R3 Fusion Delivers First Ethanol Recovery System

R3 Fusion, Inc. has delivered its first commercial system for recovering ethanol from waste scrubber water – the SPaCeR. Utilizing principles of process intensification, this state-of- the art system is designed to process fifty gallons per minute of scrubber water generated from a 50 MM Gallon Per Annum ethanol plant. The modular system will be fully operational in April 2011. R3 Fusion has already begun discussions with other ethanol plant operators for implementation of this technology.

According to Dr. Roshan Jachuck, the inventor of the SPaCeR technology and CTO of R3 Fusion, “We estimate that over $400 million of ethanol can be recovered each year from the waste water in US ethanol facilities alone. The unique engineering and process technology incorporated in our systems provides, to our knowledge, the most economical, energy efficient means available to capture that critical element of our national energy equation.”

Herb Goodman, a veteran executive of the international oil and gas industry, commented: “R3 Fusion has an important and timely solution to what most knowledgeable people understand will almost certainly be the greatest problem the world is beginning to face".

The patent-pending SPaCeR technology was developed to address the increasing challenge in fresh water supply. With less than one percent of the planet’s water available as fresh water for human use, the need to reuse, recycle, and remediate contaminated and waste water streams is becoming critical. Furthermore, identifying new approaches to reliable, energy-efficient desalination of seawater and brackish water has become a focus of numerous organizations around the globe.

“We are very excited about the launch of our SPaCeR technology and the enormous implications we believe it will have on global water supplies” said Keith Blakely, R3 Fusion’s CEO. “The interconnectedness of our water, energy, and environmental challenges is well-established and a system like ours that addresses all three simultaneously is, we believe, of great importance to the future of our planet.”

Cargill Acquires Fort Dodge Ethanol Plant from Tate & Lyle

Cargill announced today that it has purchased Tate & Lyle's corn wet mill ethanol plant in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  

"We believe that a highly efficient, well-located corn wet mill ethanol plant fits well into our bio-product portfolio," said Alan Willits, president of Cargill Corn Milling North America. "We see an opportunity in Fort Dodge to replicate the success we have had at our Blair, Neb., and Eddyville, Iowa, bio-refinery campuses."  

The Fort Dodge asset is a corn wet mill ethanol facility.  The existing facility has the ability to grind 150,000 bushels of corn per day and produce 115 million gallons of ethanol per year.

"This investment demonstrates Cargill's continued commitment to Iowa agriculture," said Governor Terry Branstad. "The Fort Dodge facility will create over 100 jobs in Webster county and help provide an alternative market for local producers."

Willits adds, "The corn wet mill ethanol plant will provide the base load corn grind for the campus, and we hope to support additional business growth in the coming years. When completed, Fort Dodge will be a world class bio-refinery campus that will produce ethanol and other bio-based products. We will achieve energy and operational efficiency while respecting the environment and natural resources, as we have in Blair and Eddyville."

Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services.  Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 131,000 people in 66 countries.  Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business.

January 2011 Ethanol Production Increases

January ethanol production increased slightly to 920,000 barrels per day up from 918,000 barrels per day in December but still below the high of 925,000 barrels per day set in November. Total production also saw in increase to 1,198,008,000 gallons, up from 1,195,194,000 gallons in December.

Ethanol imports remained at a low level with just 210,000 gallons imported in January, down from 252,000 gallons in December.

Source : Energy Information Administration

Oregon’s Diesel To Contain 5 Percent Biodiesel

Oregon is about to become the second state to require that most of the diesel sold there contain at least 5 percent biodiesel (B5). The National Biodiesel Board applauded the state on its progressive upgrade.

“Policymakers in Oregon should be congratulated for displaying national leadership on clean energy issues,” said Shelby Neal, NBB regulatory affairs director. “As a result of the biodiesel policy, Oregon's citizens will enjoy cleaner air, green jobs, and a higher level of energy independence.”

The state has already had a 2 percent biodiesel (B2) requirement in effect. Oregon's B5 requirement was scheduled to be triggered when the in-state production capacity reached 15 million gallons annually, which the biodiesel plants recently accomplished. The requirement will generate about 25 million gallons of biodiesel demand annually.

The new statewide requirement takes effect April 1, but the City of Portland has required B5 since July 2007.

“Increasing the use of domestically produced, low carbon fuels like biodiesel is a win-win for Oregon,” said Rick Wallace, a senior policy analyst at the Oregon Department of Energy, and the Clean Cities Coordinator of the Columbia-Willamette Clean Cities Coalition. “We’re supporting the local economy while reducing pollution, rather than relying entirely on fossil fuels to power our state.”

Minnesota was the first state to pass a B2 biodiesel requirement, which has since increased to B5. The state’s required volume of biodiesel is scheduled to rise to B10 by 2012, and B20 by 2015.

Washington and Pennsylvania both have a B2 requirement in effect. Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts and New Mexico have all passed similar legislation that hasn’t yet taken effect.

Biodiesel is an advanced biofuel made from readily available, renewable resources. It is a domestic, sustainable, cleaner-burning diesel fuel replacement that meets strict quality specifications.

December 2010 Biodiesel Production Increases

Biodiesel production in December increased to 17 million gallons, up from 16 million gallons in November. Biodiesel consumption was also higher at 15 million gallons, up from 14 million gallons in November.

Source : EIA Biodiesel Overview

Solix Biofuels Secures Additional Financing and Changes Name to Solix BioSystems

Solix Biofuels today announced it has secured an excess of $16 million from inside investors as the first part of its Series B financing round. The new funding will drive the commercialization of Solix's industrial algae growth system, the AGS™, utilizing Solix's proprietary, high-productivity photobioreactors. Bohemian Ventures, The Southern Ute Alternative Energy Fund and I2BF Global Ventures have all participated in this financing. In conjunction with the financing, Solix is changing its name to Solix BioSystems to better reflect its role as a leading provider of algae production systems.

"This new round of financing from current investors demonstrates their continued excitement and support for our progress," said Joel Butler, Solix's Chief Executive Officer. "Solix is poised to launch its first commercial AGS product into the market. With our focus on providing customers with algae production systems, Solix BioSystems better reflects the Company's objectives."

University of Maryland Eastern Shore Activates a 2.2 MW Solar Farm

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore today celebrated the activation of a 2.2 megawatt solar-energy facility on the land-grant institution's campus.

The 7,800-panel "solar farm" occupies 17 acres and is the largest concentration of photovoltaic modules on one site in Maryland, according to university officials and SunEdison, the company that built and will operate the facility.

Located on university-owned land adjacent to Tom Nichols Road off Maryland Rt. 388 (West Post Office Road), the solar farm will enable UMES to reduce its energy bills over the next 20 years.

Attending today's activation event were UMES President Thelma B. Thompson, University System of Maryland Chancellor William E. Kirwan and local and state dignitaries.

The solar farm is projected to produce more than 3.3 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy in the first year alone. Over the two decades the panels will operate, they should produce more than 61 million kWh of energy -- roughly enough to power more than 5,700 homes for one year.

Thompson, who recently announced her plans to retire, said the solar farm is an example of UMES' commitment to developing public-private partnerships.

"UMES is proud to be on the cutting edge of setting an example in alternative energy production here on the Eastern Shore," Dr. Thompson said. "We encourage others to join us."

The solar farm was made possible through a strategic service agreement between SunEdison and UMES. SunEdison financed and built the solar farm at no cost to UMES or the state of Maryland. In return, UMES will purchase the power produced from the solar farm at long-term predictable rates to offset the university's demand from the energy grid.

Kirwan described the UMES-SunEdison partnership as mutually beneficial since the state had no upfront investment.  "Perhaps most importantly, the people of Maryland will reap the enormous benefit of having literally millions of pounds of pollutants not released into the atmosphere as this power is generated," Kirwan said.

Two years ago, UMES converted one of its dormitories to geothermal energy and just recently learned a newly renovated classroom building qualified for a gold certificate from the U.S. Green Building Council.

According to SunEdison, the environmental attributes associated with the UMES solar farm is estimated to abate more than 121 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over the initial 20 years of production; the equivalent of removing more than 11,800 cars off the road for one year.

LanzaTech Begins Construction On Steel Mill Off-Gases to Ethanol Demo Plant In China

LanzaTech, China’s largest steel and iron conglomerate, Baosteel Group Corporation, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have launched the construction of a plant that will use LanzaTech’s gas fermentation technology for the production of fuel ethanol from steel mill off-gases.

In February the clean technology company and the world’s third largest steel producer signed a joint venture agreement that will see the construction of a 100,000 gallon a year demo plant, with the intention of quickly scaling the model again for the first commercial plant in China. As an important part of the ceremony, the partners have also announced the intention to form a dedicated CAS, Baosteel and LanzaTech Research and Development Center to ensure the continued growth and evolution of this novel technology.

A new joint venture company, Shanghai Baosteel LanzaTech New Energy Company Ltd, has been set up to be responsible for delivering the successful demonstration unit and then a number of commercial production facilities.

