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In the News

Airline Geeks

July 26, 2019

EgyptAir took delivery of its latest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner earlier this week, the fifth of six next-generation Boeing aircraft destined for its fleet. While EgyptAir has been taking deliveries since the beginning of 2019, this delivery flight had a twist in that it was fueled with sustainable aviation flew, making it the longest flight flown with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as it flew from Everett, Wash. to Cairo

The delivery flight inaugurated a new program implemented by Boeing to give the option of using the SAF on any delivery flight. EgyptAir chose to perform the longer than 13-hour flight home on the biofuel to demonstrate the airline’s desire for efficiency and sustainability, of which the Dreamliner is emblematic.

The Egyptian flag carrier operates a modest long-haul fleet consisting of Boeing 777 family and Airbus A330 family aircraft with the Dreamliner being the newest type to be inducted into the fleet. From its base in Cairo, the fuel-efficient Dreamliner is currently deployed on long-haul routes over 10 hours including Washington and Tokyo, some of the longest routes in the airline’s fleet.

Long-haul isn’t the only sector of which EgyptAir is looking to modernize and become more efficient as the airline’s regional brand, EgyptAir Express, prepares to take delivery of its first Airbus A220-300. The similarly economical aircraft will also serve EgyptAir’s goal of achieving efficiency and sustainability.

During the delivery festivities, Captain Ahmed Adel, chairman and CEO of EgyptAir Holding Company spoke to the crowd, “We are committed to the sustainable growth of our airline and supporting commercial aviation’s efforts to protect the environment. The 787-9 Dreamliner is a great fit for our network and provides our customers with a responsible choice for air travel”

While the Dreamliner program was designed for exceptional fuel efficiency, the added bonus of the SAF is not only in the burning performance but in weight as well. Jets like the Dreamliner typically run on Jet-A fuel, which weighs 6.8 pounds per gallon whereas SAF weighs less at just 6.6 pounds.

Though only .2 pounds, the savings is when a 787-8 Dreamliner’s fuel capacity is 33,340 gallons. The fuel composition is 30 percent sustainable aviation fuel plus 70 percent Jet-A, meaning that 10,002 gallons of the total amount is lighter than a normal fill-up. The carbon dioxide emission should also be reduced by around 80 percent during the lifecycle of the airplane when using SAF.

EgyptAir leases its Dreamliner fleet from Irish leasing company Aercap, Boeing’s largest 787 customer with 114 owned, managed and on order.

“We are delighted to support EGYPTAIR’s fleet renewal strategy and to be a part of this important industry-first milestone,” Aengus Kelly, CEO of Aercap, said. “The 787 is a perfect choice for EGYPTAIR, allowing the airline to reduce fuel use and emissions by up to 25 percent while meeting its sustainable growth ambitions, as well as supporting Aercap’s target to transition its fleet to over two-thirds new technology aircraft by 2021.”

The biofuel used to power this EgyptAir 787’s journey home from Everett was created down the coast in a facility in Paramount, Calif. by World Energy. The plant is able to make the renewable fuel in quantities necessary for the airline industry. This particular sustainable fuel is made from agricultural waste mixed with the currently used Jet-A and is used interchangeably as a regular fuel without the need to change any engine systems.

“Boeing and the industry believe sustainable fuel has significant long-term potential to help commercial aviation earn its license to keep growing and meet our climate goals,” said Sheila Remes, vice president of strategy at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The use of SAF is not a new concept as commercial passenger flights began using it as early as 2011. Since that time, the fuels have become more refined and are able to be produced at levels to meet the needs of increasing air travel. The use of the fuel on such a long flight on an already fuel-efficient aircraft is a big step in attaining environmental goals, reducing carbon footprints and making air travel sustainable for the future.

Read the original article: EgyptAir Flies Newest Dreamliner Home Using Biofuel, Sets Distance Record

Indiana Business Journal

August 5, 2019

As China turns its back on American ethanol in a lingering trade spat, Brazil is considering opening its doors to U.S. biofuel.

