In the News
Jan 8, 2015
Gevo Inc, the world's only commercial producer of renewable isobutanol, today reported an update on the progress of the Side-by-Side operational mode (SBS) of its plant in Luverne, MN.
In June 2014, Gevo commenced the co-production of isobutanol and ethanol at Luverne, with one fermenter dedicated to isobutanol production and three fermenters dedicated to ethanol production. Gevo had articulated a goal of reaching isobutanol production levels of 50-100 thousand gallons per month by the end of 2014. In the month of December, Gevo produced over 50 thousand gallons of isobutanol, meeting the Company's stated goal.
Other key highlights since the last plant update provided in Gevo's third quarter earnings release include:
Implementation of a second-generation yeast isobutanol biocatalyst at Luverne that significantly improves plant operability.
Increased the isobutanol fermentation rate by approximately 20% versus the best performing batch using the first-generation yeast.
Can produce in operating conditions that enable further mitigation of potential infections, as well as the improved management of the iDGs animal feed co-product.
This second-generation yeast platform, which is a product of a new yeast modification capability developed by Gevo, speeds up the development and implementation of new traits in Gevo's yeast through high-speed combinatorial techniques.
NAPA Myers Auto Parts began selling off-road fuel developed by Gulf Racing Fuels containing blends of up to 16% of Gevo's renewable isobutanol in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Minnesota for use in boats, ATVs, motorcycles and snowmobiles.
"We are very pleased to have achieved our milestone of producing over 50 thousand gallons of isobutanol in a month, while continuing the co-production of ethanol. Since announcing in March 2014 that we would be switching Luverne over to SBS, we have consistently met our operational targets. I would like to thank the entire Gevo team for all of their hard work in continuing to prove out isobutanol production at a commercial scale. We are also extremely excited to have implemented our new yeast biocatalyst at Luverne. We believe that this yeast platform will enable even greater progress of our commercial isobutanol production," said Dr. Patrick Gruber, Gevo's CEO.
"The anticipated benefits of switching Luverne to SBS have borne out. Producing alcohol in all four fermenters improves the operating environment for the optimization of our isobutanol production by creating a continuous and stable mash flow and a more consistent recycle of water through the plant. SBS has also dramatically improved the cash flow profile of the plant. In fact, we estimate that the plant operated at roughly an EBITDA breakeven level in November. Overall, we believe that we have made tremendous progress in proving out our isobutanol technology for potential licensees," Gruber added.
"We are also very encouraged by the enthusiasm of the market to adopt Gulf Racing Fuels' gasoline blends with Gevo's renewable isobutanol for marine and off-road applications. These are ideal markets to demonstrate isobutanol's beneficial properties and set the stage for entry into the larger on-road market," he said.
Read more about Gevo here
Jan 6, 2015
By Robert White
Every week I hear from consumers with questions on ethanol and what it does to their fuel. Most don’t understand that the composition of gasoline, along with the refining process, has changed dramatically over the past two decades. They automatically assume that anything negative has to be caused by ethanol. Nearly all of them will admit that nothing has happened to them, but they have been told a story, or seen an advertisement that made them nervous. Many companies have jumped on this fear and the anti-ethanol movement. When Big Oil spends millions to denounce ethanol, it creates an opportunity to sell products to consumers they don’t truly need.
This year at Sturgis I found an “octane enhancer” bottle near our fueling position. RFA was again giving away free 93 octane E10 (10% ethanol) to riders. Our summer intern that was filling the tank said someone was through and was concerned the ethanol didn’t have enough octane, and added this product before he left. My curiosity got the best of me, and I had to know what the secret ingredient was for this product. The AMSOIL Dominator Octane Boost wasn’t trying to hide it; ingredients were listed on the back. The product is 60–100% #2 diesel. You can read the MSDS Sheet here. Let’s think about this for a second. This gentleman was trying ethanol-blended fuel, supposedly for the first time, and due to his fear, AMSOIL had convinced him to add #2 diesel to his motorcycle’s fuel tank? We didn’t see the man again, but I did wonder what he would blame if he had issues... the ethanol, the gasoline or the diesel?
Recently, I spotted someone promoting a new product on Twitter. This product, BG Ethanol Fuel System Drier, claims that it “defends engines against the water that accumulates in ethanol-blended fuel.” The supplier advertising on Twitter claimed it “goes in ethanol & absorbs moisture to prevent freezing.” When I pointed out the fact that is what ethanol does for gasoline, they quickly responded with an “awesome, thanks” and blocked me from seeing their future Tweets. But, my curiosity got the best of me again, and I went hunting for more information on this product. I easily found the MSDS Sheet and found that this product is 60–100% alcohol. So, again, the consumers that are concerned with the amount of ethanol (alcohol) in their fuel are being marketed by BG to add more alcohol? That this product will cure a problem that doesn’t exist, that ethanol has already remedied? Just to further my point, in just 5 minutes of research, I collected this list of products that contain over 60% alcohol that claim to fix an ethanol issue:
Evinrude 2-4 Fuel Conditioner
Formula X2
K100 Fuel Treatment
Consumers are faced with a barrage of information dailty, but one thing is consistent. They should all do their own research. I understand that convincing people to read an MSDS sheet is not ever going to be easy, but the label is a good start. RFA will continue its efforts to add more transparency to the marketing of the additive manufacturers. The best advice to give to consumers is for them to read their owner's manuals and follow the advice of the company that provides the warranty, and built the product. Not someone trying to sell you some snake oil.
Read the original story here : Read The Label!
Every week I hear from consumers with questions on ethanol and what it does to their fuel. Most don’t understand that the composition of gasoline, along with the refining process, has changed dramatically over the past two decades. They automatically assume that anything negative has to be caused by ethanol. Nearly all of them will admit that nothing has happened to them, but they have been told a story, or seen an advertisement that made them nervous. Many companies have jumped on this fear and the anti-ethanol movement. When Big Oil spends millions to denounce ethanol, it creates an opportunity to sell products to consumers they don’t truly need.
