Miller Boat Line is taking a bold step toward “greening up” its ferry service to Put-in-Bay this season. The company has begun using a 10-20 percent biodiesel mix in one of its passenger vessels, the William Market, and has plans to eventually use it in all four of its vessels. Miller Boat Line is one of the first passenger ferry services in the nation using this type of alternative fuel.
“As a family-owned business, we think about our kids with everything we do and we thought it was time to do something to protect the environment for future generations,” said Market. “This allows us to shrink our carbon footprint.”
Using biodiesel costs the company more than traditional diesel. However, the ferry service is keeping its fares the same. In addition, Miller Boat Line has made a dedicated effort to support other Ohio businesses in this effort by using locally-grown soybeans and choosing a local biodiesel supplier.
The fuel, known as G2 diesel, is made primarily from soybean oil and ethanol and has a distinctly different aroma than traditional diesel when burned; some say it smells like French fries or butterscotch.
Using biodiesel will not affect the speed of the vessel. The fuel will result in a cleaner burning engine, less pollution, and better lubricity of the internal parts in the engine which, in turn, will provide more engine hours between rebuilds.
Early feedback on the new fuel from tourists has been positive, said Market.
Miller Boat Line
April 29, 2010
April 27, 2010
Cow power helps fill your gas tank
Calgren Renewable Fuels, the Pixley-based ethanol plant, has been awarded a $4.68 million matching grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to utilize dairy cow gas to make ethanol.
The money will go to construction of a digester used to break down manure to make clean burning biomethane — the green equivalent of natural gas.
“This will mean we can further reduce our carbon footprint in making ethanol,” said Calgren CEO Lyle Schlyer.
Schlyer says it is increasingly important to produce the motor fuel with fewer carbon emissions. Already, Calgren uses waste heat from a cogeneration plant at the site to reduce natural gas use by 20 percent and the addition of the biogas will cut natural gas usage overall another eight percent in the production process.
Full Article
The money will go to construction of a digester used to break down manure to make clean burning biomethane — the green equivalent of natural gas.
“This will mean we can further reduce our carbon footprint in making ethanol,” said Calgren CEO Lyle Schlyer.
Schlyer says it is increasingly important to produce the motor fuel with fewer carbon emissions. Already, Calgren uses waste heat from a cogeneration plant at the site to reduce natural gas use by 20 percent and the addition of the biogas will cut natural gas usage overall another eight percent in the production process.
Full Article
April 26, 2010
President Barack Obama to visit POET plant
"White House to Main Street Tour" will stop at POET Biorefining -- Macon, Mo.
President Barack Obama will visit POET Biorefining -- Macon, Mo. on Wednesday, April 28, as part of his "White House to Main Street Tour" through Missouri, Iowa and Illinois, the White House has announced.
The President plans to take part in a plant tour and talk with POET team members "about what they are experiencing during these tough economic times and share ideas for rebuilding our economy in the long term," according to a White House press release. The President will also tour a local farm and speak with the family.
POET Biorefining -- Macon was the first ethanol plant in Missouri when it began operations as a 15 million gallon-per-year plant in May 2000. Its immediate success prompted an expansion in 2003 to a capacity of 46 million gallons-per-year. The plant also produces the high-protein animal feed Dakota Gold® dried distillers' grains and carbon dioxide for market as part of the ethanol production process. The Macon plant was POET's fifth in a network that now totals 26 ethanol plants in seven states.
"We appreciate President Obama's long-time support for ethanol, and we're anxious to show him how efficient production today is providing valuable fuel for our nation," POET CEO Jeff Broin said. "I am proud that POET plants provide 1.6 billion gallons of renewable fuel annually for the United States. That fuel is produced by our 1,500 team members, who are working hard to reduce oil imports each day at facilities across rural America."
Attendance at the visit Wednesday is by invitation only, but POET will post video, audio and photos of the event on its website: www.poet.com.
Press Release
President Barack Obama will visit POET Biorefining -- Macon, Mo. on Wednesday, April 28, as part of his "White House to Main Street Tour" through Missouri, Iowa and Illinois, the White House has announced.
The President plans to take part in a plant tour and talk with POET team members "about what they are experiencing during these tough economic times and share ideas for rebuilding our economy in the long term," according to a White House press release. The President will also tour a local farm and speak with the family.