Brazilian authorities are debating whether to yield to Washington, D.C.’s request to lift ethanol-import duties as a way of facilitating talks for a bilateral trade deal with the U.S., two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. A broad trade accord would benefit many Brazilian products and may be announced by October.

Officials in Brazil’s Economy Ministry are willing to remove ethanol barriers while those from the more protectionist Agriculture Ministry are pushing to renew the current import quotas with zero tariffs, the people said, asking not to be identified because talks are private.

Two years ago, Brazil slapped a 20% tariff on U.S. ethanol shipments that exceed an annual quota of 600 million liters (158 million gallons) after American corn-ethanol imports surged, flooding the Brazilian market and pushing down prices.

A biofuel deal between the two nations would come as a relief for the U.S. ethanol industry, which has been beset by a supply glut and the weakest margins in more than 15 years. American producers had expanded rapidly to cater to fast-growing Chinese demand, only to be left without buyers amid President Donald Trump’s trade war with Beijing.

Indiana has the fifth-largest production capacity for fuel ethanol among states, according to 2018 numbers from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

A decision would have to be made by the end of this month, when the quota expires and a 20% duty on all imports would go back into effect, the people said. Brazil’s sugar-cane industry group Unica and the Economy and Agriculture ministries didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The administration of President Jair Bolsonaro would at least exclude some American ethanol shipments from the 20% tax in order to preserve relations given Brazil is striving to address other U.S. trade complaints, according to the people. In March, Brazil agreed to open a wheat import quota of 750,000 tons a year free of duty, a move U.S. Wheat Associates says could benefit American farmers.

In a worst-case scenario, the Economy Ministry would extend the 600 million-liter quota to gain more time to negotiate, the people said.

Brazil was the top destination for U.S. corn-ethanol shipments last year, with imports of more than 1.7 billion liters.

Read the original article: Brazil Considers Dropping Barriers to U.S. Ethanol

By Rep. Collin Peterson

Aug 12, 2019

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. – Following an announcement Friday evening from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the granting of 31 small refinery exemption waivers under the Renewable Fuel Standard, Congressman Collin C. Peterson issued a statement pointing to the capacity of the waivers to significantly undermine the RFS at a time when farmers need the certainty it creates.

“The Administration tried to bury bad news for rural America by quietly approving 31 more waivers this Friday afternoon that undermine the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the market for corn. On Wednesday, I hosted a packed forum at Farmfest with Secretary Perdue where farmers raised this issue again and again. Farmers are on the front lines of the tariff war and this announcement by the EPA will only make things worse.”

As a co-Chair of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus, Congressman Peterson has worked to stop the EPA from approving waivers to the RFS that have hurt ethanol producers and the farm economy. Congressman Peterson, Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and the co-chairs of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus introduced H.R. 3006, the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act of 2019, which would stop the EPA from recklessly granting waivers to oil refineries and undermining the market for ethanol.  

Biofuels International

Aug 6, 2019

Finnish airline Finnair has flown the first biofuel flight supported by its ‘Push for Change’ carbon reducing initiative.

On 5 August, a Finnair flight departing from San Francisco Airport to Helsinki in Finland was fuelled with a 12% biofuel blend. Another flight will depart on 7 August, with the total carbon dioxide emission from the two flights reduced by around 32 tons.

“The launch of our Push for Change initiative was an important step for Finnair in order to provide our customers with the opportunity to conveniently offset or decrease the emissions from their travel,” said Arja Suominen, senior vice-president of communications and corporate responsibility at Finnair. “We have been pleased with the early phases of the initiative so far and we are now excited to move forward and fly our two first biofuel flights supported entirely by the Push for Change contributions. We naturally hope that customers will be increasingly willing and interested in using the service in the future as well.”

The airline is working with partners SkyNRG and World Energy in San Francisco, while Shell Aviation provided logistics and supply chain support for the project. The biofuel is produced from used cooking oil in California.

