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Iowa State Growing Algae for Biofuel, Other Uses

John Davis

ISUalgae1Researchers at Iowa State have a new facility to grow algae for a variety of uses, including biofuel production. This news release from the school says the facility’s innovative design is attracting a lot of interest from other universities and private industry.

The facility contains a novel biofilm-based cultivation system designed by Martin Gross, a graduate assistant in agricultural and biosystems engineering, and Zhiyou Wen, an associate professor of food science and human nutrition.

The cultivation system allows for easy separation of algae from water, which is usually an expensive and often time-consuming process requiring the use of a centrifuge or other costly equipment. The new cultivation system at Iowa State sidesteps that process by passing through the nutrient-rich water a cotton-based biofilm, which collects the algae. After that, the algae are simply scraped off the cotton material. It’s a simpler, more efficient way to cultivate algae, Wen said.

The school compares the technologies at the facility to a lazy river, with a shallow channel of water and a gentle current to keep the water moving, as well as 200-liter flat panel bioreactors.

algae, biofuels

Ethanol Report on Independence and the RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

Energy IndependenceAs we celebrate our nation’s independence this week, we’re coming up on about five years now since the RFS was strengthened in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. So we thought it was good time to look back and see just what that policy has done to help with that goal which has really been at the root of the development of the ethanol industry over the years.

On this date back in 2009, we quoted Jay Hakes, author of “A Declaration of Energy Independence,” and his definition of energy independence from that book – it is a great one.

Energy Independence is a civilization changing idea, like freedom, one that should be thought of much like we think of our national independence—our liberty, which is both an ideal and a physical reality. Energy Independence can and should be pursued with the same patriotic spirit that fought for, won and sustains American democracy and freedom.

ethanol-report-adIn this edition of “The Ethanol Report,” Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper talks about how the RFS is working toward that patriotic goal, helping to reduce imports of foreign oil, grow the economy with American jobs and keep the red, white and blue flying over a greener nation.

Listen to or download the Ethanol Report here: Ethanol Report on Energy Independence and the RFS

Subscribe to “The Ethanol Report” with this link.

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, RFA, RFS

CSE to Build Geothermal Energy Plant

Joanna Schroeder

Cornerstone Sustainable Energy (CSE) has entered into an agreement with Warner Mountain Energy Corporation to begin the first phase of development of a geothermal energy plant to be located in the Surprise Valley Hot Springs, in Cedarville, California. This phase of development will include a feasibility analysis, conceptual design and budgeting PwrCor-250-kW-Engine-003_f_improf_478x382to install CSE’s PwrCor engine that will generate electrical power. Once complete, this will be the first installation using PwrCor engine to generated power by using heat fro a geothermal source.

Warner Mountain Energy has approximately 1000 acres for use at the Surprise Valley Hot Springs. The site has several artesian hot springs free flowing to the surface, delivering an aggregate of approximately 850 gallons per minute at 205 degrees Fahrenheit. CSE will tap the hot spring water to supply heat to its PwrCor engine that is expected to produce 250 kilowatts of electric power with 150 gallons per minute of water at 180 degrees F. At this level of output, the Surprise Valley Hot Springs site represents a potential estimated at 1.5 megawatts of constant, uninterrupted electric power.

CSE says that once online, the PwrCor engine operates at input temperatures and flows that are considerably less than those required by competing technologies. The company notes that the ability to operate at these lower temperature and flows enables geothermal developers to exploit resources that were previously unusable for the commercial production of electricity.

Electricity, Energy, Geothermal, Renewable Energy

Reactions to EPA Vehicle Emissions Proprosed Rule

Joanna Schroeder

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has asked for comments regarding its RFA-logo-13proposed rule on Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards and the industry responded in force. Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) noted that for the most part, the air toxics the EPA is reviewing pertain to refiners of gasoline and auto manufacturers, although there are a few areas of concern for ethanol producers.

ncga-logo-newThe National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) comments were based upon two main principles: first, the RFS volumes of biofuels in the future should be met in order to preserve the 150 million metric tons of annual CO2 equivalent emission reductions attributed to the RFS 2 program by EPA; and second that ethanol blends above E10 should be splash-blended to increase octane above the level of 87 AKI. Doing this would support EPA’s approach toward establishing E15 as the new certification fuel for 2017 and later non-flexible fueled light duty vehicles.

Along these same lines, the RFA supports treating E16-E50 blends as alternative fuels.

“EPA clearly recognizes that the most effective and efficient way to achieve the important goals of the proposed rule is to work to harmonize it with other policies affecting and regulating the transportation fuel sector throughout the country, including the RFS, Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards (CAFE), and California’s Low Emission BIOlogoVehicle Program,” writes Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section in formal comments. “BIO supports the proposed rule and believes that the final Tier 3 rule has the potential to encourage the continued development and commercialization of all biofuels.”

