SolarStrong To Aid Oahu-Stationed Military

Joanna Schroeder

SolarCity has announced plans to add 12.8 megawatts of new solar generation capacity to provide solar power to an estimated 7,500 military homes at Lend Lease-managed Island Palm Communities throughout the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Military communities include Fort Shafter, Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, Aliamanu Military SolarCity SolarStrong Project in NMReservation, Helemano Military Reservation and Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawai’i. The projects are the latest to be announced under SolarCity’s SolarStrong initiative, a five-year plan to build more than $1 billion in solar projects to provide power to up to 120,000 military homes in the United States.

“Hawai’i is dependent upon petroleum for approximately 75 percent of its energy needs, making the military’s further adoption of solar a win for national security as well as the environment,” said Aaron Gillmore, SolarCity’s vice president of solar development.

In addition to SolarStrong, SolarCity is pursuing a veteran hiring initiative as part of its Workforce Development program. The company currently employs more than 100 veterans in various positions, including IT, sales, managerial, administration, design and installation. SolarCity has partnered with several veteran programs across the country, including Veteran Affairs national offices, JPMorgan Chase & Co’s ‘100,000 Jobs Mission,’ Swords to Plowshares, The California National Guard, The California Conservation Corps and Veterans Green Jobs. SolarCity was recently recognized by the Employment Development Department (EDD) and the California Employer Advisory Council (CEAC) for “outstanding service in the employment of veterans” for the year 2013 and also received the “Outstanding Industry Partner Award” from Veterans Green Jobs.

Electricity, Energy, military, Solar

Gevo Supplies Coast Guard with Isobutanol

Joanna Schroeder

Gevo, Inc. has begun supplying the U.S. Coast Guard R&D Center with initial quantities of finished 16.1% renewable isobutanol-blended gasoline for engine testing. The U.S. Coast Guard R&D Center is using the Gevo-blended fuel as part of a 12-month, long-term gevooperational study on marine engines that began during June. The testing is being performed under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between the U.S. Coast Guard, Honda, and Mercury and will focus on two of the Coast Guard’s platform boats — 38-foot Special Purpose Craft -Training Boat & 25-foot Response Boat – Small.

“Gevo’s proprietary isobutanol-blended gasoline is truly a drop-in fuel, deliberately designed to be fully compliant with marine fuel specifications, including fit-for-purpose properties,” said Patrick Gruber, Gevo’s chief executive officer. “Isobutanol’s low-water solvency and non-corrosive characteristics will offer consumers a high-performance, renewable biofuel ideally suited for a wide variety of marine engine applications.”

The U.S. Coast Guard completed a 3 month round of testing in Florida earlier this year under the CRADA with Honda engines running on fuel supplied by Gevo which contained 16.1% renewable isobutanol. Engines were run at full throttle for an 8 hour day for several months and then broken down and inspected. Testing of Gevo’s fuel will take place at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown, Va.

Mike Coleman, Project Manager at the USCG R&D Center said, “We are pleased so far with our testing of isobutanol as a potential alternative to ethanol as a blend stock in gasoline for marine applications.” Isobutanol is a biofuel that compared to ethanol, has higher energy density, lower RVP, and does not present phase separation issues seen with ethanol. All testing so far has been positive, and when the Yorktown tests are completed next year, we expect to have the information available to allow a decision on whether 16.1% Isobutanol fuel blends will be certified for use in the Coast Guard gasoline engine fleet.”

Gruber added, “As we accelerate our full-scale commercial production efforts at the world’s first renewable isobutanol plant in Luverne, Minn., we are extremely excited to be working with a partner like the U.S. Coast Guard to evaluate and develop a product line of high-performance, isobutanol-based fuel blends for the marine engine market.”

advanced biofuels, biobutanol, military

UK Biodiesel Pioneer Sold

John Davis

Argentplant1One of the pioneers in biodiesel production in the UK has been sold. The BBC reports Argent Energy, a company that turns used cooking oil and animal fats into the green fuel, was bought by London-based John Swire & Sons, a green investment company.

The firm will stay in private ownership and will continue to run independently.

Its senior management, including chairman Andy Hunter, managing director Jim Walker and financial director Jim Boyd are to remain with the company.

Barnaby Swire, of John Swire, said his company was committed to “exploring and investing in innovative and viable green industries”.

He added: “We are delighted to be acquiring Argent Energy, a company which we believe can grow and prosper not only within the UK but also overseas, in particular in Asian markets with which Swire Group companies are familiar.

Argent has been around since since 2001 with a 50 million liter (about 12 million gallons) a year plant in Newarthill near Motherwell in Scotland.

Biodiesel, International

Capturing Energy from Ocean Currents

Joanna Schroeder

Raul Delga Delgadillo, a soon to be senior this fall at Bourns College of Engineering at the University of California, Riverside, has learned he will receive a $15,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA. The award is a result of his entry in the national sustainable design competition for his idea to capture energy from ocean currents.