POET Biorefining -- Macon was the first ethanol plant in Missouri when it began operations as a 15 million gallon-per-year plant in May 2000. Its immediate success prompted an expansion in 2003 to a capacity of 46 million gallons-per-year. The plant also produces the high-protein animal feed Dakota Gold® dried distillers' grains and carbon dioxide for market as part of the ethanol production process. The Macon plant was POET's fifth in a network that now totals 26 ethanol plants in seven states.
"We appreciate President Obama's long-time support for ethanol, and we're anxious to show him how efficient production today is providing valuable fuel for our nation," POET CEO Jeff Broin said. "I am proud that POET plants provide 1.6 billion gallons of renewable fuel annually for the United States. That fuel is produced by our 1,500 team members, who are working hard to reduce oil imports each day at facilities across rural America."
Attendance at the visit Wednesday is by invitation only, but POET will post video, audio and photos of the event on its website: www.poet.com.
Press Release
April 24, 2010
2009 Gasoline Consumption
Update : 2012 Gasoline Consumption
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) released the annual fuel consumption numbers recently. With these numbers we can see what the total amount of gasoline consumed for 2009 was. The number that the EIA reports for Finished Motor Gasoline includes all the ethanol blended into the gasoline supply. By subtracting out the ethanol we can see how ethanol is adding to the fuel supply and the extent to which the portion of gasoline derived from petroleum is being displaced.
Finished Motor Gasoline
2009 - 3,283,730,000 barrels x 42 = 137,916,660,000 gallons
2008 - 3,290,057,000 barrels x 42 = 138,182,394,000 gallons
2007 - 3,389,269,000 barrels x 42 = 142,349,298,000 gallons
2006 - 3,377,174,000 barrels x 42 = 141,841,308,000 gallons
2005 - 3,343,131,000 barrels x 42 = 140,411,502,000 gallons
2004 - 3,332,579,000 barrels x 42 = 139,968,318,000 gallons
2003 - 3,261,237,000 barrels x 42 = 136,971,954,000 gallons
2002 - 3,229,459,000 barrels x 42 = 135,637,278,000 gallons
As you can see after years of steady increases the amount of Finished Motor Gasoline consumed peaked in 2007.
The number that the EIA provides for Finished Motor Gasoline includes all the ethanol blended into the gasoline supply. So to get the number for just the amount of petroleum gasoline consumed the ethanol needs to be subtracted out.
Ethanol Used : Domestic Production + Imports
2009 - 11,143,272,000 gallons
2008 - 9,838,374,000 gallons
2007 - 6,960,240,000 gallons
2006 - 5,615,484,000 gallons
2005 - 4,040,190,000 gallons
2004 - 3,551,142,000 gallons
2003 - 2,816,688,000 gallons
2002 - 2,153,004,000 gallons
Gasoline Used : Finished Motor Gasoline - Ethanol
2009 - 126,773,388,000 gallons
2008 - 128,344,020,000 gallons
2007 - 135,389,058,000 gallons
2006 - 136,225,824,000 gallons
2005 - 136,371,312,000 gallons
2004 - 136,417,176,000 gallons
2003 - 134,155,266,000 gallons
2002 - 133,484,274,000 gallons
As you can see the amount of petroleum gasoline consumed peaked in 2004 and has been in steady decline ever since.
Updated December 24, 2010.
Source : Energy Information Administration
Update : 2012 Gasoline Consumption
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) released the annual fuel consumption numbers recently. With these numbers we can see what the total amount of gasoline consumed for 2009 was. The number that the EIA reports for Finished Motor Gasoline includes all the ethanol blended into the gasoline supply. By subtracting out the ethanol we can see how ethanol is adding to the fuel supply and the extent to which the portion of gasoline derived from petroleum is being displaced.
Finished Motor Gasoline
2009 - 3,283,730,000 barrels x 42 = 137,916,660,000 gallons
2008 - 3,290,057,000 barrels x 42 = 138,182,394,000 gallons
2007 - 3,389,269,000 barrels x 42 = 142,349,298,000 gallons
2006 - 3,377,174,000 barrels x 42 = 141,841,308,000 gallons
2005 - 3,343,131,000 barrels x 42 = 140,411,502,000 gallons
2004 - 3,332,579,000 barrels x 42 = 139,968,318,000 gallons
2003 - 3,261,237,000 barrels x 42 = 136,971,954,000 gallons
2002 - 3,229,459,000 barrels x 42 = 135,637,278,000 gallons
As you can see after years of steady increases the amount of Finished Motor Gasoline consumed peaked in 2007.
