Biofuel News

Daily News—07/20

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 22:16:00 GMT

Malaysia: slowing biodiesel production caused by slowing demand, high CPO prices

Biodiesel producers are waiting for the Government to implement more initiatives to increase the usage of the alternative fuel in the country

PETALING JAYA: Biodiesel production has slowed significantly since early this year as demand falls amid the economic slowdown and as the price of crude palm oil (CPO) continues to stay higher than that of crude oil.

Crude oil was trading at US$60 per barrel, equivalent to US$440 per tonne, while CPO at RM2,100 per tonne was equivalent to US$587.

“There’s no ideal CPO price amid the current crude oil price but it should be lower than crude oil,” an analyst with a local research house told StarBiz.

“CPO is currently trading at about US$100 higher than crude oil, giving lower margins to biodiesel producers,” he said, adding that the current CPO price was unlikely to fall back too much.

This is certainly a familiar debate, crude oil prices are now lower than palm oil prices, but the world can’t wait for pricing advantages when time is not on our side, we run out of crude oil day by day.

Philippines will start exporting millions of gallons of jatropha oil to the US next year

Jatropha photo from: http://www.jatrophaworld.org/stage-extract_48.html

The Philippines will be looped into the burgeoning clean energy market in the United States as it starts exporting jatropha oil in that country next year.
About 30 million gallons of jatropha oil will be exported by the Philippine unit of Monterey, California-based Abundant Biofuels Corp. from the lumad plantations in Northern Mindanao, the company’s chairman, Dr. Charles V. Fishel, told PNA in an email interview. Abundant biofuels sells jatropha oil as feedstock to biodiesel refineries in the US. The company offers long-term contracts of up to 10 years in multiples of 50,000 barrels of jatropha oil, with project financing available.

When I read stories like this I wonder why we need any foreign jatropha oil, we can grow it ourselves, as we have started to do in Florida, but either way, we should not become dependent on foreign biofuels.

Biodiesel from WVO offers new jobs, fuel sources

SCSU sends about 150 gallons of used deep fat fryer oil a week to the city of St. Cloud for use in a new bus that uses the oil for fuel. (MPR Photo/Tim Post) From: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/04/16/frenchfry_bus/

Biodiesel companies have cropped up along the Grand Strand in recent months, making use of ingredients as varied as cafeteria grease and algae.

The demand is not high, because oil prices have dived, but these companies are preparing for better market conditions, and area economic leaders see the budding industry as a way to make up for lost manufacturing jobs.

"As we saw back in the fall, oil prices can rise rapidly and have a very detrimental effect on the economy," said Hugh Owens, president of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corp. "If we have greater sources of energy and biodiesel, various applications present great opportunities to provide alternative sources of energy ... and provide a sense of stability in the energy market, but also in terms of the general economy."

The Carolinas are focused in on WVO waste vegetable oil as a source of fuel, and no matter how cheap crude oil gets, WVO is free or close to free of cost. How can you argue against this type of biodiesel?

Businessman from NC plans biodiesel manufacturing plant

Benjamin Patton/The Gazette Tom Corriher at the site of a biodiesel plant he hopes to build in Gaston County. From: http://www.gastongazette.com/news/site-36119-alternative-crouse.html

CROUSE — Tom Corriher wants to use palm oil to cook a multimillion dollar business.

Owner of CorrEnergy, Corriher wants to convert oil soybeans into 10 million gallons of biodiesel fuel a year.

“We already have two distributors who said they would buy all 10 million gallons,” Corriher said.

Corriher got the go-ahead from Cherryville City Council this week when asking for a conditional use permit for the 46 acres of land off of N.C. 150. He was previously granted a rezoning request to convert the property to general manufacturing.

I will keep looking for this kind of story, because, as we see it, biodiesel is a local thing, bringing jobs and money to whatever region wants to claim them.

Real Money Lobbyists

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:31:00 GMT

Definitely file this one under the category of “unbalanced reporting.” It just really made me wonder what the agenda is for some news media.

When I saw a story on CNBC that the Renewable Fuels Association spent $166,000 “in the first quarter to lobby on energy and fuel standards legislation,” I thought, “Why is this news?”

Seriously. First of all, the lobbying report for the first quarter came out in April. Second, there are lots of other organizations that spent WAY more than that on fuel standards and/or ethanol-related lobbying.

