POET Acquires Indiana Ethanol Plant

POET announced today the purchase of a 90 million gallon-per-year ethanol plant located just outside Cloverdale, Ind. and previously operated by Altra Biofuels.

The transaction closed June 29. Once open, the Cloverdale plant will be POET's fourth in Indiana and 27th overall, putting annual ethanol production capacity at 1.7 billion gallons per year.

POET CEO Jeff Broin said the productive agriculture community in and around Cloverdale, coupled with POET's unique processes and technology, will make POET Biorefining -- Cloverdale a leader in the industry.

"We have been looking at potential acquisitions for some time," Broin said. "This plant, in this community, will be a perfect fit for what we do at POET."

POET will install the company's proprietary process technology and improve the original plant design. The approximately $30 million in upgrades include BPX, POET's patent-pending fermentation process which uses enzymes instead of heat, reducing energy use by 10-15 percent. In addition, POET will install a water recovery system and new pollution control equipment. POET expects to reopen the plant in about 9 months.

A number of other processes could be installed at the plant in the future, including cellulosic ethanol production from corn cobs, which POET will commercialize soon in Emmetsburg, Iowa.

"This plant has all the ingredients we need to put together a top operation: a steady corn supply, rail access, a great workforce and productive farmers," Broin said. "The ample corn supply in the area includes significant quantities of agricultural waste, making the plant a likely location for cellulosic ethanol production in the future."

Source : Press Release

New Ethanol Fact Book now available

The Flagship publication of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition and the Ethanol Across America program for nearly 15 years has been the Ethanol Fact Book. This unique document provides hundreds of sourced facts relating to ethanol and addresses issues regarding the ethanol tax incentive, energy security and oil import reductions, economic impacts and benefits to the U.S. Treasury, greenhouse gas reduction and environmental benefits, and advancements in cellulose conversion technologies. In addition, developments in flexible fuel vehicle production and high level blends are addressed.

U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) Co-Chair of the Ethanol Across America campaign said, "As Congress continues its work on an energy bill it is essential that it will continue to support and enhance our nation’s use of renewable fuels. Ethanol supports our efforts to create jobs, stimulate the economy, reduce the use of oil, and improve the environment. Through the Ethanol Across America education program, we are getting the facts out and believe when people understand the wide range of benefits ethanol provides they will continue to support it. The Clean Fuels Development Coalition has done a tremendous job in educating the public about this issue through this fact book.”

U.S. Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), co-chair of the Ethanol Across America campaign, said, "Energy is a vitally strategic national security issue for our country. The real cost of petroleum includes the use of our military to defend shipping lanes and maintain geopolitical stability in oil producing regions. Increasing the development and production of renewable fuels such as ethanol will help ensure national and economic security. As the Ethanol Fact Book illustrates, with high oil prices ethanol production becomes even more important and farmers growing corn, and other energy crops, will add to our nation’s energy security while helping our communities prosper."

Ethanol Fact Book

POET Alexandria Ethanol Plant Cuts Water Usage

Wastewater discharge at POET Biorefining -- Alexandria (Ind.) will soon drop significantly thanks to cutting-edge technology known as Total Water Recovery.

By late August or early September, the new system will be filtering and recycling water used in ethanol production. It will eliminate about 93,000 gallons of discharged water per day, making the plant even more environmentally friendly and conserving valuable water resources for the city of Alexandria and other area residents.

Currently, POET Biorefining -- Alexandria uses 3.18 gallons of water to make 1 gallon of ethanol. After installation of POET's technology, that will be dropped to 2.62 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol.

"POET engineers and scientists are constantly testing new ways to make ethanol production even better, and it's great that we have the opportunity to take advantage of that and make these upgrades," General Manager Dave Hudak said.

The plant will seek to amend its water permit to allow for cleaning updated systems and in case of emergencies.

The Total Water Recovery installation at POET Biorefining -- Alexandria is the latest step in a company-wide sustainability initiative called "Ingreenuity." The first goal of Ingreenuity is to cut water use at POET plants by a total of 1 billion gallons over the next five years, a 22 percent reduction.

Source Press Release

April Ethanol Production Down Slightly

U.S. ethanol production fell slightly in April. According to information from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), April 2010 ethanol production averaged more than 832,000 barrels per day (b/d). That is down from 847,000 b/d in March.

Ethanol demand, as calculated by the Renewable Fuels Association, reached an all time high at 834,000 b/d in April, up from 673,000 b/d a year ago.

EIA also reports fuel ethanol imports of 1.5 million gallons in April.

As the RFA recently reported, America is exporting ethanol at record rates. According to data from the Dept. of Commerce, Census Bureau, and the Dept. of Agriculture Foreign Ag Service, the U.S. exported 40.8 million gallons of ethanol in April.