The number that the EIA provides for Finished Motor Gasoline includes all the ethanol blended into the gasoline supply. So to get the number for just the amount of petroleum gasoline consumed the ethanol needs to be subtracted out.
Ethanol Used : Domestic Production + Imports
2009 - 11,143,272,000 gallons
2008 - 9,838,374,000 gallons
2007 - 6,960,240,000 gallons
2006 - 5,615,484,000 gallons
2005 - 4,040,190,000 gallons
2004 - 3,551,142,000 gallons
2003 - 2,816,688,000 gallons
2002 - 2,153,004,000 gallons
Gasoline Used : Finished Motor Gasoline - Ethanol
2009 - 126,773,388,000 gallons
2008 - 128,344,020,000 gallons
2007 - 135,389,058,000 gallons
2006 - 136,225,824,000 gallons
2005 - 136,371,312,000 gallons
2004 - 136,417,176,000 gallons
2003 - 134,155,266,000 gallons
2002 - 133,484,274,000 gallons
As you can see the amount of petroleum gasoline consumed peaked in 2004 and has been in steady decline ever since.
Updated December 24, 2010.
Source : Energy Information Administration
Update : 2012 Gasoline Consumption
Distillers Dried Grains Futures To Begin Trading On Monday
CME Group will launch trading of Distillers Dried Grains (DDG) futures contracts on Monday April 26.
Distillers’ Dried Grains, a byproduct of corn-produced ethanol, is used for animal feed, including livestock and dairy cows. The electronically traded and physically delivered futures contracts can be used by livestock and ethanol producers, commercial corn interests and others to lock in the price of feed or to hedge their ethanol refining margin in combination with corn, natural gas and ethanol futures.
“This product will enable our feed customers to directly manage price risk of feed inputs that they haven’t been able to before,” said Tim Andriesen, CME Group Managing Director for Commodities. “Using the Distillers’ Dried Grain futures, along with our corn, natural gas and ethanol contracts, also allows real margin management for participants in the fast-growing ethanol sector, once again highlighting the synergies of the CME Group product suite.”
Each contract is equivalent to 100 short tons of Distillers’ Dried Grains. Deliverable grades must include a minimum of 26 percent protein and 8 percent fat as well a maximum of 12 percent fiber content and 11.5 percent moisture content.
Press Release
Distillers’ Dried Grains, a byproduct of corn-produced ethanol, is used for animal feed, including livestock and dairy cows. The electronically traded and physically delivered futures contracts can be used by livestock and ethanol producers, commercial corn interests and others to lock in the price of feed or to hedge their ethanol refining margin in combination with corn, natural gas and ethanol futures.
“This product will enable our feed customers to directly manage price risk of feed inputs that they haven’t been able to before,” said Tim Andriesen, CME Group Managing Director for Commodities. “Using the Distillers’ Dried Grain futures, along with our corn, natural gas and ethanol contracts, also allows real margin management for participants in the fast-growing ethanol sector, once again highlighting the synergies of the CME Group product suite.”
Each contract is equivalent to 100 short tons of Distillers’ Dried Grains. Deliverable grades must include a minimum of 26 percent protein and 8 percent fat as well a maximum of 12 percent fiber content and 11.5 percent moisture content.
Press Release
April 20, 2010
Amtrak Tests Biodiesel
Today Amtrak began testing beef based biodiesel on their Heartland Flyer.
The tests are being conducted with the aid of $274000 in grant money from the Federal Railroad Administration.
Source : Associated Press
Officials from the railroad and the Oklahoma and Texas transportation departments launched a yearlong test to see whether beef-based biodiesel can efficiently run the Heartland Flyer passenger train between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas, and also reduce emissions.
"We can join energy (and) agriculture and protect the environment," Oklahoma Agriculture Secretary Terry Peach said.
Tallow from Texas cattle — fat often used in soap or animal feed — is supplying 20 percent of the fuel for the 3,200-horsepower engine, the rest is standard diesel. Previous engine tests showed that those running the B20 mixture produced less carbon monoxide and fewer particulates and sulfates.
The tests are being conducted with the aid of $274000 in grant money from the Federal Railroad Administration.
Source : Associated Press