In a ceremony in Shanghai today, consultant to LanzaTech and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Chairman Vinod Khosla and CEO Dr Jennifer Holmgren joined the President of Baosteel Group, Mr He Wenbo, and the President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dr Bai Chunli, to launch the start of construction on the demo plant’s foundations.

Mr He Wenbo says LanzaTech has developed a world leading technology to convert off gases into ethanol and CAS will facilitate the commercialization of such technology.

“What we start today will have huge potential in the Chinese market as it will positively impact the steel mill's recycling operations, and China's new energy development,” he says.

Dr Bai Chunli says that the collaboration between Baosteel, LanzaTech and CAS to construct the demo plant to transform steel mill flue gas into fuel ethanol using biotechnology will blaze a new trail in the development of bioenergy.

“The future CAS, Baosteel and LanzaTech Research and Development Center will not only provide technology support for the demo and commercial facilities but also enable collaboration to develop new technology in bioenergy,” Dr Chunli says.

He also indicated that the collaboration between CAS, Baosteel and LanzaTech is the first test case of international collaboration in the CAS “Biotechnology Innovation and Bio-industry Promoting Program”.

Dr Holmgren says China is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and its need for imported fuel, while continuing to increase its industrial output.

“When our commercial plants, each potentially capable of producing 50 million gallons of ethanol a year, are built throughout China we believe our technology will make a sustainable contribution to meeting China’s renewable energy demands,” she says.

“Who would have thought this possible a couple of years ago? Baosteel is breaking the paradigm that economic growth and industrialization are at odds with an environmentally conscious operating strategy. They are at the forefront of transformational change that will impact the way we integrate the industrial and energy sectors. In addition, we are pleased that the CAS Bureau of Life Science and Technology-Baosteel and LanzaTech R&D Center for Bioenergy will play an active role in advancing this important new area of energy innovation,” Dr Holmgren says.

LanzaTech has now also extended its technology to be able to produce key chemicals for the production of plastics, polymers and drop in fuels from carbon dioxide (CO₂) as well as carbon monoxide.

“To be able to produce both fuels and chemicals from these non-food feedstocks and to mitigate reliance on petrochemicals and fossil fuels has huge ramifications for industries around the world that are seeking to reduce their greenhouse gases and find ways to make their processes more economic,” Dr Holmgren says.

Construction of the plant is expected to take six months and production will begin late in the third quarter of this year.

Smaller Particle Size Could Make Solar Panels More Efficient

Studies done by Mark Lusk and colleagues at the Colorado School of Mines could significantly improve the efficiency of solar cells. Their latest work describes how the size of light-absorbing particles--quantum dots--affects the particles' ability to transfer energy to electrons to generate electricity.

The results are published in the April issue of the journal ACS Nano.

The advance provides evidence to support a controversial idea, called multiple-exciton generation (MEG), which theorizes that it is possible for an electron that has absorbed light energy, called an exciton, to transfer that energy to more than one electron, resulting in more electricity from the same amount of absorbed light.

Quantum dots are man-made atoms that confine electrons to a small space. They have atomic-like behavior that results in unusual electronic properties on a nanoscale. These unique properties may be particularly valuable in tailoring the way light interacts with matter.

Experimental verification of the link between MEG and quantum dot size is a hot topic due to a large degree of variation in previously published studies. The ability to generate an electrical current following MEG is now receiving a great deal of attention because this will be a necessary component of any commercial realization of MEG.

For this study, Lusk and collaborators used a National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported high performance computer cluster to quantify the relationship between the rate of MEG and quantum dot size.

They found that each dot has a slice of the solar spectrum for which it is best suited to perform MEG and that smaller dots carry out MEG for their slice more efficiently than larger dots. This implies that solar cells made of quantum dots specifically tuned to the solar spectrum would be much more efficient than solar cells made of material that is not fabricated with quantum dots.

According to Lusk, "We can now design nanostructured materials that generate more than one exciton from a single photon of light, putting to good use a large portion of the energy that would otherwise just heat up a solar cell."

The research team, which includes participation from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is part of the NSF-funded Renewable Energy Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colo. The center focuses on materials and innovations that will significantly impact renewable energy technologies. Harnessing the unique properties of nanostructured materials to enhance the performance of solar panels is an area of particular interest to the center.

"These results are exciting because they go far towards resolving a long-standing debate within the field," said Mary Galvin, a program director for the Division of Materials Research at NSF. "Equally important, they will contribute to establishment of new design techniques that can be used to make more efficient solar cells."

Green Plains Renewable Energy Completes Acquisition of Ethanol Plant From Otter Tail Ag Enterprises

Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. announced today that it has completed the purchase of an ethanol plant from Otter Tail Ag Enterprises, LLC. The plant is located near Fergus Falls, Minnesota and brings Green Plains' total expected ethanol production capacity to approximately 740 million gallons annually.

"Now that we have completed this acquisition, we will move quickly to fully integrate this plant into our operations and back office systems," stated Todd Becker, President and CEO of Green Plains Renewable Energy. "We will also begin the process of installing corn oil extraction technology at the Otter Tail plant, which we expect to complete by the end of the third quarter of this year. I look forward to welcoming 40 new employees to our team and working with local community leaders and producers."

Green Plains has financed the $55 million acquisition with cash and financing from a group of nine lenders, led by AgStar Financial Services.

Official Start of Turkey Hill Dairy Wind Turbines

Turkey Hill Dairy, maker of the nation's fourth largest-selling premium ice cream and top-selling refrigerated iced tea, has announced it will now receive a quarter of its annual electricity needs from the new wind turbine power project at neighboring Frey Farm on Turkey Hill along the banks of the Susquehanna River.  

In partnership with PPL Renewable Energy and Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA), the Frey Farm Wind Turbine project includes two wind turbines with a combined capacity of 3.2 MW that will generate about 25 percent of Turkey Hill Dairy's annual electricity needs. That equals enough power to produce six million gallons of ice cream and 15 million gallons of iced tea each year.

February 2011 marked the first full month the wind turbines were online and producing power. Over 769,677 kilowatt hours of electricity were generated, providing 32 percent of the Dairy's electricity needs for the month.

"We are so excited by our new use of wind power and all the opportunities that reduce our environmental footprint," said Turkey Hill Dairy President Quintin Frey. "Our support for renewable energy stems from our strong commitment to a sustainable future in Lancaster County and all of the communities we serve across the United States."

The wind turbine venture is just one of the projects undertaken by the Dairy's sustainability program instituted in 2003. Program initiatives include waste recycling and reduction, decreases in fuel usage through reduced transportation loads and distances, cuts in packaging material, and the use of steam power, which provides at least 75 percent of the Dairy's hot water needs.

All the power generated by the twin General Electric wind turbines will be purchased by Turkey Hill Dairy. The turbines were installed on October 28, 2010. After finalizing the installation, the wind turbines officially began producing power on January 10, 2011.

According to PPL Renewable Energy, generating the same amount of electricity using fossil fuels would add about 5,900 tons per year of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is equivalent annually to any one of the environmental efforts listed below:

• Removing 1,000 cars from the road
• Reducing gasoline consumption by 600,000 gallons
• 12,000 fewer barrels of oil imported into the United States

Logos Technologies and EdeniQ Receive DOE Funding for Corn-to-Cellulosic Migration Pilot Biorefinery

Logos Technologies, Inc. and EdeniQ, Inc., announced U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) approval to fully fund $20.5 million in federal cost share under DOE's Integrated Biorefinery Program to construct a Corn-to-Cellulosic Migration (CCM) pilot plant at EdeniQ's headquarters in Visalia, California.

In December 2009, DOE selected Logos and EdeniQ to receive, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a $20.5 million cooperative agreement for the Corn-to-Cellulosic Migration (CCM) Project.  The goal of the CCM Project is to focus the migration of billions of dollars of capital deployed in today's corn ethanol industry toward cost-effective production of greener ethanol from corn stover, switchgrass, and woodchips.  "This project is part of the ongoing effort to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, spur the creation of the domestic biorefining industry, and provide new clean-tech jobs throughout the country," said the DOE project officer, Gene Petersen. He further stated that "these project funds sustain 43 positions over the 3.5-year project, with the majority of those positions located in central California.  The majority of the construction and fabrication of the new refinery equipment will be done by Andy Egan, Inc. located in central Michigan. The funding has provided and sustained jobs in two areas that were significantly impacted by the recent economic downturn."

The commitment of the remaining $17.7M in federal cost share reflects that Logos and EdeniQ have satisfied all of the conditions associated with the design and engineering of the retrofit to EdeniQ's currently operating pilot plant.  Previously in April 2010, DOE had released $2.8M in federal cost share for the initial "Budget Period 1" portion of the cooperative agreement.

The $17.7 million of committed funds will immediately be put to work to complete the engineering and construction of the additional equipment used to retrofit the plant and to fund the ongoing development of the second-generation enzymes and yeasts for saccharification and fermentation. The retrofit is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011. After plant start-up, the biorefinery will process 2 tons of cellulosic biomass per day.