Source : Renewable Fuels Association

ZeaChem Announces Cellulosic Ethanol Production

ZeaChem Inc., a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals, today announced the successful production of ethanol at a capacity that can be scaled to commercial production. ZeaChem's results have been confirmed by third party vendors who will enable production of ZeaChem biofuels and bio-based chemicals. The company will now demonstrate the integration of its biorefining processes at its 250,000 gallon per year Boardman, Oregon biorefinery.

Using off-the-shelf catalysts and standard equipment in an innovative way, ZeaChem produced ethanol from ethyl acetate through a process called hydrogenation -a common industrial practice that is readily scaled to commercial levels.

On June 2, 2010, the company broke ground on its 250,000 gallon-per-year biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon, the core technology of which will begin to come online in 2010. The integrated facility is being partially funded by a $25 million grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The company will use the grant to build the chemical fractionation on the front end and the hydrogenation process on the back end for making cellulosic ethanol. The facility will begin to produce cellulosic ethanol in 2011. ZeaChem intends to build commercial biorefineries upon successful operations at the Boardman facility.

Source ZeaChem Press Release

Department of Energy Announces $24 Million for Algal Biofuels Research

Releases Final National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap

The U.S. Department of Energy announced today the investment of up to $24 million for three research groups to tackle key hurdles in the commercialization of algae-based biofuels. The selections will support the development of a clean, sustainable transportation sector - a goal of the Department's continued effort to spur the creation of the domestic bio-industry while creating jobs. Developing cost-effective renewable transportation fuels is a key component of the Administration's strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions and move the Nation toward energy independence.

"Partnerships such as these focus the creative powers of the public, private, and academic sectors on key challenges facing the development of renewable energy for transportation," said Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Cathy Zoi. "The United States must find effective ways to hasten the development of technologies for advanced biofuels made from algae and other renewable resources to reduce our need for foreign sources of oil." Zoi made the announcement while speaking today at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) 2010 World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing.

The consortia consist of partners from academia, national laboratories, and private industries that are based across the country, broadening the geographic range and technical expertise of DOE partners in the area of algal biofuels. Projects are expected to continue for a period of three years. Together, they represent a diversified portfolio that will help accelerate algal biofuels development with the objective of significantly increasing production of affordable, high-quality algal biofuels that are environmentally and economically sustainable.

The three consortia selected for funding are:

Sustainable Algal Biofuels Consortium (Mesa, AZ) - Led by Arizona State University, this consortium will focus on testing the acceptability of algal biofuels as replacements for petroleum-based fuels. Tasks include investigating biochemical conversion of algae to fuels and products, and analyzing physical chemistry properties of algal fuels and fuel intermediates. (DOE share: up to $6 million)

Consortium for Algal Biofuels Commercialization (San Diego, CA) - Led by the University of California, San Diego, this consortium will concentrate on developing algae as a robust biofuels feedstock. Tasks include investigating new approaches for algal crop protection, algal nutrient utilization and recycling, and developing genetic tools. (DOE funding: up to $9 million)

Cellana, LLC Consortium (Kailua-Kona, HI) - Led by Cellana, LLC, this consortium will examine large-scale production of fuels and feed from microalgae grown in seawater. Tasks include integrating new algal harvesting technologies with pilot-scale cultivation test beds, and developing marine microalgae as animal feed for the aquaculture industry. (DOE funding: up to $9 million)

National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap

Despite algae's potential, many technical and economic challenges must be overcome for algal biofuels to be commercialized. To identify these hurdles and guide research and development activities, DOE convened the National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap Workshop, bringing together more than 200 experts and stakeholders from across the country. The Department synthesized workshop results and released a draft report for public comment in June 2009. The final National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap released today reflects the substantive comments received and is intended to guide future work and investments in algal biofuels. Under the Recovery Act, the Department awarded funding earlier this year to an algal research consortium to tackle a broad range of barriers identified in the roadmap report.

View a copy of the National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap (PDF - 7.45MB). Additional information on algal biofuels is available on the Department's Biomass Program website.

BNSF To Test Biodiesel

The dean of Montana State University-Northern’s College of Technical Sciences announced Thursday that Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) will soon begin testing the use of biodiesel — testing fuel produced on the Hi-Line in its Havre station.

Dean Greg Kegel said the tests could result in a significant demand for biodiesel if BNSF, one of the country's largest railroad companies, is satisfied with the results. The Havre refueling station alone uses 35 million gallons of diesel a year, he said.

Kegel said that, because Northern’s facility cannot produce enough biodiesel for the tests, Earl Fisher Biofuels in Chester will supply the rest — all Montana grown, locally produced biodiesel.