According to the Lobbying Disclosure Act Database, if you query for “fuel standards” as an issues search, you will find the American Petroleum Institute spent $1.8 million, Chevron spent $6.8 million and Exxon spent $9.3 million.

Query for ethanol and you will find that the Grocery Manufacturer's Association spent at least $720,000 and Tyson spent almost $500,000.

Why even do a story on what RFA spent in the first quarter of this year on lobbying? It seems like a pretty small amount compared to companies and organizations lobbying against ethanol. Guess that depends on one's agenda.

ExxonMobil to Launch US $600M Biofuels Program

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Exxon Mobil Corporation has formed an alliance with biotech company, Synthetic Genomics Inc. (SGI), to research and develop next generation biofuels from photosynthetic algae.

Proposed Ethanol Pipeline to Extend into SD

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:32:00 GMT

A $3.5 billion dedicated ethanol pipeline may be extended to South Dakota. POET LLC and Magellan Midstram Partners LP are studying the feasibility of the 1,800-mile pipeline.

“With South Dakota being in the top five of ethanol producing states and having almost a billion gallons of production capacity, that just made sense,” said POET spokesman Nathan Schock. The extended pipline is dependent upon studies addressing technical issues and Congress revising the U.S. Department of Energy's loan guarantee program, the companies say.

If built, the route would begin in Davison County, S.D. — further west than O'Brien County, Iowa, as originally planned — and deliver the alternative fuel from plants in Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio to distribution terminals in the northeastern United States.

Magellan has been working with the Association of Oil Pipe Lines for years on how to transport ethanol through a pipeline, said spokesman Bruce Heine. But he added that the biggest challenge is stress corrosion cracking, in which ethanol tends to cause internal cracking of carbon steel pipe more so than gasoline or diesel. Magellan thinks the solution will be a combination of potential additives to help protect the pipe and the use of different welding techniques.

Schock said POET is taking the lead on market analysis for the project, while Magellan is addressing technical and issues. The two are working together on legislative challenges. He added that he hopes for a decision on whether to move forward by the end of year or early 2010.

Dresser Wayne Brings E85 Dispenser to Finland

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:16:00 GMT

Dresser Wayne and Finnish energy company, St1, is bringing five E85 biofuel dispensers to the greater Helsinki area. These sites are eco-conscious wind and solar powered retail fuel locations.

“We want to engage our customers with an informative experience – one that also offers the reward of doing what’s right for the environment. The Dresser Wayne Global Ovation iX dispenser’s user-centric design and leading technology help make this possible,” says Mikko Reinekari, St1 sales director.

The Global Ovation iX dispenser includes many elements that support the customer service objectives including the St1 Refuel RE85 compatibility. The Global Ovation iX dispenser features the Xflo™ fuel meter, available in an eco-fuel compatible design. The Xflo meter helps ensure precisely-blended alternative fuels among other advantages.

“We applaud St1 and their efforts to offer sustaining, alternative fuels for motorists. We are pleased to be able to offer highly-accurate dispensing, vapour recovery and marketing solutions for this innovative retail fueling initiative,” says Damian Tracey, President EMEA.

Dresser Wayne E85 dispensing units can also be found throughout the over 2,000 E85 fueling sites throughout the United States.

New Biofuels Manifesto

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:44:00 GMT

University of Minnesota Professor David Tilman, Princeton University Visiting Scholar Tim Searchinger, Dartmouth Professor Lee Lynd and others involved in the debate over the environmental and social impacts of biofuels have published in Science magazine what amounts to a new manifesto on how biofuels can be done right.

The authors list five biofuel feedstocks that are the best in terms of sustainability — “lower life-cycle greenhouse-gas emissions than traditional fossil fuels and with little or no competition with food products.”

The authors conclude:

Three steps should be taken: meaningful science-based environmental safeguards should be adopted, a robust biofuels industry should be enabled, and those who have invested in first-generation biofuels should have a viable path forward.

The EPA's proposed rule on the Renewable Fuel Standard was intended to outline a viable path forward for first-generation biofuels. The Best Case Natural Gas Dry Mill, the Biomass Dry Mill, and the Biomass Dry Mill with Combined Heat and Power scenarios outlined in the “EPA Lifecycle Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Renewable Fuels” all produce reductions in greenhouse gases that come close to or exceed the 20 percent standard in the RFS. The EPA's definition of the Best Case is: “Best case plants produce wet distillers grain co-product and include the following technologies: combined heat and power (CHP), fractionation, membrane separation and raw starch hydrolysis.”