Logos Technologies CEO Greg Poe remarked, "Of the many projects we have been involved in during our past many years of working with the U.S. federal government, this technology is one of the most exciting, as it provides a clear roadmap for companies to become next-generation fuel producers with very low capital costs and rapid returns on investments."

"DOE has been a great partner and very supportive of our technology and we are all pleased to take this significant next step with them as we will start the construction and start up phase of the CCM pilot plant," said EdeniQ CEO Brian Thome. "The Corn-to-Cellulosic Migration technologies add tremendous value to our already robust corn ethanol industry by allowing them to incrementally add on cellulosic ethanol production and take a leadership role in this exploding biofuels market space."

Logos Technologies, Inc. and EdeniQ, Inc. lead the team executing the DOE-sponsored CCM Project.  EdeniQ is responsible for providing the CCM pilot plant, technology development, engineering, and commercialization plan. Logos is responsible for project management, engineering support, and project life-cycle analysis. The project utilizes a suite of EdeniQ's proprietary technologies:  the Cellunator (mechanical pretreatment), advanced enzymes for conversion of cellulose to sugars, and high-yielding yeasts to ferment the sugars to ethanol.

United Ethanol Receives Air Permit For Biogas Project

The Air Permit was recently approved by the State of Wisconsin for United Ethanol to begin construction of the EISENMANN BIOGAS-TS Anaerobic Digester. The $6.75 million project will install an anaerobic digester and biogas boiler at the 50 MMgy United Ethanol plant in Milton, WI. EISENMANN’s BIOGAS-TS will utilize a portion of the plant’s thin stillage to improve the quality of the plant’s backset and create biogas. Improved backset quality reduces the organic content and alleviates water balance issues. The biogas generated reduces natural gas usage by 20-25% ultimately lowering the carbon footprint of the plant.

“EISENMANN has a long history of partnering with ethanol plants,” Mark West, President of EISENMANN Corporation said. “We saw an opportunity to improve recycle streams and increase efficiency with our proven global technology.”

Dave Cramer, President and CEO of United Cooperative and United Ethanol, LLC commented, “It’s a way to extract more value out of our inputs, the corn, and make the plant greener and more energy efficient. The project has an estimated four-year payback.” The system is expected to be on line by the end of 2011.

GTL Resources And Prairie Gold Complete Collaboration Agreement to Extract Zein Protein

GTL Resources PLC (GTL) and Prairie Gold, Inc. (PGI) have agreed to collaborate on the construction of a zein protein production plant. Zein is a high valued co-product that can be produced from the corn ethanol process. PGI, a technology development company, has been testing their Corn Oil and Protein Extraction (COPE) process at GTL’s 110 million gallon ethanol plant located near Rochelle, IL. GTL, in concert with their ethanol subsidiary Illinois River Energy, provides space, utilities, and feedstock to extract zein protein from corn.

In 2009 GTL and PGI constructed a 2400 sq. ft. pilot plant on GTL’s ethanol plant site. “The objective of the pilot plant project was to demonstrate the efficient extraction and purification of a corn protein (zein) from the corn kernel, prior to fermentation, resulting in a high quality natural product,” stated Philip Shane, President of PGI. During the demonstration project PGI process engineers, were able to optimize pre-commercialization processes and provide data for the selection of equipment to be used in the first commercial facility. The pilot trials also provided zein samples for market development activities with customers.

Zein is a natural polymer that can be used to make hard coatings (like shellac), confectioners glaze, gums, flexible films, and biodegradable plastics and fibers. Zein is edible and in its pure form is colorless and odorless. These qualities, combined with its competitive functionality, give zein a unique positioning for use in the food, pharmaceutical, and specialty chemical industries. The material has been used for many years in the pharmaceutical industry and as a textile fiber substitute. Interest in its use is growing, but until now zein has been too expensive to enter into high volume applications.

Richard Ruebe, CEO of both GTL and Illinois River Energy, said “This unique technology has the potential to significantly change the way we think about ethanol production in that instead of just producing ethanol and a livestock feed called distillers dried grains, we are becoming a biorefinery capable of producing several food, industrial and chemical products.”

Juhl Wind Announces Completion of Construction for the 19.8 MW Danielson Wind Project

Juhl Wind, Inc. today announced the recent completion of construction and official commercial operation date of another utility scale wind project in Meeker County, MN near the city of Atwater. The Danielson Wind Project (19.8 MW) cost approximately $42 million and was completed on time and under budget. This facility was built in conjunction with the Adams Wind Project (19.8 MW), also located in Meeker County, MN.  Juhl Wind served as the developer and owner's representative for the construction phase for both of the two projects.

Juhl Wind first announced the development of the Danielson Wind Project in December 2009 and subsequently announced the startup of construction in October 2010.   The Danielson Project will consist of 12 Alstom ECO 86 Wind Turbines and will sell the clean energy to Xcel Energy under the terms of a 20 year, 19.8 MW Power Purchase Agreement.  The wind farm incorporates one of Juhl Wind's "Community Wind" structures in which ownership is shared with the local residents and farmers who own the land that the project is located on.

"We are very pleased with the startup and initial operation of the Alstom ECO 86 wind turbines and expect a very solid long-term operation," stated Dan Juhl, CEO of Juhl Wind, Inc.  "For Juhl as a company, Danielson is one of six projects we have been developing and constructing in the past couple of years.  We recently announced the sale of our 20 MW Grant County wind farm, completion of the Adams Wind Project and we expect to wrap up our other projects in the next few months.  Taken together, we believe this group of projects will result in very strong financial performance for our company in 2011 and will put us in a very strong position for the next few years of our growth."

"We appreciate the opportunity to work with Dan Juhl and his team in order to bring the proven performance and environmental benefits of Alstom's technology to this project." Andy Geissbuehler, Vice President and General Manager Alstom Wind Business North America.

"As we have pointed out in our last couple of announcements, the Danielson project represents the success we have had in moving 6 major project forward in the past couple of years," added Juhl Wind, Inc. President John Mitola.  "In spite of the 2008 recession, we found a way to move almost $150 million in projects forward and we are pleased we are beginning to see the financial results and the project outcomes we targeted at the outset.  We believe this level of performance puts Juhl into a class by itself when compared to other independent developers of wind power."

Amyris and U.S. Venture Announce Plans for Joint Venture in Development of Renewable Lubricants

Amyris, Inc., a leading producer of integrated renewable products, today announced plans to establish a joint venture with U.S. Venture, Inc., a distributor of industrial and automotive aftermarket products and lubricants, for the production, marketing and distribution of finished lubricants for the North American market. The joint venture would market and sell lubricants employing Amyris’s synthetic renewable base oils derived from Biofene™. The parties aim to sign definitive agreements in the second quarter of this year.

The plans for the joint venture anticipate that U.S. Venture would contribute to the joint venture its existing regional lubricants business, known in the market as U.S. Lubricants, including products and customer relationships in the industrial, commercial and consumer segments. Amyris would facilitate access to a supply of its proprietary synthetic renewable base oils and formulations for a range of lubricant products using those base oils.

“This joint venture will be an important step in accelerating our capability to develop and commercialize our No Compromise® renewable lubricants,” said Amyris CEO John Melo. “U.S. Venture is a leader in industrial lubricants, and we’re looking forward to combining our breakthrough technology and products with an established technology partner and distributor.”

“This relationship addresses U.S. Lubricants’s drive to meet the evolving needs of our customers and to expand our reach in key target sectors of our lubricants business. We believe that Amyris’s renewable base oil technology would be highly complementary to our existing product line and would provide our customers with access to high performing lubricants with reduced environmental impact,” said John Schmidt, CEO of U.S. Venture.

Under the planned arrangement, Amyris would become the majority economic beneficiary of the joint venture. Amyris is working on the production of a complete line of renewable lubricants, including hydraulic, compressor, turbine and gear oil and grease, as well as 2-cycle and 4-cycle engine oil. The product line would be designed to provide No Compromise performance and equipment protection equal or superior to that of existing synthetic lubricants, while offering environmental benefits such as improved biodegradability and low toxicity compared to traditional petroleum-based lubricants.

PetroAlgae And Haldor Topsoe Partner To Develop Renewable Fuels From Biomass

PetroAlgae Inc. today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Haldor Topsoe A/S and its U.S. subsidiary, Haldor Topsoe, Inc. to provide technology and catalysts to upgrade oils produced from PetroAlgae’s biomass through refinery coking processes and pyrolysis into drop-in renewable fuels, including diesel and jet fuels.

Haldor Topsoe is a leading global catalyst and technology company focused on the refining industry, petrochemical industry and the power industries. PetroAlgae’s micro-crop technology employs indigenous, aquatic micro-organisms suitable to local climates and is designed to enable its licensees to produce an alternative to fossil fuels as well as a high-value protein co-product, while absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Under the agreement, the two companies will work together to apply Haldor Topsoe catalysts, equipment, and licensed technology to upgrade oils derived from PetroAlgae’s biocrude.

“We are very excited to be working with Haldor Topsoe to further validate the commercial viability of our micro-crop biomass for use in refinery cokers and the production of a drop in renewable fuel,” said Dr. John Scott, Chairman of PetroAlgae. “They have extensive hydroprocessing research and development expertise from both a catalyst and a technology design standpoint and we see this agreement as just the beginning of a relationship that will help us realize the promise of our biomass as a clean and environmentally sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.”