This year at Sturgis I found an “octane enhancer” bottle near our fueling position. RFA was again giving away free 93 octane E10 (10% ethanol) to riders. Our summer intern that was filling the tank said someone was through and was concerned the ethanol didn’t have enough octane, and added this product before he left. My curiosity got the best of me, and I had to know what the secret ingredient was for this product. The AMSOIL Dominator Octane Boost wasn’t trying to hide it; ingredients were listed on the back. The product is 60–100% #2 diesel. You can read the MSDS Sheet here. Let’s think about this for a second. This gentleman was trying ethanol-blended fuel, supposedly for the first time, and due to his fear, AMSOIL had convinced him to add #2 diesel to his motorcycle’s fuel tank? We didn’t see the man again, but I did wonder what he would blame if he had issues... the ethanol, the gasoline or the diesel?
Recently, I spotted someone promoting a new product on Twitter. This product, BG Ethanol Fuel System Drier, claims that it “defends engines against the water that accumulates in ethanol-blended fuel.” The supplier advertising on Twitter claimed it “goes in ethanol & absorbs moisture to prevent freezing.” When I pointed out the fact that is what ethanol does for gasoline, they quickly responded with an “awesome, thanks” and blocked me from seeing their future Tweets. But, my curiosity got the best of me again, and I went hunting for more information on this product. I easily found the MSDS Sheet and found that this product is 60–100% alcohol. So, again, the consumers that are concerned with the amount of ethanol (alcohol) in their fuel are being marketed by BG to add more alcohol? That this product will cure a problem that doesn’t exist, that ethanol has already remedied? Just to further my point, in just 5 minutes of research, I collected this list of products that contain over 60% alcohol that claim to fix an ethanol issue:
- See more at: http://www.ethanolrfa.org/exchange/entry/read-the-label/#sthash.tbYCsc3U.dpufDec 29, 2014
By Sussane Retka Schill
The U.S. ethanol industry is closing out 2014 with a bang, as the ethanol industry has set weekly production records in four of the last five weeks. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported another week of record-breaking production at 992,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) for the week ending Dec. 19.
U.S. ethanol producers have steadily been ramping up production in recent weeks. According to the EIA, production for the week ending Dec. 12 was 990,000 bbl/d, for the week ending Dec. 5, 988,000 bbl/d, and for the week ending Nov. 21, 982,000 bbl/d. Those production figures top the prior record set earlier this year on the week ending June 13 with its average of 972,000 bbl/d.
“The most recent weekly data indicates the industry was operating at an annualized rate of more than 15.2 billion gallons per year,” said Geoff Cooper, senior vice president of the Renewable Fuels Association. “2014 will be a record year for annual output, with approximately 14.31 billion gallons of production--that eclipses the previous record of 13.93 billion gallons in 2011.”
Ethanol stocks were holding steady in the last couple of weeks. The EIA reported stocks on hand for the week ending Dec. 19 at 17.6 million barrels, down slightly from the previous week’s ending stocks of 17.7 million barrels. The Dec. 19 ending stocks were up 15.7 percent from the number for the same week last year, which was 15.7 million barrels (the lowest stocks since 2009), and down 13.3 percent from the stocks in the same week two years ago, which numbered 20.3 million barrels. The all-out production levels of 2011 led to price-depressing ethanol stocks in 2012, the peak set in March 2012 at 22.58 million barrels.
Current stocks are not yet climbing, Cooper said, because “unprecedented ethanol consumption, particularly from the export market, is keeping ethanol stocks in check and ensuring a good supply-demand balance is maintained in the marketplace. Stocks are about 5 percent lower than they were in September, yet production is up about 9 percent since then. Domestic blending demand has picked up in recent weeks too, as ethanol input by U.S. refiners and blenders hit a 10-week high last week.”
In the Dec. 9 Short-Term Energy Outlook, EIA said ethanol production in November reached a monthly average record of 963,000 bbl/d, exceeding the previous record of 959,000 bbl/d set in December 2011. By the end of November, EIA expected ethanol production to average 931,000 bbl/d in 2014 and 948,000 bbl/d in 2015. With the first three weeks of December setting new records, those numbers are likely to ratchet up a bit more.
“The recent production levels should definitely put to rest any notion that the industry can’t produce enough ethanol to meet statutory RFS requirements for 2015 and beyond of 15 billion gallons,” Cooper added.
Read the original story here : US Ethanol Production Runs Full Bore, Sets Record As 2014 Ends
Dec 23, 2014
The Central MN Ethanol Co-op in Little Falls, Minn., has been purchased by Green Biologics Inc., which plans to convert the 21-million-gallon-per-year plant to produce renewable normal butanol, also known as n-butanol, and acetone.
The plant will continue to produce ethanol for the time being, with n-butanol and acetone production beginning in 2016. Its current management and employees will remain.
Green Biologics is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Green Biologics Limited, a UK-based industrial biotechnology and renewable chemicals company.
“We are extremely pleased with the successful closing and look forward to the leadership role that Green Biologics will play in bringing renewable chemicals to commercial reality,” Dana Persson, CEO of Central MN Ethanol Co-op, says in a written statement.
The acquisition was made through Central MN Renewables LLC, an affiliate of Green Biologics.
“This is a great opportunity to help Minnesota maintain its leadership position in renewables, and kick start a new renewable chemicals industry in the state,” Joel Stone, president of Green Biologics Inc. and Central MN Renewables, says in a statement. “We’re pleased with the local and state support from Minnesota, and we’re particularly enthusiastic about the incredibly positive energy from our new team of employees and managers at CMR. We’re also grateful to our corn growers and we look forward to producing clean, renewable chemicals from Minnesota corn.”
N-butanol is used in the production of high-value derivatives such as butyl acrylates, butyl glycol ethers, butyl acetate, amino resins and plasticizers.
Acetone is used in the production of several high-value products, particularly as a solvent in paints, coatings, adhesives, ink, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, electronics and laboratory chemicals.