Read the original story here : Finnair Flies First Biofuel-Powered Flight From San Francisco To Helsinki

Ethanol Producer Magazine

August 1, 2019

By Evan Almberg

Many ethanol plants are up to 15 years old, or older, and the subject of increasing production, efficiency and profitability is more prevalent than ever. With new, more efficient technologies coming to market for various processes within a biorefinery, the desire to debottleneck older equipment can drive maintenance and capital project decisions.

Producers must decide if they want to budget and plan to maintain, upgrade or scrap and replace with a new unit. When it comes to boilers and heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), maintenance cost and upgrade opportunities often dictate the conversation.

Tools for Making Data-Driven Decisions
Fully assessing the operation of a boiler or HRSG requires accounting for multiple factors including how a process change will affect related equipment, not just the direct system involved. Process operators and plant engineers can utilize the distributed control system (DCS) to perform on-the-fly performance checks confidently. Combining this with information located in the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) predicted performance data sheets, producers can estimate as-is performance while operating. Additionally, the data historian system provides the ability to trend data over time, providing long-term review capabilities of the boiler.

Where Modeling and Data are Key
While a control room data assessment can give a brief insight of as-is performance, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Boilers are often run differently than originally designed, making a direct comparison to the OEM predicted performance difficult. Additionally, a process change—such as dryer throughput or feedwater temperature—can greatly affect multiple aspects of the system that are not as easily quantified.

A thermal model can provide more accurate insight into the boiler performance and help fully assess the system. Modeling provides a digital representation of the boiler system, taking into consideration the physical geometries of the water and gas-side flow paths, along with OEM predicted performance values used to validate the model.

Taking it one step further, DCS and process information (PI) historian data can be reviewed and matched to the thermal model to provide an as-is representation of operation, ideal for plants that have been operating for multiple years or have changed components. Accurate data is important, so performing mass and energy balances about various sections of the boiler is needed to identify good and bad data, which leads to investigating and correcting miscalibrated instruments or DCS conversion algorithms.

Once developed, the model can be used to track degradation, identify under or overperforming sections of the boiler and simulate upgrade and process changes, as well as provide key insights into pressures, temperatures, flows and how they affect ancillary equipment.

Case Study: Process Upgrade Effects
A facility comprised of two identical firetube waste heat boilers, operating in parallel and sharing a common final steam separator, was investigated for a potential upstream process upgrade being performed elsewhere in the plant. Using HRST’s PerformancePro thermal modeling software, a thermal model was developed based on the OEM thermal and mechanical data sheets. Typical process conditions gathered from the PI data historian were used to replicate the existing boiler operation, creating an as-is representation of the system performance.

The process upgrade parameters were provided by the plant, including values for increased boiler feedwater (BFW) temperature, as well as flue gas temperatures and mass flow rates. Primary areas of concern were the American Society of Mechanical Engineers boiler design pressures and temperatures, stamped boiler capacity, safety relief valve pressure set points and relieving capacity, as well as the final steam separator capacity.

Upon modeling and subsequent analysis, it was determined that multiple shortfalls existed in the system when simulated under the process upgrade conditions, including:

• Metal temperatures exceeding the ASME design temperatures for the upstream tube sheet, tube inlets and, in some cases, the bulk tube temperature.

• Steam generation exceeding the boiler rated capacity and the safety valve relieving capacity.

• Combined (boiler one and two) steam flow exceeding the final steam separator capacity.

Additionally, it was determined that the pressure drop from the boiler to the main steam header would increase on the order of 2.25 times over existing, and the increased flue gas mass flow and temperature would increase the stack temperatures by 40 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit over the current baseline.

Solutions for meeting ASME code would require a capacity and design temperature rerate, whereas the final steam separator would only require upgraded internal equipment to meet capacity requirements. To rerate for higher temperatures, a condition assessment of all tubes and welds would be required to validate the component thickness for ASME code calculations. Plant personnel said abrasive particulates in the flow eroded tube inlets, causing plugging.