“We look forward to taking this important step with PetroAlgae toward producing renewable fuels,” said Niels Sorensen Chief Executive Officer of Haldor Topsoe A/S “PetroAlgae is a leader in developing technology to produce biomass at a large commercial scale, which enables them to be cost competitive with traditional fossil fuels. Haldor Topsoe is committed to renewable fuels and we are excited about implementing projects that will help reach the goals set for renewable fuels all around the world.”

Obama Moves Toward Greater Cooperation With Brazil On Renewable Fuels

Two important announcements involving renewable energy made on the opening day of U.S. President Barack Obama's official visit to Brazil, both directly relevant to Brazil's successful sugarcane ethanol industry, are encouraging signs that Brazil and the U.S. are on a path to achieve free, unobstructed trade for clean, renewable biofuels. The assessment came from the President and CEO of the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), Marcos Jank, one of the invited guests at events attended by Obama in Brazil's capital, Brasilia.

The first major announcement expands the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Brazil and the U.S. to advance cooperation on biofuels, signed in 2007, to include a new partnership for the development of aviation biofuels. Key goals in the agreement include developing sustainable aviation biofuels as an important means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, establishing common standards and specifications, and strengthening private sector partnerships.

Of particular interest to UNICA is a clause calling on the two countries to work to "prevent international barriers to biofuels trade and development." Various companies are developing aviation fuels based on sugarcane, including a three-way partnership between Brazilian regional jet manufacturer Embraer, engine manufacturer General Electric and California biotech company Amyris. In 2012, the trio intends to stage the first-ever flight using jet fuel produced from sugarcane, using an Embraer aircraft equipped with GE engines and owned by Brazil's Azul Airlines.

"These developments add to the signs of growing awareness we've been witnessing in the United States in recent months about the need to develop clean energy solutions cooperatively and reduce barriers to its trade and development. Even avid supporters of heavy subsidies and steep tariffs that prevent Brazilian ethanol from entering the U.S. market competitively are now openly discussing what happens next, both in terms of technologies and policy. Without admitting it, they're in fact recognizing that the current situation can't last much longer because it works against everyone's best interests. U.S. consumers are being denied access to clean, renewable Brazilian sugarcane ethanol, which could be contributing to lower greenhouse gas emissions and save Americans money at the pump," said Jank.

The other announcement of interest to Brazilian biofuels producers is the launch of a Strategic Energy Dialogue that involves development and access to Brazil's huge new petroleum reserves, but will also deal directly with clean energy technologies. During a speech to about 500 Brazilian and U.S. business executives in Brasilia, Obama pointed out that focusing on fossil fuels in the near term doesn't mean losing sight of what needs to happen in the future.

"The only long-term solution to the world's dependence on fossil fuels is clean energy technology, and that is why the United States and Brazil are deepening our cooperation on biofuels, and why we're launching a U.S.-Brazil Green Economy Partnership. Because we know that the development of clean energy is one of the best ways to create new jobs and industries in both our nations," Obama concluded, acknowledging that more than half of all vehicles on the road in Brazil are flex-fuel capable and run primarily on biofuels.

Jank sees the new Green Economy Partnership as an additional and vital step to strengthen ongoing U.S.-Brazil efforts to improve and expand production and use of biofuels domestically as well as in third countries: "This is a natural move for the top two renewable energy producers and users in the world. Brazil and the United States should be leading by example, working together to advance on all fronts, including breaking down trade barriers that hinder the global expansion of biofuels."

With energy at the top of the agenda, prominent members of Brazil's sugarcane ethanol industry were involved throughout the first day of President Obama's visit to Brazil, including a luncheon offered by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff at the External Affairs Ministry, where UNICA's Jank was among the guests with direct access to the U.S. President. At the end of the day, Obama flew to Rio de Janeiro where he wraps up the Brazil visit on Sunday.

Air Force Tests F-22 Raptor On Camelina Blend Renewable Jet Fuel

An F-22 Raptor successfully flew at supercruise March 18 on a 50/50 fuel blend of conventional petroleum-based JP-8 and biofuel derived from camelina, a weed-like plant not used for food.

The flight was the capstone of a series of ground and flight test events conducted by the 411th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base the week of March 14 for the Raptor using the biofuel blend. The Air Force selected the F-22 weapon system to be the biofuel blend flight test pathfinder for all fighter aircraft.

The overall test objective was to evaluate biofuel fuel blend suitability in the F-22 weapon system. Testing consisted of air starts, operability, and performance at different speeds and altitude throughout the flight envelope. The F-22 Raptor performed several maneuvers including a supercruise at 40,000 ft. reaching speeds of 1.5 Mach. Supercruise is supersonic flight without using the engine's afterburner.

"The F-22 flew on Friday, March 18 and performed flawlessly on the biofuel blend citing no noticeable differences from traditional JP-8," said Jeff Braun, director of the Alternative Fuels Certification Division, part of the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

The overall flight was a success and another milestone completed for the Alternative Fuels Certification Division in support the Air Force's 2016 acquisition goal to cost-competitively acquire 50 percent of the domestic aviation fuel requirement via alternative fuel blends in which the component is derived from domestic sources produced in a manner that is 'greener' than fuels produced from conventional petroleum.

The camelina-derived synthetic fuel falls into a class of hydro-processed blended biofuels known as hydrotreated renewable jet fuels, or "HRJs." The HRJ fuel can be derived from a variety of plant oil and animal fat feedstocks.

Air Force officials in February certified the entire C-17 Globemaster III fleet for unrestricted flight operations using the HRJ biofuel blend.

Sempra Generation Dedicates Largest U.S. Photovoltaic Solar Plant

Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, Boulder City Mayor Roger Tobler, Jeff Martin, president and chief executive officer of Sempra Generation, and other dignitaries were on hand today in southern Nevada to officially dedicate Sempra Generation's Copper Mountain Solar, the largest photovoltaic solar plant in the U.S.

The 48-megawatt (MW) project is located adjacent to Sempra Generation's 10-MW El Dorado Solar installation in Boulder City, Nev., about 40 miles southeast of Las Vegas.

In his comments, Governor Sandoval praised Sempra Generation for its commitment to Nevada and for creating hundreds of local construction jobs to build the solar facility.  He also expressed strong support for the company's plan, which was recently approved by Boulder City, to expand the Copper Mountain Solar complex by more than 200 MW because of the benefits alternative energy projects bring to the state and local economy.

"This project exemplifies my goal of making Nevada the renewable energy capital of the country. Projects of this magnitude provide hundreds of jobs and invest millions of dollars in our state," said Governor Sandoval.

Construction on Copper Mountain Solar began in January 2010 at the 380-acre desert site.  Nearly 775,000 thin-film photovoltaic solar panels, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, were installed. The award-winning solar facility is now generating enough emission-free electricity to power about 14,000 average homes.  

"Copper Mountain Solar represents Sempra Generation's commitment to developing world-class alternative energy projects that generate a new source of clean power and create jobs," said Jeffrey W. Martin, president and chief executive officer of Sempra Generation.  "But the success of Copper Mountain Solar can be directly attributed to the vision and support of Boulder City, Pacific Gas & Electric and many state and federal officials in Nevada.  Their leadership is accelerating our country's transition to a more sustainable energy future."

The power from Copper Mountain Solar and El Dorado Solar has been sold to Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) under separate 20-year contracts.  

Gasoline Demand For February 2011 Rises 4.2%

According to the American Petroleum Institute (API), despite rising fuel costs, total U.S. petroleum deliveries (a measure of demand) marked a robust 4.4 percent increase in February over the same month a year ago.  At 19.7 million barrels per day, they were at a three-year high for the month.  Gasoline deliveries, at 9.0 million barrels per day, rose by 4.2 percent, posting a record high for any February.   

Deliveries of ultra-low sulfur distillates increased by 17.6 percent, and high-sulfur distillates were up by 30.6 percent, reflecting increased demand for truck fuel and home heating oil.  Total distillate fuel deliveries, at 4.0 million barrels per day, were higher than any previous February since 2008.  Jet fuel deliveries rose by 7.1 percent from the prior February and were at a three-year high for the month.

“The boost in deliveries reflects an economy gaining strength,” said API chief economist John Felmy.  “The Federal Reserve survey indicates an expansion in business and manufacturing.  So it’s no surprise we’re seeing growth in petroleum deliveries.  It’s welcome news for fuel producers and for the economy.”

While refinery maintenance and turnarounds reduced total inputs to crude distillation units, gasoline and distillate production achieved record highs for any February.  Gasoline production averaged 9.2 million barrels per day; distillate production averaged 4.3 million barrels per day.  

Imports of crude oil and refined products decreased a combined 5.2 percent in February compared with February a year ago, with product imports falling by 22.6 percent.

Domestic crude oil production fell by 1.6 percent to 5.4 million barrels per day from February 2010.

