The Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) is pleased to welcome Algenol Biofuels as a new member. Algenol is a global, industrial biotechnology company focused on commercializing its patented algae technology platform for the production of ethanol and other biofuels. Algenol’s DIRECT TO ETHANOL technology uses sunlight, algae, non-arable land and carbon dioxide to produce ethanol and waste biomass that can be converted into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.- Nominations are open for the Sustainable Bio Awards 2014 taking place on March 5, 2014 in Amsterdam during the 9th Annual World Bio Markets Congress. The awards recognize the innovations that are taking place in the development of sustainable and renewable fuels. Categories include Industry Champion 2014, Breakthrough Technology of the Year, Collaboration of the Year, Bio-based Product Innovation of the Year and Bio-Based Strategic Financier of the Year. Nominations will close on Friday, 31st January at midnight GMT.
- There are only three months left to register to compete in the global Valeo Innovation Challenge. Engineering students around the world must register before February 14, 2014. The goal of the Valeo Innovation Challenge is to design equipment that, between now and 2030, will make cars more intelligent and intuitive. Students taking part in the challenge must develop bold, revolutionary solutions for the cars of 2030. To date, 91 teams of engineering students from 17 countries have signed up for the contest and people from over 129 countries have connected to the Valeo Innovation Challenge website.
- Morrison & Foerster, wind power and renewable energy project advisers, has just concluded the final PPA for Apex Clean Energy’s 300 megawatt (MW) Balko Wind project, which will produce enough electricity to power 110,000 U.S. homes. The firm was counsel for Apex in its deal to sell the remaining 100 MW of wind energy capacity from its 300 MW Balko Wind Project through a Renewable Energy Purchase Agreement with the Western Farmers Electric Cooperative. The deal is expected to come online in 2015 and WFEC’s total power capacity will rise to 1,850 MW.
Eight Gas Stations in St. Louis Go Solar
Eight gas station and convenience stores owned by Home Service Oil Company, along with its headquarters in the St. Louis, Missouri area are going solar. Real Goods Solar has been selected to design, install, monitor and maintain the solar power systems. When combined, the solar systems will provide an estimated 378 kW of power and generate nearly 478,000 kilowatt hours each year.
The project involves the deployment of solar power systems on the rooftop of the gas station and convenience stores. Construction is scheduled to begin in December 2013 and be completed in January 2014. This project marks the company’s entry into the fuel retail industry.
“Our selection of Real Goods Solar, a premier solar company in the country, to deploy solar energy at our locations will reduce our carbon footprint while generating significant electricity savings,” said Zach Mangelsdorf, director of real estate and development at Home Service Oil Company. “We see this as a smart investment and a great way to use renewable energy in our operations. We also expect these rooftop solar systems to inspire greater customer loyalty by the many environmentally conscious customers we serve.”
With the solar systems, the gas station and convenience store chain expects to reduce the facilities costs of electricity by at least $43,000 in the first year. This is expected to add up to more than $1 million over the next 25 years, while eliminating more than 18 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions or the equivalent of taking more than 1,757 cars off the road or not consuming 945,225 gallons of gasoline (per EPA-based data).
Justin Pentelute, Real Goods Solar’s president of residential and small commercial systems, added “This win demonstrates our capabilities to pursue new market segments which have significant regional and national growth potential. Not only are we successfully executing our growth strategies in residential, but we are also gaining traction in small commercial systems that represents a fast-growing part of the market. We are proud to work with Home Service Oil Company and applaud their decision to go solar to reduce their operating costs and their carbon footprint.”
How Do You Show Food Thanks?
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, ”Which vehicle do you prefer for hunting?”
Our poll results:
· None – 37%
· UTV – Utility Terrain Vehicle – 26%
· Other – 21%
· ATV – All Terrain Vehicle – 16%
Although off-road vehicles have become popular on farm and ranch settings there is nothing like putting some miles on your hunting boots. Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “How do you show food thanks?” Do you extend your thanks to farmers or donate to the local food bank to show appreciation? Let us know.