While a steam capacity rerate would be advantageous, discussion with plant personnel determined that the scope required to validate all tube and pressure part thicknesses would be costly and, because of the failure history, may only indicate that a temperature rerate would not be possible.

Because of those factors and the age of the boilers, the plant opted to continue use under existing conditions for the short term. Ultimately, the decision was made to replace each of the boilers with newer, higher-capacity units specifically designed for the upgrade parameters, with results of the thermal modeling assessment used as justification.?

Key Takeaways
When it comes to making long-term decisions about boiler operation or replacement, historical operating data trends and future operating conditions can provide helpful insight and, when combined with system modeling, create a useful tool to analyze the boiler as well as ancillary equipment.

Approaches such as this can help operators and plant management make data-driven decisions when facing the choices to maintain, upgrade or replace.

Author: Evan Almberg
Analysis Engineer
HRST Inc.
952.767.8154
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Read the original article: Performance Matters

Ethanol Producer Magazine

July 24, 2019

By Erin Voegele

The New York Department of Agriculture and Markets published a proposed rule July 24 to allow E15 sales within the state. The move will soon open the nation’s fourth largest gasoline market to sales of the fuel blend.

The rulemaking comes nearly a nine years after the U.S. EPA first issued a waiver allowing E15 to be used as fuel in certain vehicles and less than two months after the agency took action to allow E15 to be sold year-round. E15 can currently be used to fuel model year 2001 and newer vehicles.

The rulemaking marks the second effort New York has made to allow sales of E15. A proposed rule issued by the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets in August 2016 was withdrawn the following month. In a notice posted to the New York State Register Sept. 21, 2016, the department said the proposed rule was withdrawn because “several objections were received to the express terms of the proposed rule.”

The new proposed rule published by the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets aims to update the state’s fuel regulations to allow the sale of E15. A 60-day public comment period on the proposal opened July 24.

Chris Bliley, vice president of regulatory affairs at Growth Energy, has expressed confidence that the rulemaking could be finalized by the end of the year.

According to Bliley, Growth Energy has been engaged in the process to open the New York market to E15 for the past five years, working with government agencies, local consultants and New York-based ethanol producer Western New York Energy.

“We’ve had lots of good discussions with the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets,” Bliley said, noting the department held stakeholder meetings earlier this year that Growth Energy participated in. The trade group has also had discussions with other state agencies that had questions and wanted to better understand ethanol and E15, he said.

“It’s been a really long effort, but we are certainly pleased to see [the state] move forward with the proposed rulemaking, and now look forward to its adoption,” Bliley continued.

Bliley said the proposed rulemaking sends a strong signal to New York fuel retailers that they will soon be able to sell E15. The state represents the nation’s fourth largest gasoline market, with annual consumption of approximately 5.7 billion gallons of gasoline, he said. For E10, that volume of gasoline consumption translates into approximately 570 million gallons of ethanol demand. Bliley said that if the whole state moved to E15, that would represent demand for about another 285 million gallons of ethanol, roughly equivalent to 100 million bushels of additional corn.

While other states in the Northeast don’t have the same outright restrictions on E15 that New York does, New York’s action to allow E15 sales could help increase demand for the fuel within the region. “What we’ve certain in other states and locations is that once you have one or two marketers installing the fuel, it certainly puts competitive pressure on others in the area to start offering it as well,” Bliley said.

Moving forward, Bliley said Growth Energy will be filing comments in support of the proposed rule. “I know others will be weighing in with strong support as well,” he said, stressing that New York’s action to allow the fuel is exciting for Growth Energy.

A full copy of the proposed rule is available on New York State Register website.

Read the original article: New York Publishes Proposed Rule to Allow E15 Sales

Ethanol Producer Magazine

July 25, 2019

By Matt Thompson

The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association’s (MN Biofuels) 2019 First-Half Report was released to its members July 17, and the report highlights the organization’s push to grow the use of E15 in Minnesota, and the impacts the one-pound RVP waiver for the fuel has had on the state.