BNSF will rebuild two switch engines so both essentially have brand new engines. One will run on standard diesel; the other will run on the locally produced biodiesel, certified in Northern’s lab.

BNSF will periodically tear the engines apart to test the parts and see what the difference is in engine wear. The hope is that they will not be unhappy with the results.

“They won’t be, I can guarantee that,” Kegel said.

Source : Havre Daily News

E85 Pumps Receive UL Certification

Today the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) issued certifications for two E85 dispensers, the Gilbarco Veeder-Root Encore® dispenser and the Dresser Wayne Ovation® Eco Fuel dispenser.

“We are pleased to be leading the development of the infrastructure required for alternative fuels, including increased use of ethanol,” said Chad Johnson, marketing manager for Encore dispensers at Gilbarco Veeder-Root. “The Encore S Flexible Fuel dispensers for E85 provide our customers with the same innovative, money-making features and durability they enjoy with the gasoline models.”

"As alternative fuels become more widely accepted, we are developing the infrastructure necessary to support our retailers as they add these fuels to their product offerings," explains Scott Negley, director of Alternative Energy Products for Dresser Wayne. "Receiving UL approval for E85 is an important and exciting step in that direction."

Canadian Oil Sands Could Lead U.S. Oil Imports This Year

Canadian oil sands are a growing source of petroleum, and by the end of this year, they'll probably be the leading source of crude oil imports into the United States, according to a new study by IHS CERA. Canada is already the primary source of crude oil imports into the United States, and the country has been steadily increasing its production of crude oil from oil sands while its conventional oil production has declined. Production from oil sands more than doubled over the past nine years, growing from 600,000 barrels per day in 2000 to 1.35 million barrels per day in 2009. Assuming that production rate is sustained this year, oil sands will produce more petroleum than conventional sources in Canada this year, and U.S. imports of petroleum from Canadian oil sands will be greater than imports from any other country.

The production of crude oil from Canadian oil sands is at issue due to its environmental impacts, including water and land use, the production of tailings, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A 2005 study by DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) found that the production of crude oil from Canadian oil sands (actually a mix of tar-like crude bitumen and synthetic crude oil) has GHG emissions equivalent to 104 kilograms of carbon dioxide per barrel, more than four times the GHG emissions caused by producing conventional crude oil in the United States. Overall, the mix of crude oils used in the United States released the equivalent of 40 kilograms of carbon dioxide per barrel during their production.

Source : EERE News

USDA Releases Corn-Ethanol Industry Report Showing Improving Energy Efficiency

USDA's Chief Economist Joseph Glauber today announced the publication of a report by the Office of Energy Policy and New Uses that surveyed corn growers for the year 2005 and ethanol plants in 2008, which indicates the net energy gain from converting corn to ethanol is improving in efficiency. The survey asked ethanol producers to respond to questions about ethanol yield (undenatured) per bushel of corn and energy used in the plants. The 2008 updates presented in the report recorded the effects of current practices used by corn producers and ethanol processors.

This report measures all conventional fossil fuel energy used in the production of 1 gallon of corn ethanol. For every British Thermal Unit (BTU) unit of energy required to make ethanol, 2.3 BTUs of energy are produced. The ratio is somewhat higher for some firms that are partially substituting biomass energy in processing energy. Since the last study in 2004, the net energy balance of corn ethanol has increased from 1.76 BTUs to 2.3 BTUs of required energy.

According to the report, overall, ethanol has made the transition from an energy sink, to a moderate net energy gain in the 1990s, to a substantial net energy gain in the present. And there are still prospects for improvement. Ethanol yields have increased by about 10 percent in the last 20 years, so proportionately less corn is required. In addition to refinements in ethanol technology, corn yields have increased by 39 percent over the last 20 years, requiring less land to produce ethanol.

The authors of the report are: H. Shapouri, Agricultural Economist, Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, Office of the Chief Economist, USDA; Paul W. Gallagher, Associate Professor, Economics Department, Iowa State University; Ward Nefstead, Associate Professor, Applied Economics Department, University of Minnesota; Rosalie Schwartz, Program and Recruitment Director, Agricultural Economics Department, University of Nebraska (Lincoln); Stacey Noe, Program Coordinator, Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative, Iowa State University; and Roger Conway, Former Director, Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, Office of the Chief Economist, USDA.

2008 Energy Balance for the Corn-Ethanol Industry

Combining Corn, Beef, and Ethanol Production

A new South Dakota State University study explores the impacts of linking corn production, ethanol, and beef production on economics and soil sustainability.

Under the conventional production model where corn is produced and sold to an ethanol plant, the study finds that 437 gallons of ethanol can be produced per acre for and estimated profit of $139.