Delgadillo will now build a small-scale turbine and buoy system and test it in a flow tank to determine the best way to maximize energy extraction. He expects the system will provide as much energy as an average wind turbine. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) believes wave and tidal energy, combined with other water-powered sources, could provide up to 15 percent of the country’s electricity by 2030.

“The ocean remains an untapped frontier as a renewable energy source,” Delgadillo said. “I’m hoping to change that.”

The idea for the EPA P3: People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition mobile-solar-003-603x400for Sustainability entry came out of project for the Sustainable Product Design course. Delgadillo’s project proposes several innovative designs: the buoy, which will allow the device to move around until an optimum location is found, and the telescoping feature on the turbine, which allows it to vary in height and remain stationary if waves are present. Current proposals to harness energy from ocean currents require the turbine be anchored to the ocean floor using cables or rigid supports. This adds a significant cost, disrupts the environment because the ocean floor needs to excavated and limits the mobility of the turbine.

Delgadillo expects several challenges, including varying flow rates from ocean currents due to seasonal fluctuations; the fact that depth and contours of ocean floors can affect ocean currents; and avoiding harming marine life.

In the coming months, Delgadillo will perform experiments in a flow tank in the lab of Marco Princevac, an associate professor of mechanical engineering. He will then use the data he gathers to write a proposal for a second round of funding, for $90,000, from the EPA. He will find out in spring 2014 whether he receives that money, which would allow him to take the design to a real world application.

Renewable Energy, Research, water, Wind

Biodiesel Board CEO Tells Congress RFS is Working

John Davis

rfs-hearing-jobeAs lawmakers debated the value of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), the CEO of the National Biodiesel Board made the case on CSPAN that his group’s green fuel is delivering on those RFS promises.

“First, under the RFS, the advanced biofuel and biomass-based diesel categories programs are working. And second, with the help of the RFS, biodiesel is reducing consumer prices at the pump,” Jobe told a House Energy subcommittee hearing, adding biodiesel is the first and only EPA-approved advanced biofuel produced on a commercial scale and the first to hit a billion gallons of production annually. The industry has also exceeded the biomass-based diesel category every year the program has been in existence, while producing more than 50,000 jobs, diversifying and improving the domestic fuel supply, and reducing pollution. Gadsden, Alabama’s recent conversion of its fleet to a 20 percent biodiesel blend (B20) is saving that city $100,000 a year, and the U.S. Navy is saving 13 cents a gallon by using B20. “This is a tremendous success story.”

Jobe went on to point out that biodiesel is actually improving the overall quality of the country’s diesel supply, without reducing performance. And he said many waste products, such as waste fats and oils, are staying out landfills and adding value to agricultural products – increasing the value of cattle by $10 a head, hogs by $1.25 and $.30 for poultry.

Jobe also addressed the issue of fraudulent Renewable Identification Numbers, RINs, pointing out that the biodiesel industry went after the issue aggressively.

“In 2010 and 2011, the biodiesel industry experienced a few cases of criminals generating and trading fraudulent RINs. Our industry took very aggressive measures working closely with EPA and the petroleum industry to address the fraud head on,” deploying a private-sector developed, robust RIN integrity program. Two of the three RIN frauders are now in jail with the third case pending.

He concluded that the RFS was the right policy when it was signed in 2005 and renewed an 2007, and it remains a sound policy today. Jobe said his industry will work with anyone to make the RFS an unqualified success.

Listen to Joe’s remarks here: Joe Jobe, CEO of NBB, remarks before House Energy subcommittee

And you can see more of that hearing archived on CSPAN’s website.

Audio, Biodiesel, Government, Legislation, NBB

Lawmakers Seek Compromise on RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

Some lawmakers during a House Energy subcommittee hearing on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) attempted to work toward getting some compromise between the two sides of the debate.

hearing-shimkusOne side, represented by the oil industry, wants to see the RFS completely repealed. The other side, represented by the biofuels industry, would prefer no change to the law. Congressman John Shimkus (R-IL) expressed his frustration with both sides digging in their heels on the issue. “We could have had this hearing in January and I would have gotten the same freaking answers out of you all,” said Shimkus. “We got your sides, we know what they are, that’s not really being constructive because we’ve got some issues we need to address.”

The congressman then asked the first panel, consisting of two oil industry representatives and two biofuels representatives and one scientist, if they would be willing to compromise somewhere between repeal and status quo on the RFS. As Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute, started going into why he thought the law should be repealed, Shimkus cut him off. “We’re back to the same thing now,” he said. The rest of the panel agreed they would work with Congress, with certain caveats, leading Shimkus to conclude “If you keep these positions, no one’s going to be happy and nothing’s going to get done.”