The question will be whether anyone invests in these technologies or in additional biofuel production at all, given the current economic and social climate in which biofuel companies are operating. One possible factor in choosing the best biofuels ought to be how soon they can become a reality and whether they can be improved from there.

Another Loss For The Ethanol Industry

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 07:37:00 GMT

The ethanol industry lost another visionary this past week. Raphael “Ray” Katzen passed away on Sunday, July 12. Ray was a visionary that saw the potential of cellulosic ethanol while working at a defense plant under contract for the federal government during World War II. His life’s work was dedicated to producing ethanol from a variety of feedstocks cost competitively. The engineering company he founded, Katzen International Inc., was known across the globe for its cutting edge technology.

Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen expressed his sadness at the loss of this industry leader:

“Ray Katzen is well known to the ethanol industry for the technology he commercialized and the passion he expressed when talking about the evolution of the worldwide ethanol industry. While he could have deservedly rested on his laurels in retirement, Ray never looked backwards; he always looked forward, challenging the industry to always work toward improvements and innovation in technology. Accompanied by his lovely wife, Selma, Ray was a presence at virtually every gathering of the industry, poised to question and comment, assuring the industry kept its eye on the vast potential of cellulose. Ray Katzen will be sorely missed by a grateful industry, but his legacy of technology innovation and his commitment to the future will endure.”

Support Building for Increased Ethanol Blend

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 06:05:00 GMT

The deadline for submitting comments to the Environmental Protection Agency period on the Green Jobs Waiver to allow up to 15 percent ethanol (E15) blends in gasoline has arrived.

Growth Energy officials believe support for the proposal has grown since it was submitted by the industry in February, with President Obama, administration officials, governors, members of Congress, state and local elected officials and groups across the country all going on record in support of increasing the blend to E15.

Just last week, ten Midwestern governors wrote to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson requesting that ethanol blending levels be increased to 15 percent. “Increasing the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline is an important step that will have dramatic, positive effects on advancement of the renewable fuels industry,” said South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds. “In addition to economic benefits, increased use of ethanol and biofuels will lead to greater energy independence by utilizing homegrown commodities, materials and technologies.”

Earlier this month President Barack Obama said, “We want to be able to compete with countries like Brazil that now are running basically their entire automobile fleet on biofuels. If Brazil can do it, there’s no reason why America can’t do it.” During a stop in Iowa last month, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said, “I don't want to prejudge what they're going to find, but if the existing automobile fleet can handle 15 percent, I would say let's make that a target and go to 15 percent.”

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that she supported a higher ethanol-to-gasoline blend rate as a way to reduce reliance on petroleum imports and that, “It seems to me we should be able to do that.” In addition, a bi-partisan group of 28 Congressional representatives wrote a letter supporting the waiver. “Allowing use of ethanol blends up to E-15 will help us preserve and enhance infrastructure that is critical to the timely development of cellulosic ethanol and advanced biofuels, have significant environmental benefits, foster our nation’s energy independence, create thousands of jobs, and stimulate economic development in communities across the nation,” they wrote. “According to one estimate, allowing blending up to E-15 has the potential to create at least 135,000 jobs.”

Members of the ethanol industry are encouraged to get comments in to EPA on the importance of the Green Jobs Waiver before the close of the business day on July 20. For more information, go to goE15.com.

Ethanol Promotion at Biker Rally

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:39:00 GMT

The ethanol industry is reaching out to motorcyclists this summer with a promotion aimed at bikers attending the 69th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally August 3-9 in Sturgis, SD.

The Renewable Fuels Association is partnering with the popular Buffalo Chip Campground and the Buffalo Chip Gazette to promote the use of ethanol blended fuels as a way to fight dependence on foreign oil. RFA is also providing a wide range of merchandise and promotional materials to staffers, volunteers and riders at this year’s event.

RFA Director of Market Development Robert White says the Sturgis rally offers an opportunity to highlight the efficacy of ethanol-blends in all engine types. “At nearly 10% of the nation’s fuel supply, ethanol can be found in nearly every gallon of gasoline sold. It is providing a growing renewable alternative to petroleum that is safe and effective for use in all engine types, including motorcycles.”

Florida Farm to Fuel Summit Registrations Up

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:44:00 GMT

Organizers of the 2009 FloridaFarmtoFuel.com”>Florida Farm to Fuel® Summit report that registrations for the event on July 29-31 are running ahead of last year.