Integrating corn, ethanol and beef production, the study finds that 383 gallons of ethanol and 760 pounds of beef can be produced per acre for an estimated profit of $278. Using the integrated approach, distillers grains are fed to the cattle mixed with corn stover harvested from the field. The manure is returned to the field reducing fertilizer requirements.

The Impact of Linking Ethanol and Beef Production on Economics, Carbon, and Nutrient Budgets

Ethanol Has Squeezed The Market

The SunHerald has an interesting interview with Tom Kovar, the new general manager of of Chevron’s Pascagoula Refinery. In the interview he made a comment about ethanol that I thought was interesting.

Kovar called the business climate “difficult.” The nation’s demand for gasoline has decreased and isn’t expected to return, he said. And U.S. fuel now contains 10 percent ethanol.

To put that in perspective, he pointed out that the country’s appetite for fuel requires refining nine million barrels a day. Ten percent of that is 900,000 barrels, he said.

“That’s the output of seven or eight refineries,” he said. “It has squeezed the market.”

EPA Delays Decision On E15 Until Fall

The Associated Press is reporting that the Environmental Protection Agency says it will wait until this fall to decide whether car engines can handle higher concentrations of ethanol in gasoline.

The agency had been expected to decide by this month whether to increase the maximum blend from 10 to 15 percent.

The EPA said Thursday that initial tests "look good" and should be completed by the end of September. A decision will come after the Energy Department completes the testing of the higher blend on vehicles built after 2007.

Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis responded to the delay with a letter written to President Barack Obama. In the letter he noted that the waiver process requires a decision to be made within 270 days and that the EPA has already delayed the process once.

Mr. President, in March of 2009 Growth Energy filed a waiver with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to raise the amount of ethanol that can be blended with gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent. Accompanying our waiver was a significant body of data which we believe demonstrates that raising the blend to 15 percent ethanol meets all the requirements of the Clean Air Act.

The waiver process requires a decision on a waiver within 270 days. However, instead of making a decision, EPA informed us on Dec. 1, 2009 that they were delaying the decision until the U.S. Department of Energy completed their own studies on the impact of moving from E10 to E15. EPA made a promise in writing that the decision would be made by the middle of this year. We are hearing that the decision on the waiver will again be delayed because the DOE tests would not be completed until this fall.

As you would expect, we find this further delay unacceptable. The fact that the federal agencies involved here cannot meet their own deadlines – on a decision that means so much to our nation – reinforces a public perception that government bureaucracy does not work in the best interests of the public.

Piedmont Biofuels Unveils Next Generation Biodiesel Plant

Piedmont Biofuels LLC, leaders in biofuels in North Carolina, will unveil their newest technology for renewable fuel production at a ribbon cutting event and lunch on Friday, July 16th from 11pm – 1pm. Speakers at the event will include the NC Biofuels Center’s Steven Burke and the candidate for North Carolina’s Senate seat.

The Enzymatic Biodiesel pilot plant was developed in partnership with the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, Novozymes, and the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation. This is the first pilot plant of its kind in the United States and uses cutting edge technology developed by Piedmont Biofuels and Novozymes to create high quality biodiesel from low quality waste grease. Biodiesel is a diesel fuel alternative made from fats and oils which can be used in existing diesel engines without modification.

The current biodiesel production method forms soaps or salts in both the biodiesel and glycerin phases, producing low-grade co-products. “This new process of using enzymes to produce biodiesel will increase yields, decrease waste, and allows producer to use lower cost feedstocks,” says Greg Austic of Piedmont Biofuels. “This groundbreaking technology will create more valuable co-products, and will allow existing producers to double their biodiesel output.” Glycerin, a co-product resulting from the enzymatic process can be used to make a wide variety of products, including bioplastics and solvents.

Piedmont Biofuels operates North Carolina’s premier commercial biodiesel production plant since 2006 and continues to be a leader in alternative fuels through their cutting edge research and design departments.

Source : Piedmont Biofuels

Novozymes and Lignol sign deal to make ethanol from wood

Novozymes, the world’s leading producer of industrial enzymes, and Lignol Energy Corporation, a leading company in the cellulosic ethanol sector, today signed a research and development agreement to make biofuel from wood chips and other forestry residues. The partners aim to develop a process for making biofuel from forestry waste at a production cost down to $2 per gallon, a price competitive with gasoline and corn ethanol at the current US market prices.

Together, Lignol and Novozymes have the necessary know-how to turn wood residues into fuel. Lignol’s pre-treatment technology has established them as a leader in dealing with woody biomass and in February 2010, Novozymes launched enzymes that enable commercial production of biofuel from plant waste. The enzymes convert cellulose in biomass into sugars that can then be fermented into ethanol. The parties plan to use Lignol’s industrial pilot plant in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada to optimize both Lignol’s process and Novozymes’ enzymes on different types of forestry waste. Later, Lignol plans to construct large-scale biorefineries for the production of cellulosic biofuel from wood chips and forestry residues.

