USDA to Co-Host Paccific Northwest Wood-to-Biofuel Conference

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Eini Lowell, Research Forest Product Technologist, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, on March 31, 2014 at 2:00 PM

In conjunction with Washington State University Extension, USDA is co-hosting the Northwest Wood-Based Biofuels/Co-Products Conference in late April. The conference will be April 28-30, 2014 in Seattle, Wash.

The goal of the conference is to bring together the community of researchers, business leaders, government agencies, and economic development personnel to share and exchange research findings, ideas, and strategies for the common goal of sustainable development of wood-based bio-refineries for production of biofuels and co-products in the Pacific Northwest.

As Secretary Vilsack has noted, advanced biofuels are a key component of President Obama’s ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy to reduce the nation’s reliance on foreign oil and take control of America’s energy future.  Energy derived from woody biomass has enormous potential benefits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, developing clean, home-grown energy, and providing economic opportunities for rural America. Markets for woody biomass can also bolster forest restoration activities on both public and private lands, improving the ecological health of our forests and reducing the impacts of global climate change.

For more information, contact Vikram Yadama at 509-335-6261 or email: vyadama@wsu.edu

USDA Blog » Acting Under Secretary Discusses USDA’s Role in Building Support for Aviation Biofuels

USDA Blog » Acting Under Secretary Discusses USDA’s Role in Building Support for Aviation Biofuels

Military Spending on Biofuels Is Under Fire

The following is an excerpt from an article in 

The New York Times
Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Military Spending on Biofuels Is Under Fire

By DIANE CARDWELL

When the Navy put a Pacific fleet through maneuvers on a $12 million cocktail of biofuels this summer, it proved that warships could actually operate on diesel from algae or chicken fat.

“It works in the engines that we have, it works in the aircraft that we have, it works in the ships that we have,” said Ray Mabus, secretary of the Navy. “It is seamless.”

The still-experimental fuels are also expensive — about $27 a gallon for the fuel used in the demonstration, compared with about $3.50 a gallon for conventional military fuels.

And that has made them a flash point in a larger political battle over government financing for new energy technologies.

“You’re not the secretary of energy,” Representative Randy Forbes, a Republican from Virginia, told Mr. Mabus as he criticized the biofuels program at a hearing in February. “You’re the secretary of the Navy.”

The House, controlled by Republicans, has already approved measures that would all but kill Pentagon spending on purchasing or investing in biofuels. A committee in the Senate, led by Democrats, has voted to save the program. The fight will heat up again when Congress takes up the Defense Department’s budget again in the fall.

The naval demonstration — known as the Great Green Fleet — was part of a $510 million three-year, multiagency program to help the military develop alternatives to conventional fuel. It is a drop in the ocean of the Pentagon’s nearly $650 billion annual budget.

But with the Defense Department facing $259 billion in budget cuts over the next five years, some lawmakers argue that the military should not be spending millions on developing new fuel markets when it is buying less equipment and considering cutting salaries.

This phase of the military’s exploration of alternative fuels began under President George W. Bush and grew out of a task force that Donald Rumsfeld, then the secretary of defense, convened in 2006 to explore ways to reduce dependence on petroleum. If the military had less need to transport and protect fuel coming from the Middle East, the thinking went, the fighting forces could become more flexible and efficient, with fewer lives put at risk.

In addition to biofuels, early efforts included developing liquid fuels from coal and natural gas for the Air Force, the largest energy user of the armed services. But the gas and coal fuels would not meet cost or environmental requirements, officials said. The Defense Department focused on advanced biofuels, which are generally made from plant and animal feedstocks that don’t compete with food uses, which is a concern with common renewable fuels like the corn-based ethanol used in cars.

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

Wayne Puts Future Technology on Display at “Fuelling the Future” Showcase for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Press release:

09 August 2012

Wayne Puts Future Technology on Display at “Fuelling the Future” Showcase for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

 

Elevated Modern Fuelling Experience and Advanced Forecourt Technologies Highlight New Capabilities

AUSTIN, TEXAS—August 9, 2012—The new Wayne Helix™ fuel dispenserwas featured at the opening of BP’s “Fuelling the Future” showcase in London on Tuesday, July 17. The Fuelling the Future pavilions at the BP Hammersmith Flyover retail site focus on biofuels and will be open during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Helix fuel dispenser, designed and manufactured by Wayne, A GE Energy Business (NYSE: GE), provides an enhanced fuelling experience for the consumer. As the station of the future looks to combine contemporary fossil fuels with more biofuel alternatives, flexibility in fuelling technology will be a critical asset. Wayne developed the Helix fuel dispenser based on extensive research and feedback from distributors, retailers, technicians and motorists worldwide.