Avantec Bringing Ethanol Producers Results
According to Niels Miles Frandsen, Marketing Director, Biofuel, with global biocompany Novozymes, their company’s enzyme Avantec is now used to produce over 20 percent of the U.S. corn ethanol after only being on the market for just over one year. He said that both Avantec, that was released in October of 2012 and Spirazyme Achieve that was released in June of 2013, and now has 10 percent of the market, are doing better than they even hoped.
“Right now ethanol producers are running really tight operations and are constantly looking for ways to improve their production,” said Frandsen. “This technology we have today called Avantec and Spirazyme Achieve actually allows customers to save a lot of corn and still produce the same amount of ethanol.”
Avantec is used in the first part of the production process called liquefaction; whereas Achieve is used in the subsequent process called Saccharification Fermentation. While the two enzymes can work independently of each other, Frandsen said when used together, the enzymes enable producers to squeeze more ethanol out of the corn while saving on energy and chemicals, improving profit margins and efficiency, and reducing their environmental footprint.
When the enzymes are paired together along with Olexa, Frandsen said they are seeing ethanol yield increases of up to 5 percent and corn oil extraction increases by to 13 percent, while saving 8 percent energy. “And all of these things together are big drivers for ethanol producers in the market today.”
To look the savings another way, a typical U.S. ethanol plant uses around 900,000 tons of feed-grade corn per year to produce 100 million gallons of fuel ethanol, 300,000 tons of animal feed and 8,500 tons of corn oil. With Avantec and Spirizyme Achieve, such a plant can either save 36,000 tons of corn while maintaining the same ethanol output or produce an additional 4 million gallons of ethanol without increasing input costs. Either way, profits improve substantially.
Frandsen also gives ethanol producers tips on how to transition their plants to the next generation enzyme technologies.
Learn more about Avantec and Spirazyme Achieve in my interview with Niels Miles Frandsen. Avantec Bringing Ethanol Producers Results
McGinness Hills Geothermal Project Expands
Ormat Technologies has announced that a key milestone was reached in the 30MW expansion of the McGinness Hills geothermal plant complex located in Lander County, Nevada. NV Energy and Ormat signed an amendment to the existing McGinness Hills power purchase agreement (PPA) allowing Ormat to sell 63.7 MW (net average annual capacity) from the complex. Under the amendment, a new energy rate of $85.58/MWh with a 1 percent annual escalator will be set for the entire complex once Phase II enters commercial operation. The amendment is subject to approval by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.
“The favorable performance of the reservoir and the PPA amendment give Ormat the ability to further expand this geothermal site,” explained Yoram Bronicki, president and chief operating officer at Ormat.
“Phase I of our McGinness Hills geothermal power plant has been in commercial operation since June 2012 and the strength of the reservoir allowed the power plant to consistently produce more energy than what was contracted in the original PPA. We are eager to continue development at the site which we hope to complete in mid-2015, as wellas our work with NV Energy to deliver more clean, renewable power to Nevada,” concluded Bronicki.
The McGinness Hills power plant received favorable project financing terms from the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program under section 1705. The proposed expansion was approved by the lenders, John Hancock Life Insurance Company and the U.S. Department of Energy, and is covered under the existing financing structure. The economics of the expanded power plant and the potential availability of government incentives for projects that start construction before the end of 2013 enabled Ormat to provide a reduced power price to electricity customers in Nevada.
Repub. & Dem. Senators Call for Biodiesel Support
Nearly a third of the U.S. Senate, with lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle, calls for support from the Obama Administration regarding biodiesel and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The National Biodiesel Board says the group represents people from Washington state to Minnesota to Maine and calls for a volume requirement of at least 1.7 billion gallons next year.
The letter … was led by Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Al Franken (D-MN), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). It warned that a weakened RFS could lead to plant closures and thousands of lost jobs while threatening future investment.
“Biodiesel has exceeded RFS targets in each year and is clearly poised to do so again in 2013,” the senators wrote. “Biodiesel is improving our energy security by reducing our dependence on imported petroleum diesel, diversifying fuel supplies and creating competition in the fuels market. Setting the 2014 biodiesel volume requirement at reduced levels could have severe impacts on the domestic biodiesel industry.”
Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board, thanked the senators for their support.
