Argonne Take Cues From Nature

Joanna Schroeder

Scientists working at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) are looking to nature’s catalysts, enzymes, for inspiration in their quest to find a more effective means of converting biomass into renewable fuel. The research is focused on inedible plant materials that contain cellulose (such as wood chips and switchgrass), which can be broken down into sugars and then converted into biofuels.

According to the researchers, it is a challenging process to commercialize because plant cell walls are tough and recalcitrant, meaning they naturally resist being broken down into sugars. Therefore this obstacle has made it difficult to produce biofuels at a cost and pace that can compete with petroleum-based transportation fuels.

ALCF researchTo address this issue, the research team from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado is using Mira, the ALCF’s 10-petaflops supercomputer, to conduct large-scale simulations of the physical behavior of cellulase enzymes. Naturally produced by some fungi and bacteria, these particular enzymes are being modeled because they effectively trigger the chemical changes necessary to degrade hardy plant materials into life-sustaining sugars.

“Through our studies at the ALCF, we hope to uncover how these enzymes can be manipulated to develop superior biological catalysts for improved biofuel production,” said Michael Crowley, NREL senior scientist and project principal investigator.

Crowley and his colleagues are carrying out the simulations to gain a fundamental understanding of the complex cellulose-to-sugar conversion process, known as enzymatic hydrolysis. With this information, researchers will be able to identify potential enzyme modifications and then feed their discoveries into experiments aimed at developing and validating improved catalysts.Read More

advanced biofuels, biomass, Cellulosic, Research

Straw for Renewable Diesel Explored

John Davis

nestestraw1A group of Finnish companies are looking into turning straw into renewable diesel. This news release from Neste Oil says the company has teamed up with Raisioagro and TTS to study the feasibility of a large-scale straw harvesting chain to make the green fuel.

Microbial oil technology developed by Neste Oil enables straw to be used as a feedstock for producing NExBTL renewable diesel. Neste Oil has tested processing of straw for some years and pilot-scale microbial oil production trials were started last year when Europe’s first microbial oil pilot plant was commissioned at Porvoo.

“Microbial oil produced from industrial and agricultural residues, such as straw, is one of our potential future feedstocks for producing NExBTL renewable diesel,” says Lars Peter Lindfors, Neste Oil’s Senior Vice President, Technology. “We have already tested the use of straw for producing microbial oil at our pilot plant at Porvoo and the results have been promising. This latest research project will give us valuable new information on the true potential straw offers as a feedstock for producing renewable fuel in Finland and on the logistics chain needed to supply straw in the quantity required for an industrial process like ours.”

The researchers hope the straw-based renewable diesel will be a boon to rural areas.

Neste Oil produces renewable fuels from 10 different feedstocks.

Biodiesel, International

World Biodiesel Production Seen to Rise

John Davis

soybeans1Worldwide biodiesel production is expected to rise to 24.7 million metric tons this year. This article from Bloomberg says Germany’s Oil World says the rise will be fed by more use of soybean oil, already the leading biodiesel feedstock, and the spike in petroleum oil prices.

Biodiesel output will increase 6.3 percent in 2013 compared with a 5.8 percent rise last year, the Hamburg-based researcher said in an e-mailed report today. It’s advanced since 2009. Brazil’s production estimate was raised 11 percent to 2.65 million tons this year, while output in Argentina won’t fall below 1.8 million tons, as had been predicted previously.

The fuel is benefiting from its relative attractiveness as an end-product for feedstocks, or raw materials used in the industrial process, such as soybean, palm and rapeseed oil, as well as elevated crude prices, according to the researcher.

Conditions “for biodiesel producers have improved owing to a sharp decline of prices of vegetable oils and fats under the lead of soya oil,” Oil World said. “Also the appreciation of crude mineral oil prices is promoting the demand for biofuels.”

Globally, soybean oil use is expected to rise 2.9 percent to 7.08 million tons this year, with a 20 percent increase to 2.2 million tons in soybean production for fuel in the U.S. Brazil is estimated to see a 12 percent increase to 2 million tons, while Argentina’s soybean production will drop 25 percent to 1.83 million tons.

Biodiesel, International, Soybeans

Cool Planet Chooses Louisiana for Biofuel Project

Joanna Schroeder

Cool Planet Energy Systems, a developer of small scale biorefineries which convert non-food biomass into gasoline, jet fuel, and soil biochar, has announced the selection of Alexandria, Louisiana as the location for their first commercial biorefinery. The facility will be located on the Port of Alexandria in Rapides Parish and will serve as a showcase facility. The goal of Cool Planet is to build hundreds of additional small scale biorefineries across the U.S. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2014.

The site was chosen due to tremendous support from the city of Alexandria, and the economic development team from the state of Louisiana. The location provides access to an abundance of renewable biomass feedstock, the ability to load fuel onto barges, rail lines and trucks, and local talent to operate the facility.