The agreement between Lignol and Novozymes formalizes a Memorandum of Understanding between the partners from February 2010.

Source : Press Release

Analysis Finds POET Cellulosic Ethanol Cuts Greenhouse Gas Emissions By 111 Percent

Ethanol produced by Project LIBERTY, POET's first planned commercial cellulosic ethanol plant, will reduce carbon emissions by 111 percent over gasoline, an independent lifecycle analysis shows.

This means POET's cellulosic ethanol actually has negative emissions; it will offset more greenhouse gas emissions than it produces.

"Not only is cellulosic ethanol a clean and safe alternative fuel, in cases such as Project LIBERTY, it can literally reverse some of the effects of our nation's dependence on fossil energy such as oil," POET CEO Jeff Broin said. "By expanding the number of sources for ethanol production, the entire nation can contribute to helping our nation's economy, security and environment through alternative fuel production."

Broin presented the results to reporters today at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo in St. Louis, Mo. A lifecycle analysis tracks the emissions of ethanol production from "field to tank." It includes emissions from planting and harvest, feedstock transportation, conversion to ethanol, waste products, co-products and transportation of the ethanol. It also includes Environmental Protection Agency calculations for changes in land use and effects on agriculture inputs.

The analysis, compiled by Air Improvement Resource, Inc. out of Novi, Mich., highlights a number of characteristics of POET's process that lead to this large emissions reduction.

• Project LIBERTY produces ethanol from agriculture waste. Because it uses a waste product from an existing crop, there are no additional inputs for planting and growing the feedstock.
  
• The disputed theory of Indirect Land Use Change, which creates an emissions penalty for grain-based ethanol, does not have any penalty associated with POET's cellulosic ethanol.
  
• The waste stream from POET's process is fed into two anaerobic digesters to create biogas. Enough biogas is produced to completely power both Project LIBERTY and the adjacent grain-based ethanol plant. The natural gas that is displaced in this process is credited to the cellulosic ethanol plant.

"The production of biogas as a co-product is an exciting aspect of this process," Broin said. "We will use renewable energy to produce renewable energy."

The analysis found that all the inputs into Project LIBERTY will emit 41.8 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent units per megajoule of energy produced. The biogas exported as a co-product will offset 49.8 gCO2eq/MJ. EPA estimates for land use and agriculture changes offset an additional 1.7 gCO2eq/MJ, bringing Project LIBERTY's total emissions to -9.7 gCO2eq/MJ.

EPA's standard for gasoline emissions is 92.9 gCO2eq/MJ.

The Project LIBERTY lifecycle analysis was conducted using the most current design elements available. However, POET will continue to learn from laboratory work and its pilot cellulosic ethanol plant currently operating in Scotland, S.D. As changes occur, the analysis will be updated.

Air Improvement Resource, Inc. lifecycle analysis of Project LIBERTY - Executive Summary

Corn Plus to Adopt Arisdyne’s Cavitation System to Enhance Ethanol Yield

The Corn Plus Board of Directors voted to license and acquire Arisdyne’s patented cavitation system, which will enable the plant to increase ethanol production by 4% or more over the yield produced previously on the same volume of corn consumed. Cavitation’s intense power assists ethanol plants with converting higher percentages of available starch from a bushel of corn without making investments in new capital, consuming large amounts of power, or degrading process capacities.

Arisdyne and Corn Plus have been working together to install a retrofit system at the Winnebago plant, which conducted a test at full capacity over a period of two months without any interruption. “The cooperation and team work of this project enabled us to install and start up the system in a week,” noted Fred Clarke, Executive Vice President of Arisdyne. “During the two-month test, both the operations and lab teams were invaluable in monitoring and measuring data and sharing results all along the way.” Corn Plus has been a respected pioneer in adopting new technologies over the past decade, which led the Arisdyne team to seek their cooperation in this test initiative.

“We continuously scan the industry for new ideas to increase revenues, reduce costs, and improve capital efficiency – all with a view toward improved profitability and a lower carbon footprint of our fuels and its production,” commented Keith Kor, General Manager of Corn Plus. “Accessing greater starch has been a challenge that many have tried to solve. We have looked at or tried most technologies available today and are convinced that Arisdyne’s cavitation technology is the most efficient and cost effective means of exposing more starch through particle size reduction.”