Crude stocks were at the second-highest February level in the past ten years, just behind 2009.  Inventories of motor gasoline fell from January 2011 and were also less than February 2010.

Bill Richardson, Former Governor of New Mexico, Named To Abengoa’s International Advisory Board

Bill Richardson, former Governor of New Mexico, has joined Abengoa’s International Advisory Board, which is chaired by the lecturer Jose Borrel, former President of the European Parliament, and currently comprises six other members with recognized experience and knowledge in the fields of both economics and sustainability.

Richardson has spent his career in U.S. politics, where he has held various positions such as Democratic Party representative, as well as being a member of the House of Representatives for New Mexico (1983-1997) and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1997-1998), a position entrusted to him by former President Bill Clinton who subsequently appointed him as U.S. Secretary of Energy (1998-2001). In 2003, he was elected as Governor of New Mexico, a position that he held until January 1 this year.

He is a supporter of clean and renewable energy, and energy efficiency, and during his time as Secretary of Energy, he implemented tough efficiency standards to save this resource. When he was Governor, he worked to make New Mexico a clean energy state by requiring electricity companies to generate energy from renewable sources and to reduce their carbon emissions.

“We are extremely fortunate to have former Governor Richardson join our Advisory Board. His extensive knowledge of the renewable energy sector and his background in public policy will provide Abengoa with significant insight and help advise our leaders on global opportunities in the clean energy sector,” said Manuel Sanchez Ortega, Chief Executive Officer of Abengoa.

The other members of Abengoa’s International Advisory Board are: the lecturer Mario Molina, winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry and professor at the University of California in San Diego; the academic and lecturer, Nicholas Stern, ex Vice-President for economic development and Chief Economist of the World Bank (2000-2003), and he also authored the renowned Stern Review in his role as an economic adviser to Gordon Brown's Government; Jerson Kelman, a researcher and Chairman of the Brazilian electricity company Light; the lecturer Ricardo Hausmann, Director of the Centre for International Development at Harvard University; Pamposh Bhat, an expert on climate change and renewable energy; and Kemal Dervis, Turkey’s former Minister of Economic Affairs and Vice-chairman of the Brookings Institution.

Abengoa recently started the construction of its Solana project near Gila Bend, Arizona. Solana will be the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world, including energy storage. Additionally, Abengoa is the fifth largest biofuels producer in the U.S., and this year, it will begin the construction of its first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in the United States, which will be located in Hugoton, Kansas.

AE Biofuels Set To Resume Operations At Keyes, California Ethanol Facility

AE Biofuels, Inc. today announced its wholly-owned advanced ethanol subsidiary AE Advanced Fuels Keyes, Inc. (AE Keyes), closed a $3.5 million financing with Third Eye Capital Corporation. The funds will be used to restart and operate a 55 million gallon per year ethanol plant located in Keyes, California. In November 2010, AE Keyes received $4.5 million from Third Eye Capital to complete the repair and retrofit of the Keyes facility.

AE Keyes expects to restart the Keyes plant and be fully operational by late April 2011. AE Keyes took possession of the facility under a project agreement with Cilion, Inc. in 2010. The revised project agreement extends the original lease from three to five years, with an early termination right at three years.

AE Advanced Fuels Keyes also announced that it has signed a grain supply and services contract with J.D. Heiskell & Co. AE Keyes will market its wet distillers grains (WDG) through an agreement with A.L. Gilbert, and the company previously announced its ethanol marketing agreement with Kinergy Marketing LLC.

The Keyes plant is a leader in environmentally responsible ethanol production with a 2.6:1 positive energy balance and near zero water discharge. In addition, the plant’s natural gas and steam powered turbine cogeneration unit generates nearly all of the operating electric needs of the plant (4.3 megawatts), thus eliminating dependence on the state’s electrical grid.

AE Biofuels intends to introduce its patent-pending enzyme-based cellulosic ethanol technology at the Keyes facility and other California ethanol plants in 2011.

Juhl Wind Announces Completion of Construction for the 19.8 MW Adams Wind Project

Juhl Wind Inc. announced the recent completion of construction and official commercial operation date for the Adams Wind Project located in Meeker County in West Central Minnesota.  The project cost approximately $42 million and was completed on time and under budget. Juhl served as the developer and owner's representative for the construction phase of the project.

The Company first announced the development of the Adams Wind Project in December 2009 and subsequently announced the startup of construction in October 2010. The Adams Project utilizes 12 Alstom ECO 86 Wind Turbine Generators and will sell the clean energy to Xcel Energy under the terms of a 20 year, 19.8 MW Power Purchase Agreement.  The wind farm incorporates one of Juhl Wind's "Community Wind" based structures in which ownership is shared with the local residents and farmers who own the land that the project is located on.

"Completion of the Adams Wind Project is the result of a great team of people working together to build a sizable project in a matter of months," stated Dan Juhl, Chairman and CEO of Juhl Wind Inc.  "We are very pleased with the startup and initial operation of the Alstom ECO 86 wind turbines and expect a very solid long-term operation.  For Juhl as a company, Adams is one of six projects we have been developing and constructing in the past couple of years.  We recently announced the sale of our 20 MW Grant County wind farm and we expect to wrap up our other projects in the next few months.  Taken together, we believe this group of projects will result in very strong financial performance for our company in 2011."

"We appreciate the opportunity to work with Dan Juhl and his team in order to bring the proven performance and environmental benefits of Alstom's technology to this project," stated Andy Geissbuehler, Vice President and General Manager Alstom Wind Business North America.

"We have regularly described how Juhl Wind provides services to every aspect of wind farm development, construction and operation," added John Mitola, President of Juhl Wind Inc.  "Adams is an example of how we will take on various roles within the development cycle to provide the most appropriate service to our various project stakeholders.  As Dan pointed out, we have had a very busy couple of years and in spite of the 2008 recession, we found a way to move six projects forward and we are pleased that we are beginning to see the financial results and the project outcomes we targeted at the outset."

Baytech Develops CNG System For 2011 Chevrolet Impala and Buick Lucerne

Baytech Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Landi Renzo USA is pleased to announce development of a 50 state CARB and EPA certified dedicated compressed natural gas (CNG) system that will be available on the 2011 Chevrolet Impala and Buick Lucerne in the second quarter of 2011.  This new offering will include the 6 cylinder 3.5L and 3.9L engines.  The system includes Baytech's proven gaseous fuel sequential Multi-Point Fuel Injection system technology using Landi Renzo manufactured system components.

"This proven engineering technology and mass produced system components will allow us to offer a CARB certified CNG vehicle that has the cleanest rating and the most competitive price for a vehicle of this type.  This vehicle will be the only CNG CARB certified passenger vehicle that is suitable for the taxi market, and will provide an affordable option for other fleets as well" says Andrea Landi, President Landi Renzo USA.

Since this CNG vehicle is rated as SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle), the CNG Impala and Lucerne will be eligible for the High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes in California as well as many other states.

Founded in 1991, Baytech, acquired by Landi Renzo in 2010, is a small volume OEM manufacturer of EPA and CARB certified CNG fuel injection systems for Chevrolet, GMC, Isuzu and Workhorse Custom Chassis vehicles. Baytech offers the largest lineup of CARB and EPA certified light, medium and heavy duty CNG vehicles and engines in the industry.

Landi Renzo is the global leader in CNG and LPG fuel systems design, manufacture, installation and service with over 40% market share.  Landi Renzo USA is headquartered in Torrance, CA.  andi Renzo S.p.A. is traded on the Italian Stock Exchange Star Segment under the ticker symbol LR.

Edison Mission Group Holds Dedication Event For 150 MW Wind Energy Project in South Texas

Edison Mission Group (EMG), a subsidiary of Edison International, today officially dedicated its Cedro Hill wind project located in Bruni, about 45 miles northeast of Laredo, Texas. The site began commercial operations in December of 2010.

The project can generate up to 150 megawatts (MW) of power, which is enough to meet the needs of about 40,000 homes. All of the electricity produced by the project is being provided to CPS Energy of San Antonio, the nation’s largest municipally-owned natural gas and electric utility, under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

"We are pleased to officially dedicate the first wind energy project located in south Texas,” said Pedro Pizarro, president of EMG. “Texas is an important state in the development of our renewable energy portfolio, and we look forward to generating clean, environmentally friendly power for the customers of CPS Energy.”

“Cedro Hill is a valuable addition to CPS Energy’s renewable energy portfolio, providing 150 megawatts of green energy to the residents of San Antonio and the surrounding area,” said Richard Peña, CPS Energy senior vice president of Energy Development.

Cedro Hill is EMG's third wind energy project in Texas, joining the 161-MW Wildorado Wind Ranch near Amarillo and the 149-MW Goat Wind project near San Angelo. EMG is one of the largest developers, owners and operators of wind energy in the country with 29 projects in 10 states with a total generating capacity of more than 1,800 MW.

Cedro Hill is powered by 100 GE turbines with a generating capacity of 1.5 MW each. The project site spans approximately 20,000 acres. It interconnects to the electric grid at the La Quinta switching station and connects to CPS Energy through the 138-Kilvolt Lobo-Falfurrias transmission line.