“Louisiana is known for its substantial oil interests, but now will also have the distinction of being home to the first, of what is planned to become many, production facilities for Cool Cool PlanetPlanet’s renewable, high-performance gasoline and soil enhancing biochar,” said CEO Howard Janzen. “Our goal for the Alexandria facility is to be economically competitive with conventional fuels made from non-renewable crude oil.”

The company believes it will have one of the lowest capital costs per plant in the refining industry, with project economics that work at facilities 100 times smaller than conventional refineries, while being able to use a wide variety of renewable biomass materials as inputs. construction is expected to be complete before the end of 2014.

In other news, Cool Planet has completed a joint vehicle road test with Ventura County, California. Officials ran a 5 percent blend of the company’s renewable, low-carbon gasoline for six weeks during their normal operations. The demonstration received special approval from the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

External testing of the fuel was conducted at various points during the fleet demonstration. Carbon-14 dating proved that Cool Planet was successfully turning renewable plant material into drop-in fuel.

advanced biofuels, aviation biofuels, biomass

Getting to Know Nelson Engineering

Joanna Schroeder

Nelson EngineeringDo you know Nelson Engineering? No, well you should. The company hit my radar a few weeks ago while in Galva, Iowa during the Quad County Corn Processors ground-breaking for its new Adding Cellulosic Ethanol “ACE” project, a bolt-on technology innovation that will specialize in converting corn fiber into cellulosic ethanol. Nelson Engineering is the lead engineering firm on this project.

I caught up with Rick Serie, director of business development, during the 26th Annual Ethanol Conference and learned that Nelson Engineering was founded about six years ago and they are a very diversified company. They offer the biofuel industry, and beyond, every different principle of engineering you could ever imagine. The team, explained Serie, is also very diversified and chalk full of biofuel experts.

Serie has been in the ethanol industry since the mid-90s and he said that he still enjoys the industry. Why? Because ethanol so good for America and so good for agriculture. He noted that when he began in the industry a bushel of corn sold for $2 and farmers were still receiving subsidies. But today, he noted, no one talks about this because growers no longer need the subsidies.

Nelson Engineering is a bit unique, explained Serie because they do more than one would think of as “traditional” engineering. For example, he believes they have one of the strongest safety programs for an ethanol (or biorefinery) facility. He said that Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is staffing up and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is staffing up and visiting ethanol plants. When they come in, he said, they give citations and fine the plant.

“So what we do,” continued Serie, “is we do safety audits for plants to give them that reassurance that they’re up to compliance. And if they do have holes in their compliance, so to speak, we can help them get up to compliance.” He said it’s a very thorough audit and takes several days.

This is not all they do. You can learn more about the company, their services and the work they are doing on the ACE project by listening to my interview with Rick Serie here: Getting to Know Nelson Engineering

Visit the ACE 26th Annual Ethanol Conference photo album.

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, biogas, Ethanol

New Biodiesel Refinery to be Built in Philippines

John Davis

philippinesflag1A new biodiesel refinery is planned for the Philippines. This story from Biofuels International says oil company TWA will build the 7-million-gallon-a-year facility.

‘The Philippine Coconut Authority has said there are enough local raw materials for both local and foreign commitments. They are just waiting for the National Biodiesel Board to make the call on a higher blend requirement,’ TWA operations manager Tanya Samillano was quoted as saying.

TWA owns the Flying V brand of petrol stations in the country and has been dispensing B1 fuel for many years: ‘We believe a move to B5 will help both the economy and local coconut farmers,’ Samillano adds.

The new refinery is expected to cost nearly $1 million, about the same as another TWA plant in another part of the Philippines.

Biodiesel, International

Students Fly the Skies with Biofuel

Joanna Schroeder

Purdue faculty and students took to the skies with biofuel when the Purdue Embrarer Phenom 100 flew during the recent Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture, an international plane show. The airplane was unique in that one engine was filled with traditional jet fuel while the other engine was filled with a biofuel blend prepared by the Air Force. The plane was flown from the Purdue airport to Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

According to David Stanley, Purdue’s Air Transport Institute for Environmental Sustainability (Air TIES) co-director, the demonstration flight was one of the first in the U.S. in which a university-owned jet flew with biofuels. This flight is just one in many that will bring Purdue closer to its goal of operating a green training fleet.

Pilot Lisa Lewis, director of flight operations at Purdue Airport, was joined in the cockpit by student co-pilot, Braxton Baker. Air TIES uses student researchers on their projects because they are the next generation of aviation leaders.

Screen Shot 2013-09-02 at 12.17.41 PMRichard Simmons, executive director of research at the Air Ties Research Center noted that while there have been many flights, they have mostly been with larger jets. This flight was unique, he said, because it involved a smaller aircraft in a university setting. Simmons explained that it is one of the first university jets to travel using a biofuel blend.

Upon arrival, the jet was taxied to the exhibit area and viewed by air show attendees.

“The fuel was approved and meets the same specifications as a jet fuel,” Simmons said in an article in AgriNews. “There was very little concern about performance. That’s one reason we want to go back and compare performance data and validate it.”