“Seeking ways to improve efficiency and reduce production costs are critical challenges to corn-based ethanol producers,” explained Dr. Reimers, President and CEO of Arisdyne. “Since today’s plants cannot expand their capacities for economies of scale, yield improvements must be implemented to improve margins. Making more starch available for fermentation is the first step. The second step will be to simultaneously convert cellulose from corn fiber to ethanol. Accomplishing both steps concurrently with the same equipment demonstrates the advance fuel potential for current corn-based plants within the existing infrastructure.”

Corn Plus and Arisdyne will continue to explore alternative methods and configurations of production, in conjunction with their collaboration partners Critical Path Management (CPM) and IntegroServices as well as others, to introduce the system to the industry and further enhance the ethanol production potential.

Source : Press Release

See Also :
Corn Plus ethanol plant explores using city wastewater
Corn Plus Ethanol Plant Trading Carbon Credits
Corn Plus: Microwave drying tests successful
Wind turbines spinning at ethanol plant
Cellencor testing microwave drying for ethanol plants
Alternative Fueled Alternative Fuel Plants

MassCEC Announces Grants For 18 Wind Projects

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today announced grants supporting 18 new wind energy projects under the Commonwealth Wind Community Scale Wind Initiative.

“These grants will allow communities and institutions to reduce their use of fossil fuels, as well as help the Commonwealth reach Governor Patrick’s goal of developing 2,000 megawatts of wind power capacity by 2020,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles, who serves as chairman of MassCEC’s board of directors.

The MassCEC board of directors approved the grants totaling more than $2.66 million. Today’s awards include design and construction grants for six new wind projects totaling more than 12 megawatts (MW) in capacity, and 12 feasibility studies for wind energy that would total more than 23 MW in capacity if built. The 18 grants go to public and private projects, cities and towns, and the Massachusetts Military Reservation. The Commonwealth Wind Community Scale Wind initiative is a program of MassCEC’s Renewable Energy Generation division, which is funded by renewable energy charges on electric bills, generating roughly $23 million a year to support renewable energy installations and companies.

The six projects receiving design and construction grants are in Scituate, Nantucket, Florida, Boston, and at the Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod. Awards for the 12 feasibility studies go to the towns of Douglas, Duxbury, Hamilton, Swampscott, Millbury, Weymouth and Winchendon, the cities of Gloucester and Fall River, and private developers in Savoy, Cohasset and Westminster.

Source : Press Release

Genencor launches new enzyme for ethanol production

SPEZYME® RSL improves liquefaction, reducing production costs and increasing ethanol Yield

Genencor today launched SPEZYME® Robust Starch Liquefaction (RSL) at the 2010 Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo (FEW) in St. Louis, Mo. The latest in the company’s liquefaction product line, the enzyme more efficiently liquefies dry ground corn or milo, significantly reducing costs and increasing yields for ethanol producers.

“This is liquefaction without compromise,” said Troy Wilson, Genencor’s vice president of grain processing. “Genencor continues to innovate in grain processing, bringing both high performance and high yield to ethanol producers. These efficiencies are increasingly important as the corn ethanol industry delivers on America’s promise of a homegrown, environmentally friendly, renewable fuel.”

Unlike the conventional liquefaction enzymes, SPEZYME® RSL breaks down starch efficiently across a range of pH levels, substantially reducing the amount of sulfuric acid that is required to complete the liquefaction process. In addition, while the current practice typically requires two pH adjustments and two enzyme doses, SPEZYME® RSL is effective with just one dose and no pH adjustment. Actual cost savings will vary depending on the production facility; however, many ethanol producers can expect to see a 25 to 50 percent reduction in sulfuric acid usage with SPEZYME® RSL.

“Genencor has focused their innovation on the needs of ethanol producers, resulting in real benefits for us,” remarked Stan Janson, Manager of Operation Big River Resources, LLC. “Their focus has been on improving the corn to ethanol process by improving yields at a reasonable price. Genencor has the same goal as the producer, reducing the cost per gallon of ethanol produced.”

Source : Press Release

Growth Energy, Thorntons to establish 20 new E85 Stations in five states

Growth Energy has joined forces with Thorntons Inc., a leading, independent gasoline/convenience-chain retailer, to establish 20 new E85 stations throughout five states. Growth Energy will provide funds to support the installation of new equipment to dispense high level blends of ethanol.

Thorntons has become a part of Growth Energy’s 2010 E85 and Blender Pump Program, where funds are provided to retailers to establish mid and high level blend infrastructure throughout the country. Over 60 new mid and high level blend sites have been provided financial support in 2010.