“This strong showing of bipartisan support represents the very real impact that biodiesel is having in communities across the country,” Steckel said. “It is creating jobs, reducing emissions and diversifying our fuel supplies so that consumers and our economy are not so vulnerable to volatile global oil markets.”
“Biodiesel is an RFS success story,” she said, “and we are urging the Administration to continue the momentum.”
Just for the record, here are the names of those signing on: Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Angus King (I-ME), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Jon Tester (D-MT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tom Udall (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Mark Kirk (R-IL. ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Kay Hagan (D-NC).
You can read the full text of their letter here.
Boston Parks & Rec Gets Biodiesel Heating Oil Tank
The City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department recently installed new oil tanks that will hold biodiesel heating oil, more commonly known as Bioheat. Biodiesel Magazine reports the change was made possible through CBS EcoMedia’s innovative EcoAd program.
With Bioheat’s support, an aging, 1,000 gallon oil tank located in the maintenance building was replaced. The decades-old tank needed an upgrade to eliminate the potential for operational performance issues that might otherwise plague ratable operational performance. The new tanks will substantially provide a cleaner environment to store Bioheat, and through this collaboration with the EcoAd program, the tanks were resupplied with Bioheat, a cleaner and renewable home heating oil.
The upgrade and transition to Bioheat falls within the Greenovate Boston Initiative, a community-driven movement to get all Bostonians involved in reducing the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050. This initiative was outlined in Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s Climate Action Plan and will enable people to take simple steps that will make the city a better, greener place to live and work.
“Being able to support this exciting project to transition this location to a 21st century heating fuel is what the Bioheat education project is all about,” said Paul Nazzaro, the National Biodiesel Board’s petroleum liaison. “It is my hope that the city continues to learn more about Bioheat and the positive benefits derived from its use.”
City officials see the move as significantly improving the quality of life in Boston.
LNG To Fuel Locomotives
CSX Corporation and GE Transportation, a division of GE, has announced an agreement to explore emissions-cutting and efficiency breakthroughs in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) technology for locomotives beginning with a pilot program in 2014.
“LNG technology has the potential to offer one of the most significant developments in railroading since the transition from steam to diesel in the 1950s,” said Oscar Munoz, executive vice president and chief operating officer, CSX Corporation. “That change took many years to complete and began with a lot of unknowns, and this one is no different. 
But aggressively exploring this technology is consistent with CSX’s focus on tomorrow, its longstanding commitment to efficient and environmentally friendly transportation, and its role in helping to promote U.S. energy independence. GE Transportation has the know-how to provide the right LNG solution for our locomotive fleet and help us better understand the feasibility of LNG technology from a safety, operations and economic perspective.”
According to the two partners, natural gas-fueled locomotives can travel longer distances without refueling stops, as well as provide environmental and economic benefits. Adoption of natural gas-fueled locomotives will make freight rail an even more attractive transportation solution and furthers the industry’s ability to absorb traffic from the nation’s highways in an environmentally efficient way.
“Locomotives are at an inflection point in balancing engine performance with efficiency and adherence to emissions standards,” said Russell Stokes, chief executive officer, GE Transportation. “As we enter a new era of energy sources and what’s possible for rail transport, we are excited to partner with CSX and lead the LNG transformation for the industry.”
GE has been testing low-pressure natural gas technology since spring of 2013, and is working closely with CSX and other Class 1 partners. Field tests are expected to begin in 2014. GE’s NextFuel kits allow railroads to use natural gas as a fuel source, reducing emissions and potentially reducing fuel costs while not compromising performance. An Evolution Series locomotive equipped with the NextFuel Natural Gas Retrofit Kit meets US EPA Tier 3 emission standards.
CSX will be working over the next few months to develop a test plan and secure regulatory concurrence. For CSX, GE Transportation will deploy its new NextFuel Natural Gas Retrofit Kits that enable existing Evolution Series locomotives to operate with dual fuel capabilities. CSX and GE will also work on the continued development of LNG technology for other classes of locomotives to promote gains across a larger portion of the CSX locomotive fleet, and will work closely with key stakeholders and agencies across government to ensure safety, realize environmental and other benefits, and advance LNG deployment.