The fourth annual summit will feature addresses by Florida Governor Charlie Crist, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Bronson, USDA Under Secretary Dallas Tonsager, “Fuel” documentary producer Josh Tickell, and many others.

There will also be a special pre-summit “Biofuels Strategic Meeting: Moving Biofuels into Production in Florida” on July 29th from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. The meeting will discuss and explore the opportunities and obstacles the state of Florida faces in infrastructure development of biofuel facilities.

Registration and more information is available at FloridaFarmtoFuel.com.

Lab Tests Cellulosic Biomass Process

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:36:00 GMT

Gulf Alternative Energy Corporation (GAEC) recently announced the lab test results on its biomass pre-processing technology that converts cellulosic biomass into a fine, dry powder for processing into ethanol.

GAEC reports that testing conducted by Microbac Laboratories of Colorado Lab “showed that all sugars were produced from Gulf Sorghum in 16 hours compared to 64 hours for unprocessed control samples. This is a 400% increase in processing speed under controlled lab conditions.”

John Shearer, President of GAEC, said, “This test lays to rest any questions regarding the validity and value of Gulf's process to development of the cellulosic ethanol industry.”

BP to Focus on Ethanol Only

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:07:00 GMT

Just when ExxonMobil finally gets into the biofuels game with its announcement of $300 million in funding for Synthetic Genomics, BP quits its biodiesel efforts. BP has extracted itself from a jatropha biofuel project with D1 Oils to focus on production of ethanol in both the United States and Brazil. The company will also pursue the development of advanced biobutanol in conjunction with DuPont.

D1 Oil has agreed to purchase BP's 50 percent interest in their joint D1-BP Fuel Crops Ltd. venture which was launched in June 2007. Jatropha has originally been considered a “wonder” crop to produce biofuels, but as of late has been under fire with many calling it the “blunder crop“. It is no wonder that with tightening funding for biofuels the project was unable to find any additional investors.

According to an article today from Bloomberg News, BP spokeswoman Sheila Williams, commented, “To ensure the success of these investments, BP is concentrating new business development in these areas and will no longer be directly involved in the jatropha as a biofuel feedstock.”

BP Alternative Energy has earmarked $8 billion for project investment in the decade through 2015 and $500 million for biofuels research specifically. The company forecasts that biofuels will account for 11 percent to 19 percent of the world's transport-fuel market by 2030.

In the past year, BP has partnered with several other ethanol companies including Tropical BioEnergia on a sugarcane project, Verenium on a cellulosic ethanol project and Associated British Foods and DuPont on a wheat-based ethanol plant in Hull, northeast England.

Myriant Technologies LLC Announces Commercial Milestone for Its Renewable Succinic Acid

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:48:00 GMT

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DOE readies $85 billion for algal and advanced biofuels

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:29:00 GMT

Filed under: Biodiesel, Emerging Technologies, Ethanol, Legislation and Policy

The DOE is getting ready to spend $85 billion on research to create biofuels made from algae and other advanced techniques. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds will be made available "for the development of algae-based biofuels and advanced, infrastructure-compatible biofuels" that can be brought "to market in an accelerated timeframe."

Interestingly, wiht this announcement, the DOE says it is not looking to fund any sort of cellulosic ethanol. Instead, the biofuels that the DOE is hopes to help create include aviation fuel, green gasoline and green diesel. Biofuels made from algae are high on the DOE's funding hitlist, as are bio-based replacements for traditional hydrocarbon fuels. More details are available here.

[Source: DOE]
Photo by *higetiger. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

DOE readies $85 billion for algal and advanced biofuels originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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D1 unveils deal to supply jatropha technology and services

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:25:00 GMT

A proposal to provide plant science and planting technology and services over a five year period has been agreed in principle by Bedford Biofuels and D1 Oils. Under the terms of the proposed agreement, unveilled today (17th July), D1 would license on a non-exclusive basis technology acquired through D1’s agronomy research and breeding programme to Bedford Biofuels. The agreement once entered into would also offer a framework for the sale of technology consulting services and Jatropha planting seed and seedlings. Intellectual property rights would remain in D1 ownership.

Stahlbush biogas plant in full operation

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:24:00 GMT

A biogas plant at Stahlbush Island Farms, claimed to be the first of its kind in North America, is now in full operation. The plant, set up by the company to make use of farm waste, cost $10 million and took 14 months to complete.