Green Biologics Ltd., based in Abingdon, England, has a process that converts a wide range of sustainable feedstocks into green chemicals.
The ethanol plant, established in 1995, purchases about 7.5 million bushels of corn annually. It generates income from ethanol and ethanol co-products, including dried distillers grains, wet distillers grain, corn oil and syrup.
Read the original story here : Minn. Ethanol Plant Sold ; New Use Planned
The Central MN Ethanol Co-op in Little Falls, Minn., has been purchased by Green Biologics Inc., which plans to convert the 21-million-gallon-per-year plant to produce renewable normal butanol, also known as n-butanol, and acetone.
The plant will continue to produce ethanol for the time being, with n-butanol and acetone production beginning in 2016. Its current management and employees will remain.
Green Biologics is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Green Biologics Limited, a UK-based industrial biotechnology and renewable chemicals company.
“We are extremely pleased with the successful closing and look forward to the leadership role that Green Biologics will play in bringing renewable chemicals to commercial reality,” Dana Persson, CEO of Central MN Ethanol Co-op, says in a written statement.
The acquisition was made through Central MN Renewables LLC, an affiliate of Green Biologics.
“This is a great opportunity to help Minnesota maintain its leadership position in renewables, and kick start a new renewable chemicals industry in the state,” Joel Stone, president of Green Biologics Inc. and Central MN Renewables, says in a statement. “We’re pleased with the local and state support from Minnesota, and we’re particularly enthusiastic about the incredibly positive energy from our new team of employees and managers at CMR. We’re also grateful to our corn growers and we look forward to producing clean, renewable chemicals from Minnesota corn.”
N-butanol is used in the production of high-value derivatives such as butyl acrylates, butyl glycol ethers, butyl acetate, amino resins and plasticizers.
Acetone is used in the production of several high-value products, particularly as a solvent in paints, coatings, adhesives, ink, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, electronics and laboratory chemicals.
Green Biologics Ltd., based in Abingdon, England, has a process that converts a wide range of sustainable feedstocks into green chemicals.
The ethanol plant, established in 1995, purchases about 7.5 million bushels of corn annually. It generates income from ethanol and ethanol co-products, including dried distillers grains, wet distillers grain, corn oil and syrup.
- See more at: http://www.agweek.com/event/article/id/24691/#sthash.JO4KmxpR.dpufThe Central MN Ethanol Co-op in Little Falls, Minn., has been purchased by Green Biologics Inc., which plans to convert the 21-million-gallon-per-year plant to produce renewable normal butanol, also known as n-butanol, and acetone.
The plant will continue to produce ethanol for the time being, with n-butanol and acetone production beginning in 2016. Its current management and employees will remain.
Green Biologics is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Green Biologics Limited, a UK-based industrial biotechnology and renewable chemicals company.
“We are extremely pleased with the successful closing and look forward to the leadership role that Green Biologics will play in bringing renewable chemicals to commercial reality,” Dana Persson, CEO of Central MN Ethanol Co-op, says in a written statement.
The acquisition was made through Central MN Renewables LLC, an affiliate of Green Biologics.
“This is a great opportunity to help Minnesota maintain its leadership position in renewables, and kick start a new renewable chemicals industry in the state,” Joel Stone, president of Green Biologics Inc. and Central MN Renewables, says in a statement. “We’re pleased with the local and state support from Minnesota, and we’re particularly enthusiastic about the incredibly positive energy from our new team of employees and managers at CMR. We’re also grateful to our corn growers and we look forward to producing clean, renewable chemicals from Minnesota corn.”
N-butanol is used in the production of high-value derivatives such as butyl acrylates, butyl glycol ethers, butyl acetate, amino resins and plasticizers.
Acetone is used in the production of several high-value products, particularly as a solvent in paints, coatings, adhesives, ink, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, electronics and laboratory chemicals.
Green Biologics Ltd., based in Abingdon, England, has a process that converts a wide range of sustainable feedstocks into green chemicals.
The ethanol plant, established in 1995, purchases about 7.5 million bushels of corn annually. It generates income from ethanol and ethanol co-products, including dried distillers grains, wet distillers grain, corn oil and syrup.
- See more at: http://www.agweek.com/event/article/id/24691/#sthash.JO4KmxpR.dpufBy Sussane Retka Schill
Dec 19, 2014
An analysis of conventional and alternative vehicles and their air pollution-related public health impacts from researchers at the University of Minnesota got a swift debunking from the ethanol industry. The university researchers found electric vehicles could reduce the deaths from air pollution by 70 percent and concluded the use of corn ethanol or electricity from coal is worse than gasoline for public health.
The co-authors of the report, published in the Dec. 15 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, were Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering assistant professor Jason Hill and Chris Tessum, a researcher in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geo-Engineering.
The team look at how particulate matter (PM) and ground-level ozone change as a result of using various options for powering vehicles, and included not only tail-pipe emissions but a life-cycle analysis (LCA).
The Renewable Fuels Association released a three-page analysis that says the paper’s conclusions “…stand at odds with real-world data showing decreases in ozone and PM2.5 concentrations...” and that “Data from 222 EPA sensing sites show that ozone and PM2.5 concentrations have trended downward during the period in which the use of ethanol-blended gasoline has dramatically increased.”
The RFA response goes on to show that “On a full lifecycle basis, the study’s results are contradictory to the results from the Department of Energy’s latest GREET model” and that “There is a substantial body of evidence proving that ethanol reduces both exhaust hydrocarbons and CO emissions, and thus can help reduce the formation of ground-level ozone.”
The study’s reliability is also called into question as it omitted key factors when reaching conclusions on the environmental impact of gasoline and electric vehicles. RFA points out that the University of Minnesota conclusion “…excludes NOx and SOx emissions associated with crude oil extraction, a decision that grossly underrepresents the actual lifecycle emissions impacts of gasoline.” RFA concluded, “Omitting key emissions sources from the lifecycle assessment of EVs and crude oil inappropriately skews the paper’s results for the overall emissions impacts of these fuels and vehicles.”
