NextFuels Producing Biofuels from Palm Residue

Joanna Schroeder

NextFuels has unveiled its strategy for economically producing transportation and industrial fuels from wet, unprocessed agricultural waste. The underlying technology, which was developed by Shell Oil over several years, will allow NextFuels and its partners to produce bio-based petroleum at commercial scale for $75 to $85 a barrel out of wet biomass that has not been mechanically or thermally dried. The company will also provide palm plantation owners and others a way to transform the tons of residual plant matter generated by agricultural operations into a new, profitable second crop.

Screen Shot 2013-08-21 at 12.17.54 PMThe company is collaborating on its commercial strategy with Enagra on the development of its technology.

“Dr. Frans Goudriaan and Dr. Jaap Naber have been working on this technology for almost 30 years. With Dr. Ralph Overend’s extensive background in the biomass and biofuels space, we are extremely excited to be moving this unique technology forward,” said Michael Petras, CEO of NextFuels. “While we have a lot of work ahead of us, we look forward to helping solve the biomass issue in Malaysia.”

According to NextFuels, edible palm oil has surpassed soybean to become the largest source of cooking oil in the world, accounting for over 50 million tons of oil annually. While plantation owners have managed to increase the productivity of their land by 15 times since the late 80s, the growth of the industry has created a corresponding residue problem. Approximately 4.4 to 6 metric tons of agricultural waste is generated for each metric ton of oil. There are over 1,000 crude palm oil (CPO) mills in Southeast Asia and a single (60 tons per hour) mill can generate 135,000 tons of agricultural residue a year.

NextFuels use a system called bio-liquefaction that efficiently transforms agricultural biomass to green energy. Biomass is placed into the plant mixed with water. The mixture is then heated to 330◦ Celsius while pressure is increased to 220 bar. Increasing the pressure keeps the water from coming to a boil, which conserves energy.

When cooled, the hydrocarbons form a putty-like substance called GreenCrude. Roughly 25% of the GreenCrude can be burned as a solid fuel in industrial boilers. The remaining 75% can be converted into a liquid-fuel equivalent to petroleum that is compatible with existing pipelines and vehicles. The equipment required to convert GreenCrude into liquid fuels, in a process called hydrodeoxygenation, is already installed at most refineries and can accept GreenCrude with minor refinements.Read More

advanced biofuels, biomass

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFUL (Underwriters Laboratories), a global safety science leader, was recently selected as the only foreign testing center for wind turbine generation systems over 750kW by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS), a division within the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MTIE). This designation by the Korean MTIE will allow global and local companies to earn not only local certification for Korea, but also international certification as it follows the IEC 61400-22 or GL Guideline. The new certification process for large scale wind turbine generation systems is anticipated to begin on September 1, 2013.
  • The 4th Texas Offshore Wind Energy Roundtable (TOWER) Conference, hosted by the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern US, Inc. and the Texas Wind Energy Clearinghouse, is taking place in Houston, Texas on August 27-28, 2013. The goal of the conference is to help industry leaders from Texas realize opportunities and obstacles by bringing some of the leading experts from Europe and the US to Houston. Conference participants can expect to be caught up on the latest developments and challenges in the Texas offshore and onshore wind market and to be able to network with some of the biggest players in the wind industry from the Gulf Coast region.
  • Construction is beginning for geothermal at the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT). The college offers an undergraduate renewable energy major, hosts the research-oriented Geo-Heat Center, and will soon increase its own geothermal capacity with a new 1.75-MW small geothermal plant. OIT already has a small 280-kW geothermal
    combined heat and power plant, and with the new geothermal addition as well as a new solar array, the campus will be almost completely carbon neutral.
  • Real Goods Solar has completed the acquisition of Syndicated Solar, Inc. Based in Denver, Colorado, Syndicated Solar’s efficient sales processes and integrated software tools have enabled it to rapidly grow in the residential sector. The company has three regional offices in Grand Junction, Colorado, and in the St. Louis, Missouri, and San Jose, California metro areas, all of which will remain in place.
Bioenergy Bytes

Biodiesel Production Starts at Promethean Biofuels

John Davis

us-energyprometheanEarlier this summer, we told you about the deal between U.S. Energy Initiatives Corp. Inc. and California-based Promethean Biofuels for upcoming biodiesel refining. This Biodiesel Magazine article says they’re now actually producing biodiesel at Promethean’s 2.1 to 3 MMgy refinery.

“We are just excited to be producing B100 biodiesel, which is a high-grade, single-source ASTM-quality biodiesel,” said USEI CEO Anthony Miller. “Our goal is to utilize a wide variety of feedstocks to make different biofuels. Promethean Biofuels is an amazing firm with an extremely competent staff and we are exceedingly happy to be working with them. This week we begin a plan of acquiring feedstock for biodiesel and our initial purchase of 6,000 gallons should ramp up to 18,000 gallons per week in the next few weeks. There is a significant demand for [biodiesel] and our goal is to capitalize on this bourgeoning market. At this level of production noted hereto we believe that U.S. Energy’s revenue should exceed $100,000 in the next 45 days. Our management has other plans and partnerships that it is seeking to help us to reach our potential as a biofuel producer and marketer.”

