Why You Should Not Miss the ACE Conference

Joanna Schroeder

The 26th American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Conference is less than two weeks away. The event is being held in Des Moines, Iowa August 26-28th and the conference will be offering great sessions covering issues that are important to the ethanol industry. I asked Shannon Gustafson, Director of Strategic Projects for a brief overview of some of the key issues that will be discussed.

Conference article photo 2She said the first day of the conference general session will highlight “policy & innovation” with topics like “Opportunities for Ethanol Producers to Reduce Carbon Intensity,” “RFS Pathways to Innovation,” and a Q&A with ACE leadership. The second day of the general session will highlight “marketing & profitability” with topics like “Taking Advantage of RINS in the Marketplace,” “Automaker Perspective: Outlook for Higher Ethanol Blends and Octane,” “Current Financial Status of the Industry & Co-Product Trends and Their Impact on Profitability,” and “Trade Policy and the U.S. Ethanol Industry.” She said they will also have breakout sessions designed to help ethanol plant managers and board members with things like governance and elections. The full agenda can be found here.

I asked Gustafson, why the ACE Conference is unique in relation to other biofuel conferences. “The ACE conference is unique in that it is an intimate gathering that provides industry members ample opportunity to meet face to face with their counterparts at other plants, ask questions directly to speakers, and dig deep into what issues are affecting the industry in the moment,” explained Gustafson.

She also noted that the ACE Conference is perfect for ethanol plant management and board members, and is also a great event for anyone that works directly or peripherally in the industry. Between the General Session and Breakout Sessions, attendees will find both high level overviews of topics as well as the opportunity to dive deeper into topics during Q&As.

But maybe one of the best aspects of the event is that plant managers and attendees will be able to go back home and put information into action. “Plant members that attend our event will go back with a firm grasp of what is happening in Washington and how it will affect their plant in the coming months,” said Gustafson. “They will also take back skills that can be put to use in board meetings to enrich relationships between board members and plant management and how to make wise staffing decisions, as well as more technical knowledge related to air enforcement and RINs.”

Registration is still open but because of the intimate venue, is limited. So register now before its too late.

ACE, biofuels, conferences, Ethanol

Akash Selects Interneer Software for Biofuels Ops

John Davis

akashinterneerHouston, Texas-based Akash Energy selected software developer Interneer, Inc. to help the provider of biodiesel and ethanol, as well as petroleum products, automate some business processes. This Interneer news release says the business mobile apps will be used throughout Akash’s distribution chain, from raw material sourcing through distribution to Akash’s retail stations, expected to open later this year:

In 2013, Akash developed an inventory management and invoice processing solution using Intellect BPM that has been integrated into its existing operations. Further, Akash is using Interneer to integrate strategic planning processes into every aspect of their operation. The strategic planning module will link every task to an objective and its corresponding goal, revolutionizing the employee relationship with the company’s mission.

“I am part of the Millennial Generation, which is a unique generation in the sense that we bridge the gap,” said Justin Heller, Founder and President of Akash Energy. “We grew up before technology had infiltrated every aspect of our lives, but came of age as it did, leading to one of the most significant paradigm shifts since the industrial revolution. The ability to connect with anyone, anywhere, at any time, coupled with universal access to the sum total of human knowledge, is creating a population that is becoming exponentially more conscious of the consequences of their actions.”

Akash officials say the Interneer software is “robust and completely customizable,” crucial elements for their sustainable energy operation. Plus, they say the program will allow them to better manage fuel sourcing, production, and inventory in real-time.

“Sustainable energy is a robust and high growth market with constant change taking place,” said Romeo Elias, CEO of Interneer. “The ability to rapidly adjust business processes and yet at the same time track details for compliance is crucial to the success of any company in the energy and utilities space. We are pleased that Akash Energy chose to run their critical business operations on Interneer and to empower employees across the enterprise and partners over an extended network.”