The Minnesota Biofuels Association echoed RFA’s response. “While the U of M's report states that [ozone and particulate matter] increase with ethanol usage, data from the EPA suggests otherwise. According to the EPA, the amount of ozone in the air has decreased 18 percent from 2000 to 2013. In the Upper Midwest, ozone levels have fallen 11 percent during the same time period. Similarly, particulate matter has decreased 34 percent nationwide from 2000 to 2013. It is important to note that the drop in ozone and particulate matter coincide with the increase in ethanol blended gasoline.”
Growth Energy’s statement following the release of the report added to the critiques from another angle. “This report also fails to account for the numerous environmental benefits ethanol provides,” the Growth Energy statement said. “According to Argonne National Laboratory, ethanol reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by an average of 34 percent compared to gasoline, even when the highly controversial and disputed theory on indirect land use change (ILUC) is factored into the modeling ... Argonne has found that without ILUC included, ethanol reduces GHG emissions by 57 percent compared to gasoline.”
Read the original story here : Industry Debunks Minn. Report Shedding Bad Light On Corn Ethanol
Dec 19, 2014
The Urban Air Initiative is challenging the findings in a recent University of Minnesota study that claims ethanol is more polluting than gasoline, calling it an intellectually dishonest effort.
“These are baseless and quite frankly irresponsible conclusions that gasoline is cleaner than ethanol. The study utterly failed to consider a vast body of research by auto industry and health experts that conclusively show gasoline aromatic hydrocarbons are the primary source of the most dangerous urban pollutants,” said UAI President David VanderGriend. “The aromatics—which comprise 25 – 30 percent of U.S. gasoline—are responsible for a wide range of serious health effects, including autism, cancer, and heart disease.”
Ethanol is a source of clean, low carbon octane that is used in federal reformulated gasoline in major U.S. cities. Although it is not required, refiners choose ethanol for its clean burning properties and its ability to help them meet emission standards. Carbon monoxide exceedances have essentially been eliminated in the U.S. due to the presence of ethanol and ozone violations are at the lowest levels in history. According to the EPA, the amount of ozone in the air has decreased 18 percent from 2000 to 2013.
“Urban air pollution, and specifically summertime smog or ozone, is a mix of volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, particulates, NOx, and countless other factors. Gasoline itself is a toxic soup of chemicals but as we add ethanol we clean up that gasoline and protect public health,” said VanderGriend.
He noted that outdated models used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fail to recognize the value of higher blends of ethanol. Yet, UAI fuel testing confirms that higher blends of ethanol, such as a 30 percent blend, if made by simply adding ethanol to a base fuel already containing ethanol, would significantly lower vapor pressure and provide clean octane. Regardless of deficiencies in EPA modeling, the fact that ethanol is in all U.S. gasoline and ozone levels are decreasing speaks for itself, say UAI researchers.
“We continue to bring our data and real world experience with ethanol to the EPA and hope they can join us in challenging these types of studies that fail to do their homework," said VanderGriend.
Read the original story here : Urban Air Initiative Calls University of Minnesota Study On Ethanol Seriously Flawed
Dec 17, 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. — This Friday marks the seventh anniversary of the signing into law of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). The law expanded the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and set America on a path toward a cleaner, more energy-independent future. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) compiled a report that examines the impact of the RFS over the past seven years on the economy, job creation, agriculture, the environment, fuel prices, petroleum import dependence, and food prices.
EISA was approved in the Senate by a vote of 86–6 and passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 314–100. After gaining Congressional approval, the legislation was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Dec. 19, 2007. It greatly expanded the scope and range of the RFS by setting a timeline for increased amounts of renewable fuels to be blended into America’s fuel supply each year.
“The RFS was always intended to be a marathon and not a sprint. Results were never intended to come overnight, but over the past seven years America has reaped vast economic, environmental, and national security benefits due to the increased use of home-grown, renewable fuels,” noted Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association. “Today’s report overwhelmingly shows that the RFS has been an unmitigated success.”
Dinneen continued, “The only hiccup in the unprecedented success of the program is a consequence of EPA’s recent failure to implement the program as designed by Congress. As we blow out the candle on the RFS’ seventh birthday cake, we do so with a wish that EPA would quickly restore the RFS to a trajectory that will enable continued investment in advanced biofuels, drive the market beyond the blend wall, and provide consumers with meaningful options and savings at the pump.”
Among its findings, the report notes that “Renewable fuel production and consumption have grown dramatically. Dependence on petroleum—particularly imports—is down significantly. Greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector have fallen. The value of agricultural products is up appreciably. And communities across the country have benefited from the job creation, increased tax revenue, and heightened household income that stem from the construction and operation of a biorefinery.”
According to the analysis, since 2007:
The number of operational ethanol plants in the United States has nearly doubled, while annual ethanol production has more than doubled.
Advanced biofuel production has more than tripled.
Corn acres planted have fallen 3 percent, while corn yield per acre has jumped 15 percent. Meanwhile, corn prices have fallen 17 percent.
The size of the hypoxic “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico has shrunken by one-third, and deforestation in the Amazon has fallen by more than half.
Transportation-related GHG emissions are down 10 percent.
The share of U.S. crude oil demand satisfied by imports has fallen from 66 percent to 47 percent.
Oil imports from OPEC are down more than 40 percent.
The World Food Price Index is just 3 percent higher.
Spending on food has increased $469 per household, 7.6 percent higher than in 2007 and in line with typical inflation rates. Meanwhile, household spending on gasoline and motor oil is up nearly 10 percent.
The full report can be found here.
Read the original story here : The RFS Celebrates Seven Years Of Success
Dec 15, 2014
By Joanna Schroeder
The Minnesota biofuels industry has been evolving since its inception, which was discussed in Part 1 of this feature article. In this part, we look at how the industry is taking shape in Minnesota and what some of the most promising new technologies are on the horizon.
An interesting element of the biofuel industry is that while it is evolving on a national level, it has also evolved locally. Tim Rudnicki, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association, explains that states and regions have differing available resources as well as differing types and tons of biomass available.