Listen to the exchange here: RFS Hearing - Rep. Shimkus

advanced biofuels, Audio, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, RFA, RFS

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFBruce Babcock, PhD, has been added to the roster of presenters for the upcoming RIN Academy set for August 26 in Des Moines, Iowa. Dr. Babcock is the Cargill Endowed Chair of Energy Economics and a professor of economics at Iowa State University and the Director of the Biobased Industry Center. Dr. Babcock will present his views on the effect of RIN pricing on consumer acceptance of higher ethanol blends. He will also discuss his researched findings on sugar markets and the competitive advantage, if any, of sugar ethanol over biodiesel in meeting the Advanced Biofuel volume requirements of RFS2.
  • Quad County Corn Processors will formally break ground on a new “bolt on” biorefinery that will turn corn kernel fibers into cellulosic ethanol. Quad County’s Adding Cellulosic Ethanol (ACE) project ground breaking will take place at 1:00 pm (CT) on Monday, July 29, 2013 at the plant and visitors are welcome. Confirmed speakers for the ceremony include Congressman Steve King; Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association in Washington, DC; Monte Shaw, Executive Director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association; and Brian Jennings, Executive Vice-President of the American Coalition for Ethanol.
  • Gas Technology Institute’s (GTI) third international conference on thermochemical biomass conversion science, tcbiomass2013, will bring together experts and visionaries in gasification, pretreatment, pyrolysis, and upgrading to explore the world of bioenergy, September 3-6, 2013 in downtown Chicago, IL. The theme of this year’s event is Making it Real. Speakers from numerous facets of the bioenergy arena will discuss how the use of biomass to produce renewable and sustainable fuels is becoming a reality as industry experts move advanced conversion processes into commercial projects.
  • Power-One, Inc. announced that at its special meeting of stockholders they approved the adoption of the merger agreement, pursuant to which ABB will acquire Power-One for $6.35 per share of Power-One common stock. On April 21, 2013, ABB agreed to acquire Power-One in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1 billion. The transaction has already received the required antitrust approvals and Power-One and ABB expect to complete the transaction by the end of this week.
Bioenergy Bytes

Vilsack Says Congress Only Works During Crisis

Joanna Schroeder

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Ames, Iowa this week and while there gave remarks during the Iowa Farm Bureau’s (#IFBF13) 2013 Economic Summit. The standing room only crowd wanted to hear what Vilsack would say regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the Farm Bill.

IFBF13 - VilsackVilsack was not complementary of the current Congress saying that they only work when there is a crisis. He used the fiscal cliff as an example. Currently, Congress is reviewing the RFS and the Senate and House have not come to terms on a Farm Bill, or “food, fuel and jobs bill. He said that the RFS was working, and needs to stay in place.

Vilsack said that Congress needs to do the work now on the Farm Bill and the agricultural industry must not succumb to an extension of the current bill because this rewards failure. He also noted that the ag industry deserves a Congress who understands the importance of agriculture.

The Farm Bill, said Vilsack, is not just a food bill. It is a jobs bill, an energy bill, a research bill and an innovation bill, its a conservation bill, its an entrepreneurial bill.  Without all of the above, the U.S. will lose its place as the leader in agriculture. It’s all of these things.

Listen to UDSA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s remarks here: Vilsack: Congress Only Works During Crisis

Agribusiness, Audio, biofuels, farm bill, RFS

DuPont Gets Win in Court

Joanna Schroeder

DuPont LogoThe Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. has issued a ruling affirming the May 2012 decision of Judge Barbara Crabb of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin that the Novozymes patent on an alpha-amylase enzyme used in the ethanol industry is invalid for lack of an adequate written description.

Ms. Soonhee Jang, vice president, IP Strategy and Chief IP Counsel, DuPont Industrial Biosciences said of the decision, “We are gratified the Court of Appeals affirmed the Wisconsin court’s ruling that the Novozymes patent is invalid. From the outset of this case, we have firmly believed Novozymes’ patent to be invalid. Today, the Court of Appeals recognized our rights in the marketplace as a true innovator providing customers with choices.”

biofuels, Company Announcement

Enerfuel SA’s Portugal Biodiesel Plant Opens

John Davis

bdiGood things can come to those who wait, and a Portuguese biodiesel maker really put that saying to the test. Enerfuel S.A. has opened it’s 7.5 million gallon a year multifeedstock biodiesel plant in Sines, Portugal. Biodiesel Magazine reports the project has been some years on the making, first starting planning and construction in 2006 by Austria-based BDI-BioEnergy International AG. The brakes were put on the project in 2008, and last year, Enerfuel told BDI to finish it and make the plant ready for production – a process that cost in total about $17 million.

“Following the positive conclusion of the performance test, we are delighted to hand the plant over to a satisfied customer, particularly in view of the fact that it is also the first multifeedstock biodiesel plant to come into operation in Portugal, albeit after some delay,” said Edgar Ahn, chief science officer and member of BDI’s management board. “The active involvement of the Portuguese mineral oil company GALP in this project is confirmation to us that well-known fuel manufacturers have confidence in the high quality of our unique biodiesel production technology.”

The refinery uses animal fats and used cooking oil its biodiesel feedstock.

Biodiesel, International