Erickson, like other biofuel groups noted that the EPA should work to set the emissions of test fuel in a way that will maximize investment and adoption of all biofuels, including higher ethanol blends and drop-in fuels, while also maximizing the level of octane in the fuel supply.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, biofuels, E15, Environment, Ethanol

DOE Announces Biofuels Funding

Joanna Schroeder

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced funding for four research and development projects to bring next generation biofuels on line faster and drive down the cost of producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuels from biomass. The announcement comes less than a week after President Obama’s commitment to the climate and efforts to cut carbon pollution. In total, the projects in Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin will receive $13 million in funding.

US DOE logo“By partnering with private industry, universities and our national labs, we can increase America’s energy security, bolster rural economic development and cut harmful carbon pollution from our cars, trucks and planes,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “As the President made clear in his plan to cut carbon pollution, partnerships like these will help move our economy towards cleaner, more efficient forms of energy that lower our reliance on foreign oil.”

In the United States, the transportation sector accounts for two-thirds of total U.S. oil consumption and one-third of our nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrocarbon-based biofuels made from non-food feedstocks, waste materials and algae can directly replace gasoline and other fuels in our gas tanks and refineries. The Energy Department continues to take steps to speed the development of clean, renewable biofuels, with the goal of producing cost-competitive drop-in biofuels at $3 per gallon by 2017.

The research projects announced today build on the Obama Administration’s broader efforts to accelerate the next generation of biofuels by bringing down costs, improving performance and identifying effective, non-food feedstocks and conversion technologies. These projects will help maximize the amount of renewable carbon and hydrogen that can be converted to fuels from biomass and improve the separation processes in bio-oil production to remove non-fuel components – further lowering production costs.

The projects selected for negotiation include:

  • Ceramatec – up to $3.3 million, based in Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory – up to $2.1 million, based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  • University of Oklahoma, up to $4 million, based in Norman, Oklahoma
  • Virent, Inc. – up to $4 million, based in Madison, Wisconsin
advanced biofuels, aviation biofuels, biojet fuel, biomass

WI Farm Technology Days to Run on Soy Biodiesel

John Davis

WIFarmTechDays1For the first time in the nearly 60-year history of the Wisconsin Farm Technology Days, all the diesel equipment at the three-day event will run on biodiesel made from soybeans. The Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board (WSMB) will sponsor the soy biodiesel at the event July 9-11, 2013:

“We are thrilled to showcase the benefits of soy biodiesel at the 2013 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days,” says Andy Bensend, a soybean farmer from Dallas, Wis., and a District 1 WSMB director.

All trams, tractors and diesel-powered engines at the show will operate on B20, a fuel consisting of 20% soy biodiesel made from soybeans. This clean burning fuel benefits the environment and consumers, and has a positive impact on Wisconsin soybean farmers. During the show, attendees can test drive a variety of tractors and forage harvesting equipment powered by biodiesel.

“Our show offers a great opportunity to showcase advancements in agriculture,” say Tim Jorgenson, Barron County Agriculture Agent and Wisconsin Farm Technology Days 2013 Executive Secretary.

Local biodiesel brewer Sun Power Biodiesel will supply the green fuel for the event, expected to attract more than 60,000 attendees.

Biodiesel, Soybeans

July 1st – Independence Day for Iowa Fuel Retailers

Joanna Schroeder

July 1, 2013 has now become “Independence Day” for Iowa fuel retailers as today marks the enactment of a new Iowa law that frees Iowa retailers from some Big Oil restrictions.

“Today, new liberties go into effect for Iowa’s fuel retailers. They now have the freedom to offer the fuel options they choose, not what Big Oil dictates,” said Iowa Renewable Fuel Association (IRFA) Executive Director Monte Shaw. “These new protections amount to a ‘Retailer Bill of Rights,’ providing relief from Big Oil’s heavy handed, branded contracts that E15 Approvedoften dictate if and how retailers offer certain fuels, like E15 and E85.”

H.F. 640, which takes effect today, includes language that prevents oil refiners’ supply agreements from directly or indirectly limiting the ability of local retailers to offer the ethanol and biodiesel blends they choose. The provisions are based on a law enacted in South Dakota in 2011 and addresses specific, anti-competition provisions from refiner supply agreements.

As a result, new supply agreements will not be allowed to:

  • Restrict installing a blender pump;
  • Restrict using current equipment from offering higher blends, like E15, E85, and B20;
  • Restrict ethanol or biodiesel blends from being advertised;
  • Restrict the locations where a retailer may offer the higher blends (like under a canopy); and
  • Restrict payment for higher blends to cash only (no credit cards).

“While protecting Big Oil trademarks, this piece of legislation not only gives Iowa retailers more freedom to offer the ethanol and biodiesel blends they choose, it also allows Iowa’s consumers greater access to low-cost, homegrown, renewable fuel options,” added Shaw. “More ethanol and biodiesel blends at the pump equates to greater fueling freedom, American jobs and American energy security—all great things to celebrate on Independence Day.”