“Biofuel producers in any particular region adapt to the availability of various resources including, for example, access to energy, water, transportation infrastructure and so on,” says Rudnicki. “The availability of these important resources helped to accelerate the evolution of the biofuel industry in Minnesota and is what has made, and will continue to make, Minnesota one of the leading states when it comes to the production of biofuels.”
It’s interesting to review what could be deemed the top improvements that the ethanol industry has adopted over the past few years. Randall Doyal, CEO of Al-Corn Clean Fuel, says that since the plant went online they have adapted their process and technology to reduce down time, increase throughput and increase yield.
Al-Corn was designed as a 10 million gallon per year plant, and today they are operating at 50 million gallons per year. “We have increased our fuel ethanol yield from two and a half gallons per bushel to over two point nine gallons per bushel,” says Doyal. “We have added CO2 recovery, distillers corn oil recovery, and focused on our distillers grains quality to add value to our ethanol production.”
So, what are the new best technologies coming down the pipeline? Rudnicki says the future is very exciting because it will involve many facets including the interface between biological processes and technology. He believes some of the processes to watch include technologies that will enable corn oil to be more efficiency extracted as well as the use of existing biomass.
From an ethanol plant perspective the next three to five years could bring big changes.
Doyal says the industry is waiting to see what will happen with the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The industry has reached the point where ethanol makes up 10 percent of the U.S. gasoline supply and the country needs to see growth in the use of biofuels. Doyal believes the industry will primarily grow through “inside the fence” expansion at existing facilities (for example adding cellulosic ethanol technology or biodiesel plant), and today several greenfield projects are beginning to take shape.
In terms of how consumer access will change, Rudnicki says the ethanol industry will make even more progress including enabling more access to consumers for mid-level and higher blends of ethanol and fueling options.
“It’s fantastic to have this production of ethanol and other biofuels, but those clean, renewable fuels must have access to the market. That’s what will finally help to displace finite fossil fuels and help all of us reduce carbon emissions,” says Rudnicki.
When it comes down to brass tax, the biofuels industry must be profitable. Doyal says ethanol plant operators need to focus on efficiency improvements to reduce their cost of operation and consumption of energy inputs. “They need to focus on making fermentation and starch utilization as optimum as possible, to get all the carbohydrate value out of the kernel,” he adds. “They need to focus on producing co-products with high quality and consistency. And they need to remain vigilant in their search for new technologies that will bring improvements, or new and more valuable products to offer to the market.”
The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association is also working with biofuels industry to ensure the industry remains competitive. Rudnicki says one of their key goals is to help lower artificial barriers biofuels face in entering new markets. He also notes that the Association is working with a wide range of stakeholders throughout the supply chain to give fuel retailers as well as consumers fuel choice at the pump.
In addition, Rudnicki highlights the important role state legislation has played in the industry’s growth. Minnesota has created public policies that not only support the production of biofuels but also call for greater use of biofuels. In closing, Rudnicki says, “Minnesota law aims to displace at least 30 percent of petroleum by 2025 with biofuels. That’s good for the economy, saves consumers money, creates greater energy independence and decreases greenhouse gas emissions.”
Read the original story here : The Evolution Of Minnesota's Biofuels Industry - Part 2
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Dec 13, 2014
By David Shaffer
After a decade of research, a little-known company based in Minnesota says it has developed a cheaper, more energy-efficient process to make biodiesel motor fuel from waste oils generated by commercial kitchens and the rendering industry.
Superior Process Technologies is a small research-and-development unit of privately held Baker Commodities, a large, family-owned renderer and waste grease recycler based in Vernon, Calif. Staffed by a handful of chemists and engineers, Superior Process has worked quietly in a small office and laboratory in northeast Minneapolis on a better way to refine grease, tallow and other waste oils into biodiesel.
Superior Process engineers Kirk Cobb and Joe Valdespino, whose innovations draw on decades of experience in the paper and oleochemical industries, now are working toward a big step: constructing a commercial-scale biodiesel refinery.
Baker Commodities plans next year to start building a 20-million-gallon-per-year biodiesel plant in Vernon, Calif., to recycle waste grease into fuel, said Doug Smith, general manager of Superior Process and assistant vice president for R&D at the parent company.
“Our process is superior to the traditional method,” said Valdespino in an interview at the company’s lab and office on NE. Broadway. “It saves energy. It increases yield. … It enables you to use cheaper feedstocks.”
The cheap feedstocks include used deep-fryer oils, rendered animal fats and the contents of grease traps in sewer lines. These waste products, often known as yellow or brown grease, are less expensive than soybean oil, the traditional raw material for biodiesel.
The challenge of converting waste into something useful appealed to Cobb and Valdespino. They met more than two decades ago while working as engineers for Union Camp Corp., a Savannah, Ga., paper company acquired in 1998 by a larger rival. The pine used in pulpmaking generated liquid rosin or tall oil, and the two engineers worked on ways to turn it into profitable products.
A different process
Minnesota, the nation’s No. 3 soybean producer, is home to other pioneers in the biodiesel industry, and has two large and one small biodiesel refineries owned by other companies. Under Minnesota law, the fuel is blended with petroleum-based diesel at rates of 5 or 10 percent.
Superior Process’ work on the biofuel has happened under the radar until now. Cobb first turned his attention to biodiesel in the early 2000s, joining Superior Process in 2004, moving to Minnesota a year later and hiring Valdespino in 2007.
Many of the nation’s 94 biodiesel plants don’t try to refine waste oils. Those that do typically rely on a pretreatment process — known as acid esterification — that uses sulfuric acid to remove free fatty acids that otherwise would interfere with the making of biodiesel.
“The traditional acid esterification process is really messy,” said Valdespino. “It is limited to very small free fatty acid impurities. It is very limited.”
The traditional process also causes water to contaminate another compound, methanol, used in the making of biodiesel. Cobb said the water then must be removed before processing oils into biodiesel, a step that takes more energy.