Ethanol – The Complete Fuel Wins Awards
The Union of the Industry of Cane Sugar Association’s (UNICA) “Ethanol – The Complete Fuel” has won four awards including the Sponsor of the Year for 2013 during the 17th Annual Brazilian Association Rural Marketing and Agribusiness. The country-wide campaign was designed to educate consumers about the benefits of ethanol. The association has also called upon the government to assist with this educational campaign.
We want to recognize the effort made by the entire sugarcane industry, who made this campaign a reality and achieved significant results. The campaign was spearheaded by UNICA with strong engagement with its affiliates, but had important additional support from several plants that are not our affiliates and entities that helped expand the reach of the campaign said UNICA President Elizabeth Farina. Three associations – the Alcopar, Paraná; the Sifaeg; and Siamig Goiás, Minas Gerais – invested its own funds in the campaign and rolled it out in their respective states.
In addition to receiving the award for the UNICA Advertiser of the Year for 2013 in agribusiness, Farina delivered a special tribute for ABMR & A to honor former Agriculture Minister Roberto Rodrigues. He was recognized for his leading role in building the movement Am Agro, which among other elements, conducted an advertising campaign in 2011 in favor of agribusiness, which had as protagonists actors Lima Duarte and Giovanna Antonelli. UNICA was the main supporter of the Movement am Agro.
The Borghi/Low , the agency that developed the campaign “Ethanol, Complete Fuel,” also received several achievements during the awards, including the Agency of the Year in agribusiness in 2013, for their work on behalf of UNICA and the Box Economica Federal, another client of the agency.
We want to give our appreciation for the efforts of all UNICA professionals, Borghi/Lowe and other service providers, which directly contributed to the success of the campaign. It was an intense job that lasted over a year and is now getting due recognition added Farina. And we can not forget the excellent work of Lúcio Mauro Filho, who is a true ally of ethanol.
Consumers Like ‘Green’ Car Options
According to a new survey by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), consumers like ‘green’ car options as long as green means money. Consumers want to see more alternative-fueled vehicles emerge over the next decade, and are willing to consider purchasing one of these vehicles.
Three in five (62%) consumers want to see more hybrid-electric vehicles over the next decade, two in five (43%) want to see more battery electric vehicles and one in three want to see more fuel cell (34%), natural gas, (31%) or flex fuel vehicles (30%), according to the nationwide survey conducted in partnership with Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates LLC.
Consumers don’t simply want to see more alternative-fueled vehicle options — they are quite willing to consider buying them within the decade. Three in four (74%) would consider buying a hybrid electric, and three in five would consider purchasing a flex fuel (62%), fuel cell (58%) or battery electric vehicle (58%). Half of consumers would consider a natural gas powered vehicle (53%).
A relatively small 38% of all consumers would consider buying a diesel fuel-powered vehicle over the next decade. However, consumer willingness to consider diesel vehicles has significantly increase
d since May 2013. Only 31 percent of consumers who plan to purchase a vehicle in the next two years said that they would consider a diesel vehicle in May, whereas 50 percent of those consumers today are likely to consider a diesel vehicle.
Interestingly, consumers who say they are open to purchasing these “green” vehicles are heavily motivated by an economic incentive. Two in three consumers say the switch to an alternative fuel would be driven primarily by economic enticements, rather than environmentalism. Economic factors such as increased fuel efficiency or tax breaks are more important than environmental factors for those considering diesel, flex fuel, hybrid electric, propane, fuel cell, natural gas and battery electric vehicles (79%, 75%, 73%, 71%, 68%, 67%, 65%, respectively).
“This consumer survey reinforces what we have long thought: consumers are willing to embrace new fuels and vehicles but it must make sense for them financially,” said NACS Vice President of Government Relations John Eichberger. “Consumers are just as wary as fuels retailers about moving toward future fuels if they don’t have financial certainty.”
Next week, the Fuels Institute, of which NACS is a founding organization, will release “Tomorrow’s Vehicles,” a report looking at the vehicle market in 2023. In addition, every month, NACS conducts a nationwide survey to measure consumer perceptions about gas prices and how they relate to broader economic conditions. Earlier this week, NACS released its latest consumer sentiment survey that found that recent gas price decreases have helped lead to an increase in consumer optimism.