Biodiesel, biofuels, E15, E85, Ethanol, Iowa RFA

EnVirAnized Biofuel – Burns Like Coal, But It’s Not

Joanna Schroeder

EnviraCarbon, Inc. has announced the commercialization of a patented and proprietary technology which molecularly alters renewable biomass feedstock into EnvirAnized Biofuel™ (EBF). According to the company, EBF is a product that looks, transports, stores, EnviraCarbon Hybrid Treespulverizes and burns like coal. The only thing it doesn’t do that coal does, they say, is pollute. The super fast process changes woody biomass into clean carbonized EBF in a matter of minutes.

The company say the Enviranization process forces biomass to take on the physical characteristics of coal and as a result can be directly used by coal-burning or biomass fired power plants and industrial facilities without any modification or retrofitting to their existing boiler systems. According to EnviraCarbon since EBF can be used interchangeably with coal or biomass, it eliminates the need for coal burning facilities to spend the billions of dollars in capital expenditures necessary for compliance.

According to information from the company, the EBF product has the same heat value as bituminous coal from the eastern U.S. (12,000+ BTUs), it exhibits a much greater heat value than wood pellets and unlike wood pellets, it is hydrophobic. The EBF product contains negligible amounts of sulfur and non-detectable levels of mercury, arsenic and lead which are toxic elements in coal. EBF is also, by most standards, at or near carbon neutral.

ECI facilities use only certified sustainable biomass and/or waste wood as feedstock and EnviraCarbon has its first EBF commercial facility presently under construction, with export expected to begin in the first quarter 2014.

bioenergy, biomass, Electricity

KiOR Announces Cellulosic Milestone

Joanna Schroeder

KiOR has announced that its commercial scale cellulosic gasoline and diesel production facility in Columbus, Mississippi has achieved several key operational milestones. The first achievement was that the facility’s Biomass Fluid Catalytic Cracking, or BFCC, unit has completed its first uninterrupted 30-day run. In addition, the facility made its first shipment of cellulosic gasoline on June 28, which represented the first fuel shipment since March, 2013. On the same day, the facility commenced regular shipments of both gasoline and diesel.

kior_logo_CMYK“Commencing regular shipments of gasoline and diesel is very significant for KiOR, as it reflects the continuous improvements in our operations at the Columbus facility,” said Fred Cannon, KiOR’s president and CEO. “We have been undertaking considerable reliability and optimization efforts in areas of the facility unrelated to KiOR’s core technology. The success of these efforts gives us confidence, more than ever, that the performance targets for the Columbus plant are attainable in the months ahead and that our operating assumptions for our next, larger Natchez plant are reasonable.”

Cannon continued, “With the facility operating stably and producing cellulosic gasoline and diesel at commercial scale, we believe we are on track to achieve steady-state operations before the end of the calendar year and to demonstrate improving performance metrics over that timeframe. The largest commercially producing cellulosic production facility in the world, we expect Columbus — enhanced with our recent optimizations — to be the basis of our second facility’s design at Natchez,”he concluded.

advanced biofuels, blends

Geothermal Summit a Success

Joanna Schroeder

The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) recently gathered in for its third annual National Geothermal Summit and the key topic was how to move geothermal forward.

GEA- geothermal plant tourOne way, as identified by Stacey Crowley, director, Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy and Karen Edson, vice president, policy and client services for California ISO, noted that as intermittent power grows, states have an urgent need for power that can fill the gaps and keep the system reliable. They said that geothermal energy can be part of the solution. In addition, Crowley and Edson stressed the geothermal should no longer be considered to be a baseload technology, but rather a firm, yet flexible energy option that can meet the needs of today’s power systems- especially as aging coal plants are replaced with clean energy.

“The industry has seen slow but steady growth over the past decade,” said GEA Executive Director Karl Gawell. “The industry has had outstanding support from the Obama Administration. We’ve seen an average of 4% growth per year, but we would like to see 4% per month. How do we get there?”

One way discussed is to ensure the value of geothermal power is recognized, particularly its minimal system integration costs and high reliability values. Industry spokespeople noted that in order to support geothermal expansion, its full value must be recognized in the procurement process. It was observed that as the power grid adds more intermittent renewables to address Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) or climate policies, reliability problems and integration costs are expected to grow making geothermal more attractive.

The Summit also heard from companies working with advanced EGS technology. The development of EGS technology will improve the economics and offerings of geothermal energy, panelist Aason Mandell, Chief Commercial Officer, AltaRock Energy noted. The group heard from a panel of companies that have just completed successful demonstrations of EGS technologies on how EGS technology could expand geothermal production.

In addition, the Summit hosted the third annual student competition held by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The University of Rochester took home the top prize, highlighting a solution to leverage geothermal energy at a superfund site.

Geothermal, Renewable Energy