For years, Cobb and Valdespino have been working on a different process to address this challenge. It relies on heat and glycerin to modify free fatty acids into feedstock that can be refined into biodiesel. The process, called glycerolysis, is not new, and a version of it is employed by at least three U.S. biodiesel plants.
The Minnesota engineers say their process will refine the most challenging of waste oils. They added some proprietary features to the multistep biodiesel refining process, and have done all the engineering work to build a commercial-sized plant.
Challenging environment
The biodiesel industry has faced on-again, off-again federal tax incentives for the low-carbon biofuel. A $1-per-gallon tax credit for biodiesel expired last year. That has happened before, only to have the credit retroactively revived.
For now, at least, new plants like the one Superior Process wants to build won’t get the tax credit that helped earlier biodiesel start-ups.
Skepticism of the technology also can be a problem. In 2012, Cobb read an article in an industry journal declaring the traditional pretreatment process for waste oil more energy-efficient than the glycerolysis method championed by Superior Process.
Cobb pushed back with his own data, reporting that the opposite is true. Cobb said skeptics flagged on the fact that glycerolysis relies on higher temperatures, while ignoring how much energy is wasted to strip away water in the acid-based method.
“People misconstrue higher temperature with higher energy use,” Cobb said. “That is not the case.”
Cobb and Valdespino are excited that their ideas are headed toward commercial deployment.
The strategy, said Smith, is to get one plant up and running and showcase the technology. Then the company could go on to build other plants, or possibly license the technology to other companies, he said.
“It is going to be much lower cost; less than $2 per gallon,” Smith added.
Read the original story here : Biofuel Innovators Look For Breakout
Dec 12, 2014
By Joanna Schroder
The Minnesota ethanol industry is evolving even in the face of growth challenges including continued uncertainty around the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Since 2007 the industry has improved by leaps and bounds in terms of technological advancements, energy efficiency and sustainability.
“Minnesota ethanol producers are continually evolving with respect to the use of technology and processes to decrease the inputs of energy and water while increasing their output of ethanol and co-products such as DDGs and corn oil,” explains Tim Rudnicki, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.
According to a 2011 report from the Argonne National Laboratory, ethanol producers have cut water use in half within a 10-year period. In fact, Rudnicki notes that some producers are using less than two gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of ethanol. When comparing water use with the production of oil, depending on where the oil is extracted, oil production can require more than seven times that much water to produce one gallon of gas. Other ways ethanol producers are infusing sustainability within water use is by using storm water and treated municipal wastewater.
Specifically, the Al-Corn Clean Fuel ethanol plant has completely eliminated any process water discharge. Randall Doyal CEO of the Claremont, Minnesota-based plant says, “This cut our water consumption down to just over two gallons per gallon of ethanol. The water that is used is for cooling and is evaporated, so it returns to the atmosphere to recycle back as rain. We continually recover water in the process to reuse again and again.”
In other terms of sustainability, biofuels also offer a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). When using Argonne’s Wells to Wheels methodology, total lifecycle GHG reductions for corn-based ethanol equates to a 57 percent reduction in GHS emissions when compared to petroleum.
“Biofuel producers are decreasing their inputs, increasing the outputs and providing consumers with a lower carbon renewable fuel that helps to reduce GHG emissions,” says Rudnicki.
Energy efficiency is also an area that has seen great improvements over the past few years. Doyal highlights the ingenuity of the ethanol industry when developing solutions to improve aspects of production.
“The ethanol industry has always been made up of people who constantly challenge the norm and try to find better ways to do things,” Doyal explains. This is very evident in how much we have seen energy consumption drop over the years. Our plant in Claremont was constructed in 1996 and over our history we have reduced both our natural gas and electricity consumption by over a third. Our results are fairly consistent with the industry as a whole. We have added thermal oxidation to reduce emissions from our feed drying process, and have integrated that into our operations to gain greater efficiency.”
Doyal says his plant, like many others have added distillers’ corn oil recovery, adding a new and valuable product line to their list of co-products. His team continually reviews new technologies to determine if they can further enhance efficiencies or add a new co-product.
His plant makes use of the advances in enzyme technologies and his team is always trying to push their yield of ethanol per bushel. “All of these adaptations provide our industry with greater sustainability,” stresses Doyal. “Couple this with the vast improvements in corn farming technologies and you can see how great the gains actually are. Farmers in our area are accustomed to achieving 200 bushels per acre or more, with lower inputs and chemicals while using more sustainable farming techniques. The impact of farm equipment technology in reducing fuel consumption while also reducing seed, chemical and fertilizer inputs pushes the efficiency even higher.”
On Monday we’ll hear from Doyal and Rudnicki on the what the next five years might bring for renewable fuels in Minnesota.
Read the original story here : The Evolution Of Minnesota's Ethanol Industry
The United Nations climate change conference in Lima, Peru (COP 2014) should adopt policies to increase the use of biofuels like ethanol to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, said the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA).
It said in a statement Dec 9 that biofuels are one of the most commerically viable solutions to reducing GHG emissions in the transport sector.
GRFA said 25 percent to 30 percent of all global GHG emissions come from the transportation sector. As such, it said the ongoing COP 2014 conference in Lima should adopt policies that include the increased use of biofuels.
GRFA is an international federation that represents 60 percent of the world's renewable fuels production from 30 different countries.
"Nearly a third of global GHGs comes from the transportation sector, those GHGs need to be a priority if we are going to make a significant contribution to combating climate change. Biofuels must be an integral part of that fight," said Bliss Baker, spokesperson for GRFA.
The GRFA said biofuels like ethanol have been proven to reduce GHG emissions from 40 percent to 90 percent in comparison to fossil fuels.
GRFA said it had forecast global ethanol production in 2014 to reach 90.38 billion liters (23.87 billion gallons) and its use would reduce global GHG emissions by over 106 million metric tons. This in turn, it said, was the equivalent of removing over 21 million cars from the road annually.