The article goes on to say the partnership is designed to help meet California’s demand for biodiesel under the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS).

Miscellaneous

DF Cast: Agencies Work Together on Biofuels Targets

John Davis

On August 6, 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final rule for the 2013 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) based on analysis provided by, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which revised downward its cellulosic biofuel forecast for 2013 to 4 million gallons (or 6 million ethanol-equivalent gallons) target for cellulosic biofuels use in 2013, less than half what was proposed just six months ago… and well below the 1 billion gallon target specified in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

But how did the EIA come up with its numbers, which ended up being part of the basis for what the EPA projected in its 2013 RFS final rule? In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we talk with Mindi Farber-DeAnda, Team Lead, Biofuels and Emerging Technologies, Office of Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels Analysis at EIA, who explains how the two agencies work together.

Hear more of the conversation here: Domestic Fuel Cast - EIA & EPA Work Together on Biofuels Targets

You can also subscribe to the DomesticFuel Cast here.

Audio, biofuels, Cellulosic, Domestic Fuel Cast, Government

India & Australia Renewable Energy Investments Up

Joanna Schroeder

India and Australia, powered by policy support from the government, will increase their share of renewable energy projects in the near future, according to the recent report, Asia-Pacific Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2013, published by GlobalData. In addition, the report finds China will remain the largest market in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the report, Australia’s cumulative installed capacity for renewable power surged from 849 MW in 2001 to 5,968 MW in 2012. The cumulative share of solar and wind power accounted for 80 percent of the country’s total renewable power capacity in 2012, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 41 percent.

india-solar34 photo solarfeeds.comIndia has also invested heavily in solar energy, with the government expecting to deploy 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022. Furthermore, the country aims to increase the capacity of grid-connected solar power generation to 1,000 MW by 2013 and 3,000 MW by 2017, through mandatory use of renewables by utility providers.

Due to a rising number of new installations, the report finds China will remain the leading industry for renewable energy in the Asia-Pacific region, while retaining its position as the largest wind power market in the world with 75.6 GW installed capacity in 2012. In addition, the reports finds that favorable government policies and incentives in the Asia-Pacific region have become an important tool to boost the renewable energy industry.

“Most countries are supporting renewable sources in order to aid recovery from the economic downturn. Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and Feed-In Tariffs (FITs) are the two most prominent support mechanisms implemented by countries that are driving renewable energy market development,” explained Swati Singh, GlobalData’s Analyst covering Power.

In addition, the report details other incentives, such as capital subsidies, grants, rebates, tax credits and exemptions, as well as reduced-rate loans, being offered by these countries to help further promote the use of renewable power.

Electricity, Energy, Renewable Energy, Research, Solar, Wind

Pacific Biodiesel to Use Hawaiian Jatropha

John Davis

PacBiodiesel1Pacific Biodiesel will soon be using oil from jatropha. Biofuels Journal reports the feedstock will come from the 200 acre Hawaii Pure Plant Oil (HIPPO) farm started in 2008.

Now, five years after the farm’s inception, the [father and son partners Christian and James Twigg- Smith] have formed a direct collaboration with Pacific Biodiesel Technologies (PBT) under its federally funded Hawaii Military Biofuel Crop (HMBC) project.

The project involves developing production models for Jatropha and other crops to share with potential biofuel crop growers throughout the state.

“We are currently having our best harvest to date,” said James Twigg-Smith who is overseeing the harvest as a PBT employee.

Twigg-Smith noted that the harvest will run through mid-September.

“The fields were prepared with care so as much labor as possible can be done mechanically,” he added.

The HIPPO farm is the largest jatropha crop in the U.S. And since it has some old growth, officials expect the yields should be at maximum yield capacities.

Biodiesel

Senators Call for Big Oil Investigation

Joanna Schroeder

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) called on the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate possible anticompetitive Senators Grassley and Klobucharpractices by oil companies that limit consumers access to homegrown renewable fuels such as ethanol. In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, Klobuchar, the Chair of the Antitrust Subcommittee, and Grassley, the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, urged the Administration to take action to address recent reports indicating that oil companies may be undermining efforts to distribute renewable fuels, including higher ethanol gasoline blends, that help boost our nation’s energy security and lower the price of gas for consumers.

“The promise of renewable fuels is rapidly becoming a reality and introducing much needed competition to the transportation fuels sector,” the members said. “Given the implication these alleged activities, if true, could have on competition in the marketplace, we urge you to investigate them and consider whether any action is necessary. We look forward to working with you to ensure that Americans can continue to realize the benefits of cheaper, cleaner renewable fuel.”

