy, LLC, is currently wrapping up its first year of contracting with local growers to produce Enogen grain. Syngenta collaborated with Bonanza BioEnergy on a three-month Enogen technology trial that ended in July 2012. A commercial agreement followed in November that same year. Arkalon Ethanol and Bonanza BioEnergy are two of three ethanol plants operated by Conestoga Energy Partners, LLC.
“After seeing the value that Enogen corn can create at our Bonanza plant, we naturally wanted to explore implementing the technology at the Arkalon plant,” said Tom Willis, CEO of Conestoga Energy Partners. “We have full confidence in the technology and in Syngenta as a partner, and we are eager to begin working with our local farmers to supply Enogen grain.”Read More
New Funding to Develop Advanced Biofuels Projects
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of $181 million to develop commercial-scale biorefineries or retrofit existing facilities with appropriate technology to develop advanced biofuels. The Biorefinery Assistance Program was created through the 2008 Farm Bill and is administered by USDA Rural Development. It provides loan guarantees to viable commercial-scale facilities to develop new and emerging technologies for advanced biofuels.
“This financing will expand the number of commercial biorefineries in operation in the U.S. that are producing advanced biofuels from non-food sources,” Vilsack said. “USDA’s Biorefinery Assistance Program is yet another way USDA is helping to carry out the Obama Administration’s ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy to develop every possible source of American-made energy. But the benefits go beyond reducing our dependence on foreign oil. These biorefineries are also creating lasting job opportunities in rural America and are boosting the rural economy as well.”
Applications for biorefinery assistance are due by January 30, 2014. More information about how to apply is available in the October 2, 2013 Federal Register announcement or by contacting the USDA Rural Development National Office.
Since the start of the Obama Administration, the USDA Biorefinery Assistance Program has provided approximately $684 million in assistance to support biofuels projects in eight states.
Secretary Vilsack noted that today’s funding announcements are another reminder of the importance of USDA programs such as the Biorefinery Assistance Program for rural America. A comprehensive new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would further expand the rural economy, Vilsack added, saying that’s just one reason why Congress must get a Food, Farm and Jobs Bill done as soon as possible.
Ethanol Sweet Spots – Part II
Yesterday, DF featured an article on “Must Know Ethanol Trends” that came out of Christianson & Associate’s, PPL (C&A) Biofuels Benchmarking 2012-13 Annual Report. In addition to identifying important trends for the industry, the report also identified some “sweet spots” for the industry.
John Christianson, partner with C&A, said running a good business is the first thing and being as efficient as possible is important and having good sound prudent risk management is always going to be at the forefront of your business. But going forward, he said there are technology and market issues that will be a factor, or a sweet spot, for the ethanol industry.
“From a technology perspective, we’re seeing plants go further and digging further into the yield component,” said Christianson. “They are looking at difference technologies that will allow them to remove different components of the kernel of corn and allow them to create multiple products on the back-end. As we see this industry evolve, we’re going to see them evolve into a biorefinery industry.”
He cautioned that in order for a plant to make investments, you need a technology that is going to provide a return on investment. Last year was not the year for plants to make investments but Christianson said plants will need to make technology investments if they want to continue to be a long-term viable company.
Any ethanol plant interested in becoming a participant in C&A’s Benchmarking program, or interested in purchasing the The Biofuels Benchmarking 2012-13 Annual Report can contact the Benchmarking team.
Listen to John Christianson discuss ethanol sweet spots in detail here: Ethanol Sweet Spots
Ethanol Production & Crush Margins Improve
According to forecasts published in Biofuelscan, a daily report from Platts that covers the global biofuels industry, U.S. ethanol production data, to be reported on October 23, 2013 by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), ethanol production for the week ending October 18, 2013 was 861,000 barrels/day (b.d). This number would show an increase of 0.58 percent from last week’s Bentek Energy ethanol production forecast.
Corn futures prices have hovered near three-year lows and rising crush margins – the price difference between a gallon of ethanol and gallon of corn — have combined to boost ethanol production in recent weeks. As a result, ethanol production figure has risen for four of the past five weeks, and it is expected to rise further, given the projections of a bumper U.S. corn crop during the 2013 harvest season.
According to calculations from Kingsman, the sugar analytics unit of Platts, the crush margin will rise to 24.4 cents/gal for the reporting week, up 6.3 cents/gal from the prior week.
Platts began publishing its Bentek Energy and Kingsman forecasts of ethanol production and crush margins, respectively October 4, 2013 to fill a data gap during the temporary shutdown of the U.S. government related to lack of budget appropriations.
“We are pleased to meet a market need for independent estimates of this important government data series,” said Simon Thorne, editorial director of agriculture at Platts. “The advance forecasts are aimed at helping the marketplace better estimate price-sensitive data and assist customers in making better and timelier business decisions.”
The Bentek Energy forecast of U.S. ethanol production utilizes data from approximately the past three years and is calculated on actual consumption figures at ethanol production plants.
“When comparing the Bentek production forecast alongside the actual government production data, our estimate is within an average 0.06% – a very strong correlation since the records began in 2011,” concluded Thorne.