E85 locations working to be established within the next few months at Thorntons Convenience Stores in the following areas:

Island Lake, IL
Volo, IL
Lakemoor, IL
Third Lake, IL
Woodale, IL
Terre Haute, IN
Evansville, IN
Greenwood, IN
Lexington, KY
2 in Louisville, KY
Galloway, OH
2 in Columbus, OH
Canal Winchester, OH
Cincinatti, OH
Hamilton, OH
Cincinatti, OH
Fairefield, OH
Lebanon, TN

Source : Press Release

Novozymes New Enzyme Increases Ethanol Yields

Today, Novozymes, the world leader in the production of biofuel enzymes, announced the launch of a new enzyme that makes it possible to produce more ethanol from the same amount of corn. The product, Spirizyme Excel, converts more starch in corn, wheat, and other feedstocks into sugars which can be fermented to ethanol, thereby allowing producers to increase yields by more than one percent. Compared to other available solutions, a typical ethanol plant can gain $1 million or more per year using the enzyme.

Unlike other starch-converting enzymes, Spirizyme Excel breaks down the most difficult starch fractions in the feedstock to maximize biofuel production yields. The greater the starch conversion, the higher the output of ethanol.

”Novozymes is at the forefront of developing technologies that allow biofuel producers to make more from less,” says Poul Ruben Andersen, Biofuel Marketing Director of Novozymes. “Novozymes has achieved great breakthroughs in cellulosic biofuel recently, but this does not mean we have forgotten about corn ethanol. We have delivered market-leading innovation to this industry for a long time and we will continue to do so both for corn and cellulosic ethanol”.

Source : Press Release

UL Approves E85 Compatible Hose

Growth Energy, the nation’s primary advocate of the use of ethanol, and Veyance Technologies, a manufacturer of liquid fuel dispenser hoses, today announced Underwriters Laboratory (UL) certification of the Veyance Flexsteel® Futura liquid fuel dispenser hose for use with mid- and high-level blends of ethanol.

This is the last equipment part requiring UL certification for mid- and high-level blend dispensing equipment, following a 2006 decision by UL to rescind previous certification and revise equipment standards for this type of dispenser. This announcement concludes the final series of UL testing for the “hanging hardware” which is attached to the basic fuel dispenser.

Growth Energy had partnered with Veyance and provided financial support necessary to accelerate the submission of the hose for UL testing and, ultimately, certification.

This is the last component of the “hanging hardware” needed for a complete approval of an E85 dispensing unit. Certification of a complete E85 and blender pump by UL is expected soon and Authorities Having Jurisdiction, (State and local Fire Marshals and Code Enforcement Officials) will soon be in position to accept mid and high level blend ethanol dispensers with complete UL certification.

Source : Press Release

ICM Receives $25 Million In DOE Funding For Cellulosic Pilot Plant

Ethanol Producer Magazine is reporting that ICM has completed negotiations with the Department of Energy to receive $25 million in funding for the construction of a cellulosic ethanol pilot plant.

ICM Inc. has signed a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. DOE to receive $25 million to fund the construction and operation of its cellulosic ethanol pilot and demonstration facility in St. Joseph, Mo. ICM will modify its existing dry fractionation grain-to-ethanol pilot plant located at LifeLine Foods LLC, in St. Joseph, to produce fuel ethanol from captive corn fiber and two high-impact cellulosic feedstocks, switchgrass and energy sorghum. ICM’s strategy of co-locating the cellulosic biorefinery with its existing grain-to-ethanol pilot biorefinery will efficiently accelerate pilot-scale operations and improve process economics. ICM has developed new technology and will be testing pretreatment, hydrolysis, and fermentation processes, which are the critical unit operations required for the cost effective production of ethanol from cellulosic
feedstocks.

ICM expects this technology to be scalable for commercial applications and is contributing $6 million of its own funds as the cost-share portion for this integrated biorefinery project.

Construction is set to begin in August of this year with operations beginning in 2011.

ADM Calls On EPA To Approve E12 Ethanol Blend

U.S. ethanol producer Archer Daniels Midland Co on Monday asked the Environmental Protection Agency to allow U.S. fuel blends with up to 12 percent ethanol while the EPA continues its review an earlier request to raise the U.S. ethanol blend rate to 15 percent.

Worries that higher blends could damage engines of older vehicles are among the top concerns delaying an EPA ruling on a March 2009 request by ethanol supporters to raise the blend rate as high as 15 percent, up from 10 percent currently.

ADM said that the EPA could allow the marketing of fuel blends with up to 12 percent ethanol, known as E12, to all vehicles because it is "substantially similar" to the current E10 fuel blends.

Source : Reuters

Nebraska Ethanol Plant To Produce Biogas From Waste

AGP Corn Processing in Hastings, NE has been selected to receive a grant from the Nebraska Energy Office to convert waste into biogas which will then be used to offset a portion of the plants natural gas usage. The Hastings facility produces 52 million gallons per year of ethanol for blending with gasoline.

The grant amount is for $275,000 with the company matching amount of $50,000.