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Corn Oil Biodiesel Adds Arrow to Ethanol’s Quiver

John Davis

More ethanol plants are squeezing more profits out of the corn they use by recovering more of the oil in the process and turning it into biodiesel. This article from Ethanol Producer Magazine says by the end of the year, as many as 80 percent of U.S. ethanol plants could be recovering corn oil.

cornoilbiodiesel1WB Services is offering ethanol producers a way to turn corn oil into high-value fuels on site. The company has two separate technologies, both commercially available now, that call for co-location of either a biodiesel or renewable diesel facility with an existing ethanol plant. “We think this just adds another arrow to the quiver for an ethanol plant as far as diversifying their product mix and insulating them against tough times,” [Bernie Hoffman, vice president of business development and minority owner of WB Services LLC] says. Rachel Overheul, engineering manager for WB Services, agrees. “It brings a lot of potential market value to the ethanol plant, as opposed to being dependent on the corn oil market,” she adds.

The company has built and is operating a 2 MMgy biodiesel plant and is in the process of completing construction on a 3 MMgy renewable diesel facility, both in Sedgwick, Kan. Although neither facility is co-located with an ethanol plant, both serve as a showpiece for potential customers interested in co-location. “They can come and see the technology at work, feel comfortable with the way they operate,” says Ron Beemiller, company president and CEO.

The article goes on to point out how a co-located biodiesel facility helps with commercial viability, uses existing infrastructure to keep costs down and allows for continued research and development. In addition, while many facilities might be built for corn oil, there’s some real flexibility in choosing another feedstock if the need arises.

Biodiesel, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, News

UK Seeks “Best” Biofuel

Joanna Schroeder

According to an article in The Guardian, the United Kingdom (UK) is willing to pay for the best biofuels. The UK government is hosting a competition to come up with the most garbageviable demonstration plants for biofuels made from waste organic materials, such as wood waste or straw.

Many groups, especially environmental groups, have begun to lobby in favor of “better biofuels” or ones they consider to be both better for the environment or for society. Within this context, groups are opposed to first generation biofuels– or those that can be used for “food-” aka the food versus fuel debate. In light of this trend, focus has shifted to biofuels made from other feedstocks, especially waste materials – things that would end up in landfills.

Attempts to manufacture biofuels from waste have been going on since the late 1960s; however, until now, research has been limited to the lab have have not met with great success. Yet growing concerns about the environment has brought more attention to the transportation sector and a resurgence in waste-to-energy technology has evolved. Today, the industry is beginning to see some success at demonstration level.

In the UK, Ministers believe that research has now reached a stage where advanced biofuels are commercially possible. The department for transport said indications from the biofuels industry have demonstrated there are potential projects with a modicum of interest. The Ministers believe there will be several “high quality” bids for the 25m on offer, which must be matched by private sector investment.

Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat transport minister, told the Guardian, “It’s hugely important that we decarbonise transport. We have been up hill and down dale on biofuels in the past few years. What we need to do is distinguish between good biofuels and bad biofuels, and this competition will produce good biofuels.”

The first step of the prize will involve a feasibility study detailing the design of the competition and the criteria that needs to be met by any bidder. This stage is expected to take four or five months, after which bids will be accepted. A winner could be announced within a year, but the process could take longer depending on the bids received. The prize will accept a bid for a project using any methodology or feedstock as long as they can be proved to produce carbon savings over conventional fuels and come from feedstocks that are environmentally sustainable.

 

advanced biofuels, International, Waste-to-Energy

IRFA Unveils E85 Wholesale Price Listing Service

Joanna Schroeder

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has launched an E85 Wholesale Price Listing Service. The IRFA lists E85 prices from wholesale distributors with the intent of increasing transparency in the marketplace, allowing retailers to review supply options in one location.

“The goal of our E85 wholesale price listing program is to assist retailers in providing their consumers with the lowest-cost E85 available,” said IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “This is good for the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), good for consumers, and great for Iowa. Many of these suppliers pass the RIN savings to the consumer, which is making for some very attractive E85 prices. In fact, several E85 suppliers this week have E85 a dollar or more below the average price for regular unleaded gasoline.”