Before and after the flight, key performance measurements will be studied and selected system inspections will be made. During the flight, engine and fuel system measurements were compiled and corresponding data from previous research from the laboratory will be compared and analyzed as the basis for an exploratory paper on the use of biofuels in aircraft of this size. The biofuel Purdue is studying includes Camelina-based HEFA (hydroprocessed esters and fatty acid).Read More

aviation biofuels, Renewable Energy, Research

Get to Know A Face of Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

One message that was delivered during the 26th Annual Ethanol Conference over and over again is that both legislators and consumers need to know the faces of ethanol – to hear personal stories of how ethanol benefits America. One member of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has realized the power of a personal story and that is Gene Griffith, CEO and co-founder of Patriot Renewable Fuels based in Annawan, Illinois.

ACE13-ignite-and-unite-gene-and-kathy-griffithWhen Patriot went into production five years ago, Griffith noted that a shift was beginning from consumer acceptance of ethanol to consumer skepticism. “At that point in time, we’ve seen a lot of change in the acceptance of ethanol and they way its promoted and the way its accepted not only by the person on the street, but by the policy people in Washington, D.C.” he explained. “So it’s changed a lot and I think we need to do some things to correct that.”

When asked about when he realized that he needed to step up and begin promoting the positive message of ethanol, Griffith said during the last few months all the major ethanol associations have launched campaigns and he started looking at what they were doing. He realized that the industry isn’t going to get good support unless they step up, and so he has tried to help get more community involvement.

It was then they he along with several others, including his wife Kathy, realized that they needed to figure out how to use social media. They identified that their five year anniversary would be a good event with which to begin trying out some social media tools. They began actively using their Facebook page, set up a Twitter account and even began blogging on their website. In a matter of days, thousands of people, both from their local community and elsewhere, began learning about Patriot Renewable Fuels, their partners, employees and their products.

Griffith said that while trying to figure out how to use the tools was a bit overwhelming, he also noted that they are definitely getting the message out and encourages other ethanol plants to do the same.

Learn how to get into the social media game and why you should get into the social media space in my interview with Gene Griffith.

Get to Know a Face of Ethanol

Visit the ACE 26th Annual Ethanol Conference photo album.

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, Education, Ethanol

Renewables Top 14% of Electrical Generation

Joanna Schroeder

According to the latest issue of the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) “Electric Power Monthly” renewable energy sources provided 14.20 percent of the country’s net electric generation during the first half of the year (through June 30, 2013). During the same period in 2012, renewables accounted for 13.57 percent of net electrical generation.

iStock_000019619550XSmallIn addition, the report found that non-hydro renewables have more than tripled their output during the past decade. They now account for almost the same share of electrical generation (6.71%) as does conventional hydropower (7.49%). Ten years ago (i.e., calendar year 2003), non-hydro renewables provided only 2.05% of net U.S. electrical generation.

Comparing the first six months of 2013 to the same period in 2012, solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) combined have grown 94.4 percent while wind increased 20.1 percent and geothermal grew by 1.0 percent. Biomass declined by 0.5 percent while hydropower dropped by 2.6 percent. Among the non-hydro renewabes, wind is in the lead, accounting for 4.67 percent of net electrical generation, followed by biomass (1.42%), geothermal (0.43%), and solar (0.19%).

The balance of the nation’s electrical generation mix for the first half of 2013 consisted of coal (39.00% – up by 10.3%), natural gas and other gas (26.46% – down by 13.6%), nuclear power (19.48% – up by 0.2%), and petroleum liquids + coke (0.66% – up by 15.6%). The balance (0.21%) was from other sources and pumped hydro storage.

“Every year for the past decade, non-hydro renewables have increased both their net electrical output as well as their percentage share of the nation’s electricity mix,” said Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign. “Moreover, the annual rate of growth for solar and wind continues in the double digits, setting new records each year.”

Electricity, Geothermal, Hydro, Solar, Wind

K State Offers Tips for Biodiesel Feedstock Canola

John Davis

CanolaAs the popularity of canola rises, in part due to its role as a feedstock for biodiesel, extension representatives from Kansas State University offer some tips to encourage growing the golden crop during winter rotations.

Mike Stamm, a canola breeder and associate agronomist at Kansas State University, said about 80 percent of the canola oil consumed in the United States is imported, so it makes sense for farmers in the southern Great Plains to grow more winter canola.

“One of the reasons why we’re encouraging farmers to grow winter canola is that the same equipment used for wheat production can also be used for winter canola,” Stamm said.

Canola makes an excellent rotational crop with winter wheat, he said, because different classes of herbicide used to control weeds in winter canola also control weeds that can be troublesome for winter wheat. The roots of a canola plant can draw nutrients and water that are deep in the soil up to the surface that often times wheat roots can’t reach.

Seeds within canola pods are small, but their value is not. Each 2 millimeter (mm) diameter seed is about 40 percent oil. With a current futures price for the 2014 crop around $11.35 per bushel, canola is looking profitable for the coming year, Stamm said.

Stamm goes on to offer some tips on crop insurance, selecting the right cultivar and site, planting timing and methods, and soil, weed, insect and disease management.

Biodiesel, feedstocks