Cedro Hill represents a total investment of $300 million in Webb County. It is supporting the local economy with more than $100 million in property taxes and payments to local landowners over the next 20 years, and an annual contribution of $250,000 to the Webb County Consolidated Independent School District for 10 years beginning in 2013.

POET Opens Its 27th Ethanol Plant

POET today opened its 27th ethanol plant and fourth plant in Indiana, POET Biorefining -- Cloverdale, in a grand opening event that included ethanol industry and government leaders, area farmers, new team members and residents of Cloverdale, Ind. The event represents an important milestone: The new ethanol capacity helps Indiana's total ethanol production top 1 billion gallons, an important development goal set by state leaders.

"This is an exciting day for POET and the Cloverdale area," POET CEO Jeff Broin said. "New jobs, new revenue for area farmers and the chance to expand POET's business to provide more renewable fuel make this a win for everyone involved. And with oil prices shooting to new heights due to unrest in North Africa and the Middle East, the need for domestic ethanol production has never been more evident. I'm excited to be part of the solution along with everyone here today."

Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman said Indiana's ethanol production has been good for the Hoosier economy.

"Indiana is doing its part to ease our reliance on foreign oil," Lt. Gov. Skillman said. "With the help of companies like POET, we will continue to create homegrown energy while giving an economic boost to rural Indiana."

POET purchased the 90 million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant, which begins production next week, from Altra Biofuels in June 2010. Since then, the company has been busy installing about $30 million in upgrades, including BPX(R), POET's patented fermentation process that uses enzymes instead of heat and POET's Total Water Recovery system that cuts wastewater discharge. That technology and other additions make POET Biorefining -- Cloverdale one of the most energy and water efficient plants in the industry.

"We've been purchasing grain from area farmers in anticipation of startup, and it's already clear that this is going to be a great partnership," POET Biorefining -- Cloverdale General Manager Dave Brooks said. "This is a state-of-the-art ethanol plant representing the latest in POET technology. It is both energy- and cost-efficient, and it's exciting to be able to start up operations."

POET Biorefining -- Cloverdale facts:

• Opened and operated under Altra Biofuels for a short time in 2008; purchased by POET in 2010
• Capacity: 90 million gallons per year
• Rail: CSX
• Annual corn consumption: 31 million bushels
• Dakota Gold Brand DDGS produced annually: 246,500 tons
• Jobs at the plant: 43 FTE (over 90% local)
• Annual Payroll and Benefits: more than $2 million

Chromatin Announces Dual-Purpose Hybrid Sorghum for Sugar and Bioenergy Production

Chromatin Inc. announced today its dual-purpose SweetFuel™ sorghum hybrids, which combine high yields of both fermentable sugar and biomass per acre. Chromatin’s SweetFuel™ hybrids are ideal for capturing the value of sugars produced in sorghum juice as well as the additional value of the energy stored in biomass or bagasse.

Chromatin’s Chief Technology Officer, David Jessen, presented data on SweetFuel™ hybrids at yesterday’s International Bioenergy and Bioproducts Conference and BioPro Expo in Atlanta. Speaking in a session on Transformative Technologies, Jessen presented data from sorghum field trials and highlighted the opportunity for Chromatin’s dual-purpose sorghum hybrids to reduce the cost of renewable energy. “Replacing fossil fuels with an energy crop requires a systems approach,” said Jessen. “Our SweetFuel™ hybrids make it possible to increase bioenergy value by at least 2-fold over collecting sugar alone — offering sugars for chemical and fuel processes, and high energy biomass for thermochemical conversions”.

Jessen’s presentation also emphasized the potential for future sorghum improvements, including near-term advances from breeding, as well as next-generation designs that will deploy Chromatin’s proprietary gene stacking technology. “We are confident that our R&D pipeline will create large step-changes in the value of sorghum as a feedstock,” added Jessen. “Unlike other energy crops under consideration today, sorghum offers a refined breeding system that makes it possible to rapidly incorporate improvements. Our SweetFuel™ hybrids provide an excellent foundation for this program.”

Gasboy® Atlas® Fleet Fueling Dispensers Gain UL Listing for E85

Underwriters Laboratories has approved three models of Gasboy Atlas dispensers for use with fuels containing up to 85% ethanol (E85). The Gasboy Atlas E85 dispensers (model 9872KX series) join the current Atlas electronic fleet dispenser models that are specifically designed for commercial fleet fueling applications. They are fully compatible with existing fleet management systems and Island Fleet Card Readers, including the Gasboy Islander™ PLUS and CFN III systems.

"We understand the tough demands of unattended fueling at the fleet fueling site," said Sanjay Chowbey, vice president of Gilbarco Veeder-Root's Commercial Business Unit. "We build the industry's most reliable, rugged dispensers so fleet operators have the lowest possible cost of ownership for the long term. These dispensers may also qualify for various tax and grant incentive programs around the country designed to build infrastructure for flexible fuel vehicles."

The Gasboy Atlas E85 dispensers for fleet fueling applications are also NTEP certified and join Gilbarco Veeder-Root's other 22 Encore® S and Encore 300 retail dispenser configurations that were previously approved for use with fuels up to E85.

The company will exhibit Gasboy products at the NAFA Fleet Management Association Institute and Expo, April 9-12 at the Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, N.C.

Phytonix Corporation Obtains Global License for Biobutanol From Photosynthetic Bacteria Technology

Phytonix Corporation now owns the exclusive worldwide licensing rights for a cutting-edge technology to create an environmentally friendly fuel that replaces gasoline. It also has partnered with a top European University laboratory to create the biosafe bacteria that will produce this fuel.

The fuel is biobutanol, and it can be used in gasoline-powered engines with little or no modifications. Phytonix’s biobutanol will be produced by special photosynthetic bacteria and will not have to undergo the costly separation of fuel from biomass that most biofuels do. Bruce Dannenberg, Founder and CEO of Phytonix, states, “These bacteria will act as tiny micro-refineries, using photosynthesis to make biobutanol. Biobutanol is the most promising biofuel for use as a “drop-in” gasoline replacement in spark ignition engines.” Mr. Dannenberg continues, “This is truly a direct solar, carbon-based, liquid transportation fuel. It utilizes carbon dioxide as the “feedstock” and solar energy and water to photosynthetically produce biofuels.”

This technology will not need arable land or use food crops. It will provide a way to create reliable, secure, environmentally friendly, cost-effective liquid fuels.

Phytonix has patents pending worldwide for the process technologies that will create the unique bacteria and that will prevent the bacteria from surviving if they get into the natural environment. “We believe we are the only company with this biosafety guard,” Mr. Dannenberg said.

Phytonix expects that its bacteria could produce upwards of 20,000 gallons per acre. By comparison, the current U.S. corn ethanol yield per acre is about 400 gallons. Even the highly publicized algae are expected to yield a maximum of 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of fuel per acre by using extractive processes. The bacteria that Phytonix and its partner will develop are expected to yield about five times that amount of biofuel and will simply secrete the fuel.

“The objective here,” stated Mr. Dannenberg, “is to rapidly commercialize our proprietary, safe, and ethical photobiological biofuels production technology in order to move the global economic system forward in the transition from a petrochemical and fossil fuels-based economy to a biochemical and living fuels-based economy.”

KYOCERA Supplies Solar Modules for United States Marine Corps’ Largest PV Installation

Kyocera Solar, Inc. and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest today announced the completion of a 1.4 megawatt (MW) solar electric system on the United States Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, just north of San Diego, Calif. NAVFAC Southwest celebrated the completion of the project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, held on February 3.

Composed of 6,300 KD235 modules produced locally at Kyocera’s San Diego facility, the solar electric system represents the largest photovoltaic (PV) system on a Marine Corps base — and ranks among the largest solar installations in San Diego County.

Through a partnership with AEE Solar, San Diego-based integrator Synergy Electric Company installed the 225 panel solar system that stands on the site of the Box Canyon landfill — effectively transforming unusable land into a site producing clean energy.

Global engineering firm AECOM led the design of the project, including geotechnical, civil and photovoltaic system design. “AECOM incorporated numerous design elements to address the unique environmental and engineering challenges of the landfill site,” said AECOM Project Manager David Cyr. “We are proud to have contributed to the success of this significant project.”

The ground-mounted system feeds Camp Pendleton’s electric grid and is expected to produce about 2,400 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually, enough electricity to power 400 average homes. NAVFAC anticipates the renewable energy conversion will save the Marine Corps $336,000 yearly in electricity costs while more than tripling its previous solar energy capacity.

“The Box Canyon PV project is a very exciting venture that is making use of a previously unusable piece of real estate, and providing a renewable energy source to help Camp Pendleton meet its on-site renewable energy generation goals,” said Bernadette Rose, NAVFAC Southwest ROICC Construction Manager at Camp Pendleton.

The Camp Pendleton project demonstrates the growing demand for solar electricity. To meet the increasing market demand in the U.S., Kyocera began manufacturing solar panels at its San Diego production facility in June 2010.