AQUAMANTRA(R) Premium Bottled Water Introduces the World's First 100% Biodegradable, Recyclable, Compostable (non-PLA) Bottle

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:44:00 GMT

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D1 Oils buys back BP's share of joint venture

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:02:00 GMT

A conditional agreement to acquire BP’s 50 per cent interest in their joint venture, D1-BP Fuel Crops Limited, has been worked out by D1 Oils and BP International. The deal, announced this morning (17th July), is conditional on the agreement of D1's shareholders at next week's AGM (23rd July). The move saw D1 Oils' share price jump wildly from 5.8p at the start of trading to a more settled price of just under 6.8p by mid afternoon.

Daily News—07/17

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:37:00 GMT

Monterey, CA biodiesel producer plants jatropha

Logo from: http://www.abundantbiofuels.com/

MONTEREY — If a diesel bus goes by without emitting a smelly exhaust, the people at a Monterey biodiesel company will know they've done their job.

If all goes as planned, Abundant Biofuels will be producing 600 billion gallons of biodiesel by 2012, reducing pollution and putting hundreds of thousands of people to work in places like the Philippines, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Colombia.

The biodiesel will come from the jatropha plant, which grows best within 10 or 15 degrees of the equator

This is a forward-thinking company planting for the future, they will sell the biodiesel fuel they grow right there in the country that grows it, eliminating shipping costs of export.

Indian Railways introducing CNG and biodiesel as locomotive fuels

Photo from: http://www.irctc.co.in/

New Delhi: The Indian Railways is planning to introduce compressed natural gas (CNG) and bio diesel as locomotive fuels, aiming to cut down on pollution, minister of state for railways K.H. Muniyappa said on Thursday.

Currently, the railways uses diesel and electricity, which is an indirect pollutant as a bulk of the country’s power capacity is coal-fired.

“Successful trials have been carried out by using 10% blend of bio-diesel on trains,” Muniyappa told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Biodiesel for rail locomotives sounds like a super good idea, very controlled environment and maintenance, steady speeds, the perfect application. I will watch for further news on this development.

Chernobyl 'badlands' could be decontaminated by growing biofuels

This desolate area in Belarus near the border with Ukraine could be decontaminated and rejuvenated if a biofuel crop were grown (Image: Viktor Drachev / AFP / Getty Images)

CONTAMINATED lands, blighted by fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, could be cleaned up in a clever way: by growing biofuels. Belarus, the country affected by much of the fallout, is planning to use the crops to suck up the radioactive strontium and caesium and make the soil fit to grow food again within decades rather than hundreds of years.

Yes, but who is going to work the fields? Robots? The land is still too hot to work on, as I have seen it in recent TV programs, so they better be careful where they grow for years to come.

Boca Raton, Florida woman banking on biodiesel plantation

Just a couple of years ago, Teri Gevinson, a Boca Raton land developer, had never heard of jatropha. Now she owns 9,500 of the tropical oil-producing trees planted in the Agricultural Reserve west of Delray Beach.

Ag-Oil LLC, a company Gevinson formed last year, hopes to be crushing jatropha seeds and producing biofuel at its site by 2011. Its goal is to eventually produce 15 million gallons a year to help ease dependency on foreign oil.

More on this jatropha-growing biodiesel production plan, a little bit more of the personal side of the story, how Ms. Gevinson’s little girl gave her the idea to plant biofuel.

World Wind Potential Much Higher than Estimates

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:13:00 GMT

A new study says the potential of wind energy around the world is much higher than what either wind industry groups or government agencies have been estimating.

This story in the New York Times says a Harvard University study shows that the U.S. could end up being the big leader in wind power:

Using data from thousands of meteorological stations, the Harvard team estimated the world wind power potential to be 40 times greater than total current power consumption. A previous study cited in the paper put that multiple at about 7 times.

In the lower 48 states, the potential from wind power is 16 times more than total electricity demand in the United States, the researchers suggested – significantly greater than a 2008 Department of Energy study that projected wind could supply a fifth of all electricity in the country by 2030.

While remote regions of Russia and Canada have the greatest theoretical potential, the Harvard study pointed out that there are real gains to be made in high-emission nations, especially China, which has been rapidly constructing coal plants. “Large-scale development of wind power in China could allow for an 18-fold increase in electricity supply relative to consumption reported for 2005,” the Harvard study said.