Sources : Omaha World-Herald
Nebraska Energy Office

March ethanol production continued on a record pace

U.S. ethanol production continued on a record pace in March. According to information from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), March 2010 ethanol production averaged more than 847,000 barrels per day (b/d). That is an increase of 207,000 b/d over March 2009.

Ethanol demand, as calculated by the Renewable Fuels Association, also reached an all time high at 823,000 b/d in March, up from 644,000 b/d a year ago.

EIA also reports fuel ethanol imports of 1.1 million gallons in March.

As the RFA recently reported, America is exporting ethanol at record rates. According to data from the Dept. of Commerce, Census Bureau, and the Dept. of Agriculture Foreign Ag Service, the U.S. exported 48.3 million gallons of ethanol in March.

Source : Renewable Fuels Association

Mansfield Oil Acquires Western Ethanol

Today, Mansfield Oil Company announces the acquisition of substantially all of Western Ethanol’s assets and the addition of Doug Vind to the Mansfield team. Orange County, CA-based Western Ethanol is a leading ethanol wholesaler and logistics provider and is led by industry innovator Vind. In addition to providing bulk deliveries of ethanol, Western Ethanol specializes in the distribution of E85 for use in Flex Fuel Vehicles and is a leading distributor of E85 in the western United States.

Western Ethanol's customers include major gasoline refiners and large gasoline blenders for bulk ethanol sales, as well as independent gasoline retailers and federal, state and municipal automotive fleets for E85 sales throughout California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii.

“Our acquisition of Western Ethanol is an important addition to our renewable fuels strategy and provides Western’s customers and suppliers with long-term stability in a partner they have valued for many years,” said Douglas Haugh, Executive Vice President of Mansfield Oil. “We are also excited to add Doug Vind to our management team. He has been an innovator in the ethanol industry over the past two decades and we look forward to integrating his vision and experience into our long-term strategy for our renewable fuels business.”

Dave Cady, who runs Mansfield Renewable Energy, the company’s ethanol wholesaling and risk management solutions business, will lead the transition team. “I’m proud to have Doug on our team and by leveraging his experience in the west, in conjunction with the C&N division nationally and our ethanol team in Charlottesville, VA we will now have the most complete nationwide ethanol marketing and supply team in the country.”

“We look forward to offering our customers the additional supply chain management capabilities provided by Mansfield being able to grow both our wholesaling efforts and proprietary ethanol transloading services business with their support,” said Doug Vind, President of Western Ethanol.

Source : Press Release

School Buses In 16 NC Counties Go Green With Biodiesel

North Carolina is where the "blubber" hits the road as chicken fat and used cooking oil are now some of the ingredients in the fuel powering a number of the state's public school buses. During April and May, 16 North Carolina counties including Bladen, Brunswick, Burke, Catawba, Chatham, Dare, Durham, Edgecombe, Gaston, Martin, Onslow, Orange, Pender, Tyrrell, Union and Wake are participating in a blitz to use biodiesel in school buses. In 2007, the state legislature established an annual target of a minimum of two percent biodiesel in public school buses statewide.

Piedmont Biofuels, Potter Oil & Tire Co., and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) are working together on the project. Many hope this initiative is the beginning of a transition to using cleaner fuel in more school districts.

"We were pleased with the initial response from school districts," said NCDPI Transportation Services Section Chief Derek Graham. "The environmental benefit of having school buses on the road is extremely significant if you compare it to the congestion and pollution that would result from every parent driving their children to school. Using biodiesel makes the benefit all the greater, and decreases our dependence on foreign oil."

The biodiesel for this project is produced at Piedmont Biofuels, located in Pittsboro, N.C., and then delivered to Potter Oil in Aurora, N.C., where it is mixed with regular diesel into a B20 combination, meaning the final substance is 20 percent biodiesel.

The fuel combination is enough to reduce harmful emissions by around 20 percent, according to Rachel Burton of Piedmont Biofuels. "The biodiesel creation process produces a decrease in carcinogens of particulate matter, burnt hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, which is good for the environment and has a positive impact on public health," Burton said. She added that the reduction is especially important for elementary school children because of their smaller size and weight. "The typical range in which harmful particulate matter is found is around four feet high. Often young students are breathing harmful matter that adults are not because of their height," she said.

"We're very excited to be a part of this initiative," said Anita Edge, transportation director of Bladen County Schools. "We want to be part of any ecology project relating to clean air management."

The biodiesel project is not the first one related to education for the Piedmont Biofuels cooperative. It has previously put mini-plants on school buses so students can understand how biofuel is made, without having to travel to their site. Piedmont Biofuels encourages school groups to tour their facilities, which are part of a green industrial park that focuses on renewable energy, local food and community support.