“This sizable solar installation and the Marine Corps’ sustainable energy goals demonstrate its commitment to environmental preservation and advancing national security through energy independence,” stated Steve Hill, president of Kyocera Solar, Inc.

ZeaChem Demonstration Scale Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Over One Third Complete

ZeaChem broke ground on its 250,000 gallon-per-year biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon on June 2, 2010. According to the East Oregonian, it is now over one third complete.

Zea-Chem’s cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant is more than one-third finished.

Builders erected three 40,000-gallon fermentation tanks this week and continued bolting together the steel structure for the two-story operations building.

Excavation began last fall, and contractors poured a concrete pad for the building and other components in November.

“We really got going in late fall,” said Craig Spidle, director of the construction/design-build group for Burns & McDonnell of Chesterfield, Mo.

He said the structure is 35 percent complete and should be finished by October. ZeaChem’s 8-acre site is along Rail Loop Road on Port of Morrow land between Pacific Ethanol and Cargill.

Carrie Atiyeh, spokeswoman for ZeaChem, visited the Boardman site Thursday. She said the company will have its core process online this year, converting sugar into acetic acid and ethyl acetate.

January 2011 Crude Oil Imports Total $34.9 Billion

The latest numbers from the Commerce Department show that the trade deficit for January was $46.3 billion, up from $40.3 billion in December. Crude oil imports accounted for $34.9 billion.

For January, America's oil bill jumped 9.5 percent to $34.9 billion, the highest level since October 2008. The average price of imported crude oil rose to $84.34. In recent weeks, oil has been trading above $100 per barrel, so oil imports will likely be even higher in the February and March trade reports.

Source : Associated Press

Top Advanced Biofuels Groups Meet in Washington for Collaborative Discussion and Capitol Hill Briefing

The top trade groups representing the advanced biofuels industry in the United States met today in Washington, D.C. to continue industry-wide collaborative efforts begun last year aimed at improving communication among stakeholders while building a more cohesive industry to develop clean energy alternatives that strengthen our nation’s economy.

The Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA), the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) met for policy briefings with leaders and senior staff from Congress and the Obama administration. Following the joint meeting, the groups held a briefing on the advanced biofuels industry for legislative staff members on Capitol Hill.

“Today is proof each of our organizations is committed to helping establish a collective voice for our industry and lead the transformation from fossil fuels to cleaner, more efficient and renewable sources through the commercialization of advanced biofuels and bioproducts,” said Michael McAdams, president of ABFA.

“With petroleum prices projected to stay at or above $100 per barrel for the next 12 months, the United States must get serious about developing and deploying advanced biofuels,” said Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section. “The United States can leverage its leadership in biotechnology and agricultural production to reduce reliance on foreign oil, build a stronger economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We need outside the box thinking on policy.”

“As Congress and the Obama Administration continue to look for ways to add momentum to the economic recovery, they should look no further than the various industries our associations represent,” said Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director of ABO. “We’re talking about a massive job-creating engine in every state in the nation – creating technologies and products that drive revenue, increase exports and contribute to national energy security.”

Iowa E85 Sales Up 43% In 2010

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) today announced that E85 sales in Iowa reached an all-time high in 2010. According to the Iowa Department of Revenue, sales of E85 by Iowa retailers reached 9,311,908 gallons last year representing a 43% increase over 2009 sales.

“E85 has been a great success for Iowa consumers and retailers alike,” stated IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw. “With gasoline prices shooting skyward, E85 is the most cost-effective fuel choice for consumers today. And many E85 retailers have noted that E85 accounts for almost 10 percent or more of their total fuel sales. With more and more flexible fuel vehicles rolling off assembly lines, the only thing holding E85 back is the lack of E85 pumps.

Iowa currently has 138 retail outlets offering E85. A list of all the E85 stations can be found here.

IRFA predicts that it is likely to see more ethanol blended fuel sales because Iowans are looking for ways to fight back against high gas prices. “Unrest in the Middle East coupled with the desire to promote Iowa jobs is leading more Iowans than ever to choose the E85 dispenser. We are excited that several additional retailers are planning to add E85 and other mid-level ethanol blends to their stations this year.”

Iowa is the leader in renewable fuels production. Iowa has 41 ethanol refineries capable of producing nearly 3.7 billion gallons annually. In addition, Iowa has 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce 315 million gallons annually.

POET Cuts Annual Water Use By More Than 400 Million Gallons

POET ethanol plants have reduced water use by a total of 411 million gallons of water per year compared to 2009 levels thanks to widespread installation of the company's Total Water Recovery technology. That savings means POET plants on average now use 2.77 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol.

With startup of systems at POET plants in Mitchell, S.D.; Ashton, Iowa; and Portland, Ind., POET is nearly halfway to its goal of saving 1 billion gallons of water annually by 2014, which would mean using 2.33 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol produced.

"I'm proud that in each of the 23 years we've been in business, we've been able to improve the environmental performance of ethanol production," POET CEO Jeff Broin said. "Water is one of the most important resources on our planet. We will continue to find ways to maximize that resource and other resources in our ongoing work to be as efficient as we can be."

To date, 12 of POET's 26 plants are running the system at full capacity, and another six are scheduled to come online this year. Total Water Recovery will also be running in their 27th plant, POET Biorefining -- Cloverdale, which POET recently acquired and will start production later this month.

POET's water saving goal is one part of its company-wide sustainability initiative called "Ingreenuity."

In 2009, POET plants used an average of three gallons of water per gallon of ethanol, which is an 80 percent decrease from when the company first produced ethanol in 1988. That average includes the alternative sources of water used at several POET plants. At POET Biorefining -- Corning (Iowa) most of the water used for cooling comes from the Corning Waste Water Treatment Plant. One hundred percent of the water at POET Biorefining -- Portland (Ind.) is recycled from a nearby quarry. POET Biorefining -- Big Stone (S.D.) gets 80 percent of its water from the cooling ponds of an adjacent power plant and discharges it back to the power plant.

Propel Fuels Hosts USDA Official to Advance Renewable Fuels Infrastructure

Propel Fuels hosted Judith Canales, Administrator for Rural Business and Cooperative Programs for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), at the company's fueling station in Oakland to promote the positive economic and environmental impacts of expanding renewable fuel infrastructure in the United States. Canales' visit highlights the USDA's plan to fund the build-out of 10,000 renewable fuel pumps across the nation in the next five years; promoting rural economies, strengthening domestic energy security, and reducing carbon emissions. Propel is expanding its network of Clean Fuel Points to dramatically increase the availability and convenience of E85 Flex Fuel and biodiesel to the 20 million renewable fuel-ready vehicles on America's roads today.

"Propel shares the USDA's vision for quickly increasing consumer access to renewable fuels in order to reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil, boost local economies, and reduce emissions," said Jim Iacoponi, Vice President of Operations of Propel. "Through a partnership between private investment and public funds, Propel will continue to build the critical link between California's drivers and the next generation of fuels."

In late 2010, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the USDA's plan to help fund the installation of 10,000 renewable fuel pumps across the nation within the next five years. This plan, along with other departmental efforts, aim to support the further development of the domestic renewable fuels industry, creating jobs and economic growth, primarily in rural America, but to the benefit of all of America. The USDA will look to partner with private sector infrastructure providers in order to quickly and efficiently roll out the 10,000-pump plan in coming years.

"The USDA is committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in rural America and we believe a strong renewable fuels industry, including convenient access to these fuels, is critical to this goal," said Canales.

Propel's stations are frequented by California's greenest fleets including the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) who showcased vehicles at today's event. In addition to infrastructure, Propel's education and outreach programs empower consumers and fleets to make the move to renewable fuels. Adoption of these fuels can provide immediate and significant CO2 reductions helping achieve California's ambitious emission reduction goals.

Today, there are more than 20 million vehicles nationwide (more than 1 million in California alone) capable of running on renewable fuels, but the majority do not have access to these fuels. Propel currently operates throughout California and Washington State, with more than 75 additional stations planned in their existing markets of the Bay Area and Sacramento, as well as new markets later this year.

KiOR Signs Offtake Agreement with Hunt Refining Company for Renewable Fuels

KiOR, Inc., announced today that it has signed an offtake agreement with Hunt Refining Company, who has agreed to purchase renewable gasoline and diesel blendstocks and fuel oil produced at KiOR’s first commercial facility to be located in Columbus, MS. In addition to the offtake of renewable fuel blendstocks, the two companies have agreed to collaborate on information and resources aimed at optimizing the performance of their products and services. The agreement requires the parties mutually to determine fuel product specifications and contains other terms and conditions.

“Today’s announcement is an important milestone for the development of our commercial facilities in Mississippi, and furthers KiOR’s progress towards the commercialization of gasoline and diesel blendstocks from renewable crude,” said Fred Cannon, President and CEO of KiOR. “We’re excited to partner with Hunt to bring our renewable fuels to market and begin reducing the country’s dependence on foreign oil while creating quality jobs and economic development throughout the State of Mississippi.”