IRFA E85 Price IndexThe IRFA will publish Thursday’s E85 price every Friday. E85 suppliers wishing to have their price posted should contact T.J. Page with the IRFA at 515-252-6249 or tpage@IowaRFA.org. To be eligible for listing, the supplier’s price must: be publicly posted elsewhere; be available to any retailer or supplier; not be restricted by gallonage caps.  E85 is defined in state law as a blend of between 70 and 85 percent ethanol with gasoline.

biofuels, E85, Ethanol, Iowa RFA

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFHow does regulatory and legislative behavior affect RIN values? Is it possible to predict price fluctuations in the current environment? These questions and more will be asked and answered by Tristan Brown, lecturer at Iowa State University and a regular contributor to Seeking Alpha, during the RIN Academy on August 26, in Des Moines, Iowa. Brown co-authored the book, Why are We Producing Biofuels among other publications. Registration is still open.
  • Registration is now open for the 5th Annual Renewable Energy Technology Conference & Exhibition (RETECH) being held in Washington, D.C. September 9-11th. More information on the agenda, speakers and more can be found on the RETECH website.
  • Emery Law Firm, located in Taos, New Mexico, has completed a 4.0kw Grid Tied Photovoltaic Carport Canopy at its offices. The solar system will both provide shade as well as an electric vehicle charging station for its Chevy Volts. Sol Luna Solar was selected to design and install the system.
  • Dominic DiCicco, who is the Principal Environmental Engineer for the automobile manufacturer, will be speaking at ACE Ethanol Conference August 27-28, 2013 in Des Moines, Iowa. DiCicco has worked at Ford Motor Company for over twenty years. During that time he has helped implement Ford’s strategic product plans as well as work on improving fuel quality and regulations, requiring interaction with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and other governmental agencies around the world.
Bioenergy Bytes

IBM Launches Wind & Solar Forecasting

Joanna Schroeder

IBM has announced the launch of an advanced power and weather modeling technology that will help utilities increase the reliability of renewable energy resources. According the company, the solution, “Hybrid Renewable Energy Forecasting” (HyRef) combines weather predictions and analytics to accurately forecast the availability of wind power and solar energy. This will enable utilities to integrate more renewable energy into the power grid.

IBM HyRefIBM says HyRef uses weather modeling capabilities, advanced cloud imaging technology and sky-facing cameras to track cloud movements, while sensors on the turbines monitor wind speed, temperature and direction. When combined with analytics technology, the data-assimilation based solution can produce accurate local weather forecasts within a wind farm as far as one month in advance, or in 15-minute increments.

“Utilities around the world are employing a host of strategies to integrate new renewable energy resources into their operating systems in order to reach a baseline goal of a 25 percent renewable energy mix globally by 2025,” said Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn, President and CEO of the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE). “The weather modeling and forecasting data generated from HyRef will significantly improve this process and in turn, put us one step closer to maximizing the full potential of renewable resources.”

By utilizing local weather forecasts, according to IBM, HyRef can predict the performance of each individual wind turbine and estimate the amount of generated renewable energy. This level of insight will enable utilities to better manage the variable nature of wind and solar, and more accurately forecast the amount of power that can be redirected into the power grid or stored. It will also allow energy organizations to easily integrate other conventional sources such as coal and natural gas.

HyRef represents advancements in weather modeling technology, stemming from other game-changing innovations such as Deep Thunder. Developed by IBM, Deep Thunder provides high-resolution, micro-forecasts for weather in a region – ranging from a metropolitan area up to an entire state – with calculations as fine as every square kilometer. When coupled with business data, it can help businesses and governments tailor services, change routes and deploy equipment-to minimize the effects of major weather events.