"106 million (metric tons) is a substantial GHG savings, it's the same as removing the annual emissions from 14 average-size coal-fired power plants. However, as the IEA (International Energy Agency) has prescribed recently, more biofuels are needed to further reduce the emissions from the global transport sector," said Baker.
GRFA said the IEA's "Technology Roadmap : Biofuels for Transport" report states "by 2050, biofuels could provide 27 percent of total transport fuel" and the use of biofuels would provide one fifth of emission reductions in the transport sector.
"It's clear that today, biofuels like ethanol, are helping combat climate change but to reach their full potential requires enhanced biofuels-friendly policies. The outcome of COP 2014 must be the adoption of policies that increase biofuels use and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels," Baker added.
Dec 8, 2014
By Erin Voegele
On Dec. 8, the Chicago City Council Committee on Finance passed an ordinance that would require filling stations within the city to supply E15. The measure now moves to the full city council for a hearing on Dec. 10.
“I’m very pleased this ordinance has such strong support within the Council and across Chicago,” said cosponsor Alderman Anthony Beale in a statement. “I look forward to the full council vote, and to giving Chicagoans a cleaner, less expensive option.”
Supporters of the bill delivered a petition with 7,673 signatures to the Dec. 8 meeting. If passed by the full city council, the ordinance would build on Chicago’s history of passing environmentally friendly proposals.
“Chicago has time and again led the country in taking action to clean the air. The City banned leaded gasoline in 1984, and we banned a variety of toxic gasoline additives in 2000,” said Beale. “This ordinance continues that tradition of environmental leadership and stewardship.”
Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis has commended the finance committee for its action, calling the vote a win for consumers and the environment.
“Once again, Chicago displayed its leadership qualities and took an important step in helping clean up the air in Chicago by breaking up the near monopoly that oil companies have on the liquid fuels market. By advancing this ordinance, the Finance Committee has demonstrated that they are serious when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and toxic carcinogens in the air,” Buis said. “Furthermore, they have displayed their resolve to ensure that Chicago motorists and other consumers have market access to a sustainable, cleaner burning, less expensive homegrown fuel that supports 73,156 Illinois jobs and generates $4.7 billion for the state’s economy. By moving to E15, Chicago can help create an additional 12,000 Illinois jobs that can’t be outsourced.”
Ron Lamberty, senior vice president of the American Coalition for Ethanol also spoke out to applaud the finance committee vote. “The city of Chicago has always been a leader when it comes to fuel. It was the first city in the United States to ban lead in gasoline, the first to choose ethanol over MTBE in reformulated gas, and this ordinance would make Chicago the first major city to guarantee drivers the choice of a lower cost, higher octane, clean E15 fuel. It’s important to note that regular gas will still be available, drivers will simply gain the additional choice of E15,” he said. “We appreciate that the ordinance also includes reasonable exemptions for station owners. Only stations that are already equipped to handle E15 will be required to offer E15, meaning no added expense for the station and no added markup at the pump.”
Prior to the vote, Lamberty send a letter to members of the finance committee expressing his support for the ordinance. A full copy of that letter can be downloaded from the ACE website.
For additional information on the Chicago Clean with E15 Ordinance, see “Chicagoan Sets Her Sights on Clean Air,” in the December issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine.
Read the original story here : Chicago Finance Committee Passes E15 Ordinance
Dec 3, 2014
By Susanne Retka Schill
Novozymes has launched a new enzyme, trademarked Eversa, for the conversion of lower-grade oils, such as waste cooking oil or corn oil, into biodiesel meeting the same trade specifications as biodiesel created through traditional chemical processing.
“The flexibility of the enzymatic biodiesel process creates new opportunities for ethanol producers to optimize revenues from extracted corn oil by making biodiesel on site while also accepting waste greases from their local community,” said Frederik Mejby, Novozymes marketing director, grain processing. “The process can be easily bolted onto the back end of their existing facility with minimal additional CAPEX.”
Traditional chemical processing of biodiesel has been most suited for oils from soybeans, palm or rapeseed that typically contain less than 0.5 percent free fatty acids (FFA). Many existing biodiesel process designs have difficulty handling oils with higher FFA levels, even though those feedstocks are generally far more economical. “A small number of plants have been producing biodiesel from waste oils using existing technologies,” Mejby explained. “But this has not been cost-efficient until now, broadly speaking, as the waste oils have had to be refined before being processed using chemicals. We hope that our technology can unleash more of the potential in these lower-grade feedstocks.”
“The idea of enzymatic biodiesel is not new, but the costs involved have been too high for commercial viability,” Mejlby added. “Eversa changes this and enables biodiesel producers to finally work with waste oils and enjoy feedstock flexibility to avoid the pinch of volatile pricing.” Eversa works with a broad range of fatty materials as feedstock, but the initial focus has been on used cooking oil, DDGS corn oil and fatty acid distillates.
Other advantages for the enzymatic process include a lower energy requirement and the elimination of the chemical catalyst, sodium methoxide, one of the most hazardous chemicals in traditional biodiesel plants. “Switching to Eversa can lead to a safer working environment for plant operators. The enzymatic process does not use high pressure or high temperature,” Mejlby said. “And when it comes to the actual enzymes, their organic nature and mild process conditions do not generate toxic components as in some chemical biodiesel processes.”
For existing biodiesel producers, making the change from a chemical catalyst to the enzymatic process will require retrofitting. Novozymes’ engineering partners estimate that the resulting improved process economy indicates a payback time of three years or less, depending on the plant setup and feedstock savings potential in that region.
Marc Kellens, group technical director at biodiesel technology provider Desmet Ballestra said the enzymatic processing will likely prove popular with biodiesel producers. “The enzymatic process is simple and does not need much pretreatment. It is the best alternative for modifying existing plants to enable them to incorporate difficult-to-convert oils.”