“The offtake of KiOR’s renewable gasoline and diesel blendstocks will help us to meet the needs of the nation’s Renewable Fuel Standard,” said Shanmuk Sharma, President of Hunt Refining Company. “We’re excited to be working alongside KiOR to help make a meaningful and near-term contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing a boost to rural economies.”

Department Of Energy Team Produces Isobutanol Directly From Cellulose

In the quest for inexpensive biofuels, cellulose proved no match for a bioprocessing strategy and genetically engineered microbe developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center.

Using consolidated bioprocessing, a team led by James Liao of the University of California at Los Angeles for the first time produced isobutanol directly from cellulose. The team's work, published online in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, represents across-the-board savings in processing costs and time, plus isobutanol is a higher grade of alcohol than ethanol.

"Unlike ethanol, isobutanol can be blended at any ratio with gasoline and should eliminate the need for dedicated infrastructure in tanks or vehicles," said Liao, chancellor's professor and vice chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. "Plus, it may be possible to use isobutanol directly in current engines without modification."

Compared to ethanol, higher alcohols such as isobutanol are better candidates for gasoline replacement because they have an energy density, octane value and Reid vapor pressure - a measurement of volatility - that is much closer to gasoline, Liao said.

While cellulosic biomass like corn stover and switchgrass is abundant and cheap, it is much more difficult to utilize than corn and sugar cane. This is due in large part because of recalcitrance, or a plant's natural defenses to being chemically dismantled.

Adding to the complexity is the fact biofuel production that involves several steps - pretreatment, enzyme treatment and fermentation - is more costly than a method that combines biomass utilization and the fermentation of sugars to biofuel into a single process.

To make the conversion possible, Liao and postdoctoral researcher Wendy Higashide of UCLA and Yongchao Li and Yunfeng Yang of Oak Ridge National Laboratory had to develop a strain of Clostridium cellulolyticum, a native cellulose-degrading microbe, that could synthesize isobutanol directly from cellulose. "This work is based on our earlier work at UCLA in building a synthetic pathway for isobutanol production," Liao said.

While some Clostridium species produce butanol, these organisms typically do not digest cellulose directly. Other Clostridium species digest cellulose but do not produce butanol. None produce isobutanol, an isomer of butanol.

"In nature, no microorganisms have been identified that possess all of the characteristics necessary for the ideal consolidated bioprocessing strain, so we knew we had to genetically engineer a strain for this purpose," Li said.

While there were many possible microbial candidates, the research team ultimately chose Clostridium cellulolyticum, which was originally isolated from decayed grass. The researchers noted that their strategy exploits the host's natural cellulolytic activity and the amino acid biosynthetic pathway and diverts its intermediates to produce higher alcohol than ethanol.

The researchers also noted that Clostridium cellulolyticum has been genetically engineered to improve ethanol production, and this has led to additional more detailed research. Clostridium cellulolyticum has a sequenced genome available via DOE's Joint Genome Institute. This proof of concept research sets the stage for studies that will likely involve genetic manipulation of other consolidated bioprocessing microorganisms.

Interesting Excerpts From OPEC's 2010 World Oil Outlook

OPEC recently released their 2010 World Oil Outlook. It is a rather large document and I haven't read all of it. But from skimming through I noticed a couple of interesting projections that deal with biofuels.

Moreover, Figure 5.6 illustrates how projected global ethanol supply growth – not just regional – impacts gasoline. Driven by the US and Brazil, the main supply sources, global ethanol supply is projected to rise from 1.4 mb/d in 2009 to 2.4 mb/d by 2020 and then to 3.8 mb/d by 2030. The net increase by 2030 is 2.4 mb/d. Over the same period from 2009–2030, worldwide gasoline consumption is projected to rise from 21.2 mb/d to 25 mb/d, an increase of 3.8 mb/d. Thus, ethanol comprises 6.5% of total global gasoline consumption in 2009, almost 10% by 2020 and nearly 15% by 2030. Extrapolating out these figures shows that ethanol supply growth comprises 60% of the incremental gasoline demand growth to 2030, leaving only 40%, or 1.4 mb/d for gasoline supplied from refineries.

There are a couple of points here that I thought were interesting. First that ethanol comprised 6.5% of total global gasoline consumption in 2009. And that it is expected to reach 15% of total global gasoline consumption in 2030.

This, of course, contradicts those that have argued that ethanol could never displace a meaningful amount of gasoline consumption.

Further out, they predict that algae based biofuels will contribute substantially to the fuel supply.

Second-generation biofuels are assumed to contribute increasingly to global supply from 2020 onwards. Further down the line, beyond the forecasting period, algae-based biofuels – a third-generation biofuels technology – could potentially provide huge amounts of supply and be what some are calling a ‘game changer’.

BAF Technologies Launches New Line of Bi-Fuel Ford Vans & Pick-Ups

BAF Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Clean Energy Fuels Corp., has expanded its CNG product line to include Ford vehicles equipped with the BAF proprietary bi-fuel compressed natural gas (CNG) system.

Set for availability in May 2011, the new BAF offering includes bi-fuel Ford E-250/350 vans and F-250/350 pick-up trucks. BAF is the first CNG vehicle upfitter in the United States to be named a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) for gaseous fuels.

“The ability to offer Ford QVM bi-fuel vehicles to the marketplace is a huge step forward,” said John Bacon, President, BAF Technologies. “Not only will our new BAF bi-fuel models provide commercial and municipal fleets with increased flexibility in deploying their vehicles, they will move us another step closer to getting CNG vehicles into the hands of consumers as the fueling infrastructure continues to develop.”

Crash-tested in accordance with official Federal Motor Vehicle Standards, the new BAF E-250/350 bi-fuel CNG vans have a standard fuel capacity of 10 gasoline gallon equivalents (GGE). The F-250/350 bi-fuel CNG pickup trucks will be available in both 10 GGE and 20 GGE packages.

2010 Ethanol Production

Ethanol production continued to increase in 2010, reaching 13.23 billion gallons. For the year, ethanol production averaged 863,000 barrels per day.

2010 - 13,230,000,000 gallons
2009 - 10,600,000,000 gallons
2008 - 9,000,000,000 gallons
2007 - 6,500,000,000 gallons
2006 - 4,855,000,000 gallons
2005 - 3,904,000,000 gallons
2004 - 3,400,000,000 gallons
2003 - 2,800,000,000 gallons
2002 - 2,130,000,000 gallons
2001 - 1,770,000,000 gallons

Source : Renewable Fuels Association

November 2010 Biodiesel Production Decreases

Biodiesel production in November slipped to 16 million gallons, down from 21 million gallons in October. Biodiesel consumption was also lower at 14 million gallons, down from 17 million gallons in October.

Source : EIA Biodiesel Overview

Cenergy Power Unveils 272 Kilowatt Solar Photovoltaic System for Live Oak Farms

Live Oak Farms, a tomato and bell pepper grower/packer/shipper based out of the Central Valley, announced the commissioning of their 272 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic system. The roof mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system spans across two buildings, will offset over 84% of energy costs and provide a payback before the solar system's 4th birthday.

Cenergy Power, a leading commercial solar power developer based out of Merced, California designed, engineered and installed the solar system for Live Oak Farms. The environmental attributes associated with the solar plant will offset more than 15 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) for the next year and will produce and estimated 370,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy annually.

"Sustainability has been a priority for Live Oak Farms ever since our first harvest," said Bob Giampaoli, managing partner of Live Oak Farms. "From our drip system irrigations, to our minimal use of soil fumigants in our fields and now through the recent installation of our solar power system, we feel we are doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint."

As part of the solar arrangement, Cenergy Power will be providing 10 years of scheduled operations and maintenance ("O&M") work, including but not limited to touch-free panel cleanings, preventative maintenance & repair, and overall system warranties.

Jeff Lautt Named President of POET

Jeff Lautt was named President of POET, the ethanol company announced recently. Lautt has been with POET since 2005 and most recently was Executive Vice President of Corporate Operations. Company founder Jeff Broin will remain CEO and Chairman of the Board.

"Over his six-year career at POET, Jeff Lautt has continually taken on more and more of the daily operations of the company," POET CEO Jeff Broin said. "I have full confidence that he will excel in this new role and help take POET to new heights."

By remaining CEO and Chairman of POET, the change will allow Broin to focus his time and energy on long-term strategy for the company and the ethanol industry. "With more of the day-to-day operations in Jeff Lautt's hands, I can invest more of my time in planning the future of POET and work on issues critical to the ethanol industry," Broin said. "Many of the challenges POET faces are shared by the entire ethanol industry. As co-chairman of Growth Energy, I also look forward to working with others in the industry to face those challenges head-on."

"Under the leadership of Jeff Broin, POET has grown into a very successful company," President Lautt said. "Working with Jeff and the dedicated team at POET, I look forward to playing an even bigger role in future accomplishments."

Jeff Lautt has been with POET since early 2005 and most recently was the Executive Vice President of Corporate Operations. In that position, Lautt was responsible for all operational business units within POET. Lautt spent fourteen years in the emergency vehicle industry where he served as President of a Midwestern-based fire truck manufacturing company before joining POET. Lautt has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Engineering from South Dakota State University.