In a release, Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels said, “This year, as of May 31, E15 sales in Minnesota have hit 29.26 million gallons and with E15 now available throughout the summer, we have launched several promotional campaigns aimed at further increasing E15 consumption this year. Moreover, with E15 now available year-round, there will be new opportunities to increase the number of fuel retailers who offer E15 in Minnesota.” According to the report E15 is currently offered at 352 retail locations in Minnesota. Rudnicki added that Minnesota needs 660 stations offering the blend to make it drivers’ go-to fuel.

“With the RVP ban lifted, E15 can finally take off,” Rudnicki said. “But for that to happen, we have to continue to educate and engage with consumers on the benefits of using E15 and get more retailers onboard.”

And more retailers have started to jump onboard, Rudnicki said. “Since the ban was lifted, interest in E15 among independent retailers, especially those with multiple stations, have certainly increased. It was previously very difficult to convince some stations to take on a product they could only sell for 8.5 months a year,” he said.

In addition to focusing on E15 growth, the report highlights other initiatives undertaken during the first six months of the year. In terms of policy and advocacy, MN Biofuels worked with members of the state legislature and the governor’s office to expand the biofuel infrastructure partnership program. “While we made great strides in creating awareness about the need to increase the availability of E15 in Minnesota, funding for the initiative was constrained by lawmakers’ budget targets,” the report says. “Nonetheless, we will continue to work with agency heads and the governor to identify discretionary funds for this initiative.”

Rudnicki said MN Biofuels has data and evidence “that indicates a second BIP program could be one of the most cost-effective methods to boost E15 on the supply side. At the same time, organizations like MN Biofuels will continue to educate and promote E15 to consumers to boost demand. That's good for the farmer, economy, consumer and the environment,” Rudnicki said.

Looking ahead, the report says MN Biofuels plans to research proposals for a low carbon fuel standard. “Some environmental and biofuel stakeholders have already attempted to draft a model standard; however, a preliminary assessment indicates a host of questions about its effectiveness and implications for the ethanol industry in Minnesota have yet to be addressed,” the report says.

“There are a number of questions we have about proposed models and whether they actually recognize the evolving reality such as the growing number of hybrid vehicles and the role of mid-level blends of ethanol in helping to boost engine performance and cut greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector,” Rudnicki added.

Read the original article: Year-Round E15 Highlighted in MN Biofuels’ Mid-Year Report

Senator Chuck Grassley

July 23 2019

Press Release

Contrary to assertions by the EPA, the Energy Department confirmed in a letter to Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that the EPA has issued so-called “economic hardship” exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to small refineries, often owned by billion-dollar oil companies, even when the Energy Department found that the refineries faced little or no actual “hardship.”

In a response to an April 10 letter from Grassley, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry outlined the role of the Energy Department in the issuance of these waivers and indicated EPA has on at least one occasion issued an exemption when the department recommended no exemption and has ignored recommendations to grant only partial exemptions in other cases. Perry also indicated that the department has not changed how these analyses are applied or scored from the prior administration. Full text of Perry’s letter to Grassley is available HERE.

The number of small refinery waivers issued by EPA has skyrocketed the last two years.

In his April letter, Grassley specifically sought clarity on whether the Energy Department had changed its criteria or methodology of how it makes recommendations to EPA for small refinery exemptions. He also requested information about how many instances EPA granted the exemptions without recommendation from the department.

“This confirms what we’ve suspected and has been reported by news media,” Grassley said. “President Trump delivered on E15, but EPA has been undermining the president’s commitment to Iowa, the Midwest and rural America. I hope the White House puts an end to these handouts to Big Oil that hurt American farmers.”

Grassley is a leader in the fight to maintain a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). He led efforts to put pressure on the EPA to stop issuing “hardship waivers” to large, highly profitable oil companies as well as make the waiver process more transparent and highlight the importance of the RFS to President Trump and his administration.

Read the original press release: Energy Department Says EPA Issued RFS Exemptions Against DOE Advice