Read the original story here : Novozymes Launches Enzyme For Biodiesel From Corn, Waste Oils
Dec 2, 2014
By Susanne Retka Schill
A new approach to driving down the carbon intensity of corn ethanol has received approval from the British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines. Three pathways from Trestle Energy LLC were given approved carbon intensities of 29.10, 29.68 and 35.66 grams CO2 equivalent per megajoule (CO2e/MJ). That compares with an average rating of 55 CO2e/MJ for the 15 Midwestern ethanol producers who have received carbon intensity ratings under British Columbia’s Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel Requirements Regulation. And, it favorably compares with the 33.31 CO2e/MJ carbon intensity rating given to Peruvian sugarcane-ethanol producer, Maple Biocombustibles.
“We think of ourselves as a bolt on option for virtually any ethanol plant in North America,” Trestle Energy president Jamie Rhodes told Ethanol Producer Magazine. “The approval from British Columbia is great because it validates the proposal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture sector that’s supplying feedstock.”
Rhodes explained that Trestle Energy has worked on the approach for several years, and demonstrated it in a partnership with a Midwestern ethanol plant. “We worked upstream in their supply chain and demonstrated our ability to drive down emissions and the interest in the agricultural sector to participate in that. It was very successful across the board,” he said.
The British Columbia approval clears the way for Trestle to begin selling its low-emissions biofuel in the province, and the company will now begin partnering with existing ethanol plants in Iowa, Minnesota and across the Midwest to ramp up production of its low-carbon biofuels.
Rhodes, who is based in California, declined to give details on the approach at this time, but did give a high-level overview. “We looked at lifecycle analysis for biofuels and it seemed liked there was a lot of leverage to be had in the agricultural sector. That’s where we focused our efforts in the last few years. How do we demonstrably drive down emissions there to affect the lifecycle? We developed a number of strategies that can be used in the agricultural sector and those emissions benefits flow down through the ethanol plants and to the ethanol product.”
The company has a pathway petition pending with the U.S. EPA and has applied with the California Air Resources Board for a carbon intensity rating under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Rhodes added that how Trestle Energy proceeds with commercialization may be affected by those regulatory decisions.
Read the original story here : Trestle Energy Gets Low Carbon Intensity Rating For Ethanol In BC
Nov 25, 2014
By Renewable Fuels America
The Feed Food Fairness Campaign, backed by members of the livestock and fast food industries, recently ran a one-sided advertisement in the popular Beltway publication “Politico” inaccurately blaming the renewable fuel standard (RFS) for rising food prices. Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, fired back with the following statement:
“Never before in the history of misleading advertising has so much bull been slung in defense of chickens, hamburgers, and even potatoes. The ad is replete with misinformation. One would have to be awfully creative, for example, to draw any connection between biofuels and potatoes!
“Apparently, the Feed Food Fairness campaign is not big on facts or transparency. Their ad conveniently leaves out the key fact that their numbers come from a 2012 study on commodity costs during the worst drought in 50 years.
“Simply put, the information is outdated and misleading. We are now well into 2014 and that drought has long since subsided. Farmers are harvesting the largest corn crop in history. Corn prices have plummeted with this record crop and yet as a recent RFA study demonstrates, food prices continue to rise. They should take an ad out to explain that!
“Numerous independent analyses have concluded the RFS does not drive food prices—energy does. As noted by the World Bank, ‘most of the food price increases are accounted for by crude oil prices.’
“The market has drastically changed since the drought in 2012 and yet the livestock and fast food industries’ talking points have remained the same. The Feed Food Fairness campaign advertisement does a disservice to consumers everywhere.”
Read the original story here : RFA : Feed Food Fairness Campaign Not Big On Transparency
Nov 24, 2014
By Nicholas Bergin
The biofuels industry is gearing up for a fight, a national industry spokesman said Monday.
Doug Durante, executive director of Bethesda, Maryland-based Clean Fuels Development Coalition, predicted lawsuits over the Environmental Protection Agency’s handling of quotas for renewable fuels and a hostile post-election U.S. Congress.
“The outgoing chair, Barbara Boxer, says global warming is the biggest threat facing mankind," Durante said of the California Democrat who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "The incoming chairman (James Inhofe, R-Okla.) says it is the greatest hoax that was perpetrated on mankind.”
Speaking at a Nebraska Ethanol Board meeting, Durante said several members of Congress are looking for a fight, including bills that would dismantle the United State’s renewable fuel standards.
“Our best bet is to pray for what Congress does best, which is nothing,” he said.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s struggle to set rules for mandating how much ethanol, biodiesel and cellulosic fuels get mixed into the nation's fuel supply only stoked the flames of discontent, he said.
Oil company lobbyists, who generally oppose the law that mandates replacing petroleum products with biofuels, are pressing Congress to dump the standards entirely, saying the EPA has bungled management of the program.
Already almost a year late in issuing rules, the EPA announced last week it would not finalize the 2014 mandates under the Renewable Fuel Standard this year. Instead it will set the final volume standards in 2015, and hopes at that time to get back on schedule to propose blending volumes for 2015 and 2016. Federal law requires the agency to finish up the requirements by Nov. 30 for the following year.
Nebraska is the No. 2 ethanol producing state in the nation, with 24 plants churning out 2 billion gallons a year. Nebraska Ethanol Board Administrator Todd Sneller has repeatedly called for the EPA to uphold strong renewable fuel volume requirements.
He said the proposed reductions in biofuel use impedes expansion of domestically produced renewable fuels that mitigate the harmful effects of petroleum on public health, the environment and the economy.
"Consumers deserve a wider variety of transportation fuel choices, including E15 and E85," Sneller said in a recent news release. "The RFS was intended to ensure choices are available to consumers. Oil companies have an obligation to meet these fuel standards.”
Nearly a year ago, the EPA proposed lowering the amount of advanced biofuels and renewable fuels, like corn ethanol and biodiesel, required to be mixed into the nation’s fuel supply for 2014 from just more than 18 billion gallons to about 15 billion gallons.
Durante said the biofuels industry needs to fight back against efforts to reduce mandates with lawsuits, if necessary.
Read the original story here : Ethanol Proponents Anticipating A Fight