Electricity, Energy, Solar, Utilities, Wind

Record Corn Crop Forecast

Cindy Zimmerman

Despite a wet spring causing a challenging start to the season, the 2013 corn crop is still looking to break new ground this year, according to the latest USDA production estimate out today.

corn-fieldCorn production is forecast at 13.8 billion bushels, up 28 percent from 2012. If realized, this will be a new record production for the United States. Based on conditions as of August 1, yields are expected to average 154.4 bushels per acre, up 31.0 bushels from 2012. If realized, this will be the highest average yield since 2009. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 89.1 million acres, unchanged from the June forecast but up 2 percent from 2012.

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) CEO Bob Dinneen says the average yield, which would be the third-highest yield on record, is significant considering farmers had one of the slowest, wettest planting seasons on record. “After the disappointment of last year’s drought-stricken crop, farmers have responded by producing what is likely to be the largest crop of all time,” said RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen. “By rapidly adopting new seed and equipment technologies over the past decade, this country’s corn growers have distinguished themselves as the most productive in the world.”

Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President for the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), says the quick recovery from last year’s devastating drought shows that the Renewable Fuel Standard is able to work as intended. “The RFS provides an economic incentive for scientists and farmers to innovate and sustainably deliver more corn, enabling the total U.S. corn supply to reach 14.5 billion bushels this year and making room in the market for adequate and affordable food, feed, and fuel,” Jennings said. “Since the RFS was originally enacted in 2005, these advancements have driven U.S. farmers to produce around 20 bushels more corn per acre than before.”

On a global scale, USDA is forecasting that grain production worldwide will hit 2.43 billion metric tons in 2013, up eight percent from last year and a new record.

ACE, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, RFA, USDA

Spanish Biodiesel Plant to Refit for Waste Oils

John Davis

BDIlogoA biodiesel plant in Spain is being refitted to take more feedstocks to include waste oils, such as used restaurant grease and animal fats. BDI-BioEnergy International AG announced it will retrofit the 31,000-ton-per-year Stocks del valles biodiesel plant:

The existing customer Stocks del valles commissioned BDI with the implementation of the RetroFit-program, which takes place in this particular case by the installation of a new type of pre-esterification. Based on this, the flexibility of the feedstock of the entire BioDiesel-plant will increase significantly while maintaining the strict biodiesel quality regulations (EN 14214).

“We are very pleased to support our customer with a long-term business-relationship, to optimize his existing BioDiesel-plant to the state of the art Multi-Feedstock BioDiesel-technique. This is another proof that our RetroFit-technology is increasingly in demand for international biodiesel plants. In addition, it provides an efficient way for biodiesel producers to increase the profitability of their existing plants with the experience and the technology of BDI.”, says Dr Edgar Ahn – CSO and member of the Management Board.

BDI says this new system allows for a high percentage degradation products in the oil, especially free fatty acids, FFA.

Biodiesel, International

Invasive Species Could Become Biofuel

John Davis

arsgrouseUSDA researchers are looking at being able to turn some invasive trees into biofuel. This story from the Agricultural Research Service says they are looking at harvesting native juniper and pinyon trees that have extended out of their natural ranges for biomass. The plan not only produces renewable energy, but it also restores rangeland for livestock and protects critical sagebrush habitat for the western sage grouse and other animals.

In Burns, Ore., research leader Tony Svejcar and others will inventory trees available for harvest and biofuel production. This information can also be used to determine optimal locations for restoring wildlife habitat and locations where harvests could adversely impact existing wildlife. Svejcar works at the ARS Range and Meadow Forage Management Research Unit in Burns.

The scientists will also focus on devising plans for harvesting the trees in a sustainable manner. ARS research leader Fred Pierson plans to conduct experimental juniper harvests on a variety of sites in Idaho to observe how the removal affects erosion, and will use the information to model the environmental impacts of large-scale tree harvests. Pierson, who works at the ARS Northwest Watershed Research Center in Boise, Idaho, will also be monitoring how juniper removal affects large-scale water cycles.

The article also credits David Goodrich, a hydraulic engineer at the ARS Southwest Watershed Research Center in Tucson, Ariz., for his estimates of watershed-level rainfall runoff and erosion to help guide tree harvesting decisions.

More is available in the July 2013 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

biofuels, biomass