The findings are “further validation of what we’ve been saying – that the United States is the Saudi Arabia of wind,” said Michael Goggin, an electricity industry analyst for the American Wind Energy Association.

The authors based their calculations on the deployment of 2.5- to 3-megawatt wind turbines situated either in accessible rural areas that are neither frozen nor forested, or relatively shallow offshore locations. They also used a conservative 20 percent estimate for capacity factor, a measure of how much energy a given turbine actually produces.

Study authors point out that other wind energy forecasts were based on 50- to 80-meter turbines. They say that turbines could be as large as 100 meters and based their estimates on the larger possible generators.

Fairmont Hotels Making Own Biodiesel

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:27:00 GMT

One of the leaders in lodging is working on becoming a leader in sustainable green energy.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has announced that it will be recycling its used kitchen grease into biodiesel to power its hotels worldwide:

As part of the brand's focus and commitment to sustainability, more than 22 Fairmont locations worldwide are reducing their waste disposal costs and supporting the switch to a cleaner economy by manufacturing used kitchen oils into biodiesel, a domestic and renewable fuel derived from natural oils. No one method or solution is universal and biodiesel initiatives vary by property. At The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, the hotel gets the job done by partnering with Yokayo Bio-Fuels, a local biodiesel firm, to gather approximately 150 gallons of kitchen grease each quarter, turning it into tallow or feed. The Fairmont Scottsdale has also teamed up with an outside firm to transform leftover oil into fuel for vineyards and other businesses that rely on diesel, generators, forklifts and cars. The resort collected 1,901 gallons in 2008 and 650 gallons so far in 2009, for a total of 2,551 gallons of grease to date, which in turn has been recycled into biodiesel; enough to supply the annual fuel consumption of approximately five cars. By not discarding the kitchen grease down the drain, other benefits are also realized including fewer clogged pipes and reduced use of harmful chemicals to clear drains and treat wastewater systems.

You can read more about Fairmont's Green Partnership Program here.

US Postal Service adds numbers to alternative fuel fleet

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:48:00 GMT

The United States Postal Service is a regular customer at Propel's California locations, filling their service vehicles with Flex Fuel E85. Nearly twenty percent of Postal Service fleet is alternative fuel-capable, the majority of which are Flex Fuel Vehicles. The USPS recently announced that it will be swapping 1,000 older vehicles for Flex Fuel-capable models as [...]

Fuel from Waste – New Revenue for American Farmers

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:07:00 GMT

Not Corn…Cobs. This harvest refuse, typically plowed back into the field, is now a source of fuel for American drivers, and new profit for American farmers. Making this possible are the leading edge cellulosic ethanol plants like the Iowa based plant currently being built by Poet Energy. The $200 million plant will make cellulosic ethanol, which [...]

Daily News—07/16

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:10:00 GMT

Car & Driver features biodiesel racing series

Neat article I just read in Car and Driver about the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series, which features young drivers (16 to 26 years old) driving practically identical VWs running on a 5 percent biodiesel blend.

Writer Mark Gillies got to take one of cars out during an actual qualifying run at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course near Columbus

The engine is very torquey and the brakes are superb. The DSG transmission is so well tuned that you can leave it in auto-Sport mode and go pretty quickly, but I preferred to use the paddles and shift manually just before redline. This was on the good advice of an 18-year-old—Timmy Megenbier, a hotshoe ex-karter who was really helpful to this rookie. Despite the limited horsepower, the cars lap Mid-Ohio at an average speed of around 81 mph, which is plenty fast. There’s a strange feeling in this car, because the engine is quiet and it doesn’t rev very high.

I realize this is their coverage of another article, but they do it so well, this is a must-read for all our members. Yes, biodiesel is screaming hot fuel with special properties, and these racers love it.

First East Tenn. biodiesel plant cuts the ribbon, refines WVO

Fryer grease from 30 Knoxville area restaurants will soon be used in the area's first biodiesel production facility.

The grease will need to flow through a series of trucks and tanks built using almost $500,000.

"We also see it as an economic development tool for the state, rural areas especially. There are lots of opportunities here for biofuels, and we feel like Tennessee is well positioned to be the leader in the nation," says UT project coordinator Sam Jackson.

The facility might also supply biodiesel to community businesses in the future, but in the meantime it will be used as a hands-on research center for UT students.