Both Senators Klobuchar and Grassley have been strong advocates for the continuation, as is, of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

In response to the Senators’ calls for a Big Oil investigation, Ron Lamberty, Senior Vice President for the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), said, “ACE members thank Senators Grassley and Klobuchar for standing up to Big Oil and investigating this market-restricting behavior on the part of the oil companies. The RFS will only be unworkable if Congress allows Big Oil to make it appear unworkable. If we had more lawmakers like Senators Grassley and Klobuchar, maybe Big Oil’s attacks wouldn’t be taken so seriously in Washington.Read More

ACE, biofuels, E15, Ethanol, RFS

Growth in Wind Industry to Boost O&M Market

Joanna Schroeder

According to a new report from GlobalData, with wind energy capacity growing at rapid pace, the value of the operations and maintenance (O&M) market is expected to increase from $3 billion in 2008 to $19 billion in 2020. The report finds that more than 191 GW of wind power capacity was added between 2008 and 2012, which has drastically increased O&M expenditure from $3 billion to $7 billion in the same period, demonstrating a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.6 percent.

Wind Farm near Galva Iowa Photo Joanna SchroederOffshore wind energy will continue to attract higher O&M costs in comparison to onshore wind, reaching a market size of $5 billion, or a 29 percent share of the total O&M market in 2020. Currently, the U.S. is the largest O&M market in the world, but GlobalData expects that China will surpass it to become the leader in O&M expenditure, with a 24.7 percent share of the market by 2020.

Prasad Tanikella, GlobalData’s Senior Analyst, said: “Higher turbine maintenance, high logistics costs and a lack of skilled manpower make offshore wind services more challenging than the onshore equivalent. Although onshore wind also faces similar issues, the impact of these factors on the offshore segment is more significant.”

According to Wind Operations & Maintenance Market, 2013 Update – Global Market Size, Share by Component, Competitive Landscape and Key Country Analysis to 2020, the growth in the wind industry’s O&M cost is largely due to the increasing age of wind turbines and the failure of components such as blades and gearboxes.

“This increase in market size is leading to a rise in the number of companies providing specialized wind turbine O&M services, which is in turn bringing the benefit of lower costs to consumers,” Tanikella concluded.

Electricity, Energy, Renewable Energy, Research, Wind

Solar Panels Being Installed On White House

Joanna Schroeder

They say nothing is a secret in Washington, D.C. and it’s no secret that after intense pressure from several environmental organizations including 350.org, solar panels are now being installed on the White House. Some will remember the days when President Jimmy weputsolaronit1Carter installed 32 solar panels on the storied home back in the late 70s only to have them removed when President Ronald Reagan took office in 1981 saying they were a “joke”.

Another company that helped lead the effort was Sungevity, whose co-founder Danny Kennedy helped solicit more than 50,000 signatures in 2010 urging the President and First Lady to install solar power on the White House.

“Sungevity applauds President Obama for upholding his commitment to renewable energy by putting solar panels back on the White House. Solar is fast becoming America’s most popular home improvement, and we are very pleased to see the First Family follow the American peoples’ lead,” said Kennedy. “Support for solar energy is one issue that rises above the political fray. All Americans can reap benefits from widespread solar adoption – solar power saves money, boosts the economy and creates jobs.”

In light of the news installation has begun, Unity College, an environmental college in Maine, has been promoting its role in rescuing the original solar panels from obscurity. In 2010, Swiss filmmakers Christina Hemauer and Roman Keller told the story in a documentary called, A Road Not Taken. When President Carter installed the panels atop the White House, he characterized the action as either a bold step in the development of cheap, renewable energy, or an example of a road not taken. The latter was the course of history and artistic focus of the documentary.

Sara Trunzo ’08, Food and Farms Project Coordinator at Unity College, was featured in the documentary. She and another Unity College alum, Jason Reynolds ’05, went on a road trip from Unity, Maine, to the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, searching for the meaning of America’s turn from the opportunity to pursue renewable energy that President Carter had championed.

“My participation in ‘A Road Not Taken’ was a transformative moment in my education because it helped me understand the power of integrating sustainability, communication, policy, art, and activism to send a message,” said Trunzo. “The film is a beautiful piece of modern storytelling that captures an important moment in US energy history and Unity College history, too.”

Electricity, Renewable Energy, Solar, Video

Iowa E85 Sales Jump 43% in 2nd Quarter

Joanna Schroeder

E85 pump price Aug 2013Sales of E85 have increased 43 percent over the first quarter of 2013. Iowans purchased more than 2.62 million gallons of E85 in the second quarter of 2013, up from the 1.83 million gallons of E85 purchased in the first quarter of 2013, according to Iowa Department of Revenue data.

“E85 sales were down at the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013 due to last summer’s drought, but we’re seeing those numbers turn around now with very attractive E85 prices,” said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), Executive Director Monte Shaw. “As impressive as the 43 percent increase in second quarter E85 sales was, we should see E85 sales grow even further as the price savings are even better now. I routinely pay more than $1 per gallon less than regular unleaded for E85, and that’s serious savings.”

The IRFA recently launched a wholesale E85 price reporting campaign to promote greater transparency for retailers and distributors of E85 in order to aid retailers in supplying their consumers with the lowest-cost E85 available. The IRFA publishes Thursday’s wholesale E85 prices every Friday.

biofuels, E85, Ethanol, Iowa RFA