This is another short article on what should become a normal evolution of the Green Movement, the re-use of cooking oils and fats into biodiesel. It just plain makes sense, don’t you agree?

Fresno, CA welcomes new biodiesel plant and the 21 jobs it brings

California Green Energy is eager to partner with local businesses in its effort to create green products.

“We are pleased to have a long-term supply contract with the Valley's largest waste hauler and seek additional relationships with other liquid-waste recyclers, dust-suppression and recycled water consumers and biodiesel marketers. We’ve located in the Valley because of its need for air quality, water and carbon solutions,” said Robert Franklin, chief executive of California Green Energy, in a statement.

Here again, we see that biodiesel produced from waste always has customers waiting in line for the fuel. Why? Good publicity? In this case, 21 jobs are brought into being, as is usual for biodiesel production plants.

From SF Examiner.com: Biodiesel, not perfect, but getting there.

My Chevrolet diesel van, made in the 1980s

What is needed when we talk about diesel is understanding the diesel engine. The engine is designed to run by compressing the fuel and air so much that the fuel reaches combustion temperature and detonates, driving the piston down, turning a crankshaft. Diesels don’t use spark plugs, they operate by compression ignition. When you see the term HCCi, for example, it stands for Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition, which is to say, a kind of diesel engine.

Interesting article written by someone who actually uses biodiesel in his personal vehicle, someone who should become a member of Biodiesel Now.

EU biodiesel production up 35%

PARIS (Reuters) - Production of biodiesel in the European Union rose by more than 35 percent in 2008 and capacity will grow again this year although half the plants are idle due to poor demand, the EU producers group said on Wednesday.

The Brussels-based European Biodiesel Board (EBB) said the European production of biodiesel, by far the main biofuel made in the bloc, had reached 7.76 million tonnes last year putting the EU's global market share close to 65 percent.

European producers of biodiesel are jumping on the opportunity presented by heavily taxing the imported biodiesel products of the USA, and this is slated to go on for the next 5 years.

Major Biomass Plant Approval for UK

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:00:00 GMT

A 295 MW biomass-fired power station has been granted approval by the UK government.

Renewable Energy Standards Advance in Four States

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:00:00 GMT

The states of Kansas and West Virginia recently adopted their first mandatory requirements for renewable energy use through so-called renewable energy standards, while Maine and Nevada have boosted the requirements under their renewable energy standards.

Biofuels and Biobased Chemicals Race to the Starting Line

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Both the United States and Canada have made considerable investments in founding a renewable biofuels and chemicals industry, setting standards for the production and use of biofuels and committing money for research, development and commercial demonstration projects. Many startup companies have joined the race to market advanced biofuels, hoping to secure their share of the North American transportation fuel and chemicals markets.

A Step Toward Algae Into Ethanol

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:14:00 GMT

Algenol Biofuels announced plans for a pilot algae-biorefinery to produce ethanol from captured CO2. The demonstration plant will have the capacity to produce 100,000 gallons a year, with desired cost of the ethanol at $1.00 per gallon. Paul Woods, CEO of Algenol, said in a recent press release, “this project sets the stage for commercial scale production [...]

ACE’s online game

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:28:00 GMT

If you're looking for a way to beat the heat this summer, stay inside and log-on to your computer to play Barrel Blaster, a great online game from the folks at the American Coalition for Ethanol.

The premise of the game is simple - “Greentown is being overrun by marauding hordes of oil” - and it's up to you to save the city by shooting down oil barrels when they come on-screen with your weapons - “ethanol zappers.”

You get to choose between a motor scooter, a VW bug, and a Hummer, all of which come with different strengths. The scooter will provide more agility, but the Hummer comes with more strength. Choose wisely, those barrels come at you fast!

You can gain more points and bonuses to boost your health or fuel by finding flowers and butterflies, and you lose points if you shoot any of the wildlife.

This is an awesome game and a great tool to send to your friends to get the discussion started about alternative fuel. Plus it's really fun to play!

Click here to play.

UK hits biofuels targets for first year

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:14:00 GMT

The UK has achieved the biofuels targets it set a year ago under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) according to provisional data released by the UK's Renewable Fuels Agency today (15th July). Altogether, between April 2008 and April 2009, 1,251 million litres of biofuel have been supplied under the RTFO, equating to approximately 2.6% of total road transport fuel, 0.1% over the target.