“Seeing BP’s cutting-edge biotechnology being dispensed through the Helix dispenser brought it all into reality as to how close the world is to having the fuelling experience redefined,” said VP Global Marketing and Strategic Accounts at Wayne Brad Schumacher. “In the next few years, we will see widespread adoption of these types of advanced fuels. With Helix dispensers being a truly global product, retailers and consumers alike will find the same options and feature sets for fuelling their vehicle anywhere in the world.” Helix dispensers are built on a global platform for worldwide design recognition and a consistent, reliable fuelling experience.

Accompanying Helix fuel dispenser technology at the showcase is theWayne Fusion™ forecourt system with integrated vehicle identification (VID). Through a sophisticated RFID tag, the dispensers are able to identify vehicles as they arrive at the station and make recommendations based on past fuelling history. Depending on the options deployed, this can range from simply recording data to making media recommendations and automatically processing payment transactions.

“Through this technology, customers will find a fuelling experience designed specifically for them. Retailers will be able to build stronger brand loyalty with consumers while helping to make payment transactions more seamless, secure and convenient,” said EMEA Fusion Product Manager at Wayne Tim Firkins.

Wayne will be displaying Helix fuel dispensers at Expo Postos & Conveniência in Rio de Janeiro, Automechanika in Frankfurt, and the NACS Show in Las Vegas in August, September and October respectively. To learn more about the benefits of Wayne Helix fuel dispensers, visitwww.waynehelix.com.

About Wayne, A GE Energy Business
Wayne is a component of GE’s (NYSE: GE) 2011 acquisition of Dresser, Inc. and is a global leader in the design, manufacturing and servicing of forecourt fuelling solutions where reliability and uptime are critical. Dispensers, payment platforms, control systems and technology from Wayne play an essential role in traditional and alternative fuelling sites around the world. Wayne is ISO14001 certified. http://www.wayne.com.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE Energy on Twitter @GE_Energy.

GE and the Olympics
GE is the exclusive provider of a wide range of innovative products and services that are integral to staging a successful Olympic Games. GE works closely with host countries, cities and organizing committees to provide infrastructure solutions for Olympic venues including power, lighting, water treatment and transportation. GE also supplies local hospitals with diagnostic imaging equipment and healthcare IT solutions like ultrasound, MRI and electronic medical record technologies to help doctors treat athletes. For more information, visit www.ge.com/olympicgames.

Press release:

RFS program not working needs overhaul

Bill Bush | 202.682.8114 | bushw@api.orgShareThis

WASHINGTON, August 8, 2012 – API Downstream Group Director Robert Greco told reporters this morning that the nation’s renewable fuel standard program isn’t working and needs to be revamped and better managed to ensure its long term viability:

    “The RFS program has been the most important mechanism for bringing biofuels into the nation’s energy mix. But it is being undermined by impractical requirements and bad agency decisions.

    “The biofuels volume requirements established by Congress will soon push concentrations above the safe E10 level. Volumes will grow from more than 13 billion gallons this year to 36 billion gallons in 2022.

If the RFS is fully implemented, it would raise the per gallon ethanol concentration in gasoline to an average exceeding 20 percent.

    “To increase the amount of biofuels blended in gasoline, EPA has approved the sale of E15 for a portion of the nation’s vehicle fleet. It approved E15, even though it knew or should have known of the existence of compatibility problems and even though it knew engine testing was ongoing.

    “EPA also has still not resolved the problem of fraudulent renewable fuel credits purchased by some refiners. EPA told refiners the bad credits were the companies’ problem and they’d have to purchase more RINs, potentially adding more costs to making gasoline. This is a problem the agency could have, and should have, fixed by now. Instead, the situation has introduced uncertainty in the RINs market and hurt some smaller biofuels producers.

    “Finally, EPA continues the bizarre requirement that refiners blend cellulosic ethanol into gasoline, even though no one is producing any for commercial use. Nevertheless, EPA has ruled that refiners must purchase credits for this non-existent fuel. Requiring refiners to pay for a fuel that doesn’t exist is regulatory absurdity. It drives up costs and does nothing to increase use of biofuels. It may even undermine public confidence in the RFS program itself.”

API represents more than 500 oil and natural gas companies, leaders of a technology-driven industry that supplies most of America’s energy, supports 9.2 million U.S. jobs and 7.7 percent of the U.S. economy, delivers more than $86 million a day in revenue to our government, and, since 2000, has invested more than $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives.

Report from USDA: Supporting Cutting-Edge Efforts to Reduce America's Reliance on Fossil Fuel

From USDA Energy blog:

Posted by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on April 13, 2012 at 10:37 AM

Cross posted from the White House blog:

Since taking office, President Obama has been committed to an all-of-the-above approach that expands production of American energy resources. Already, there are signs that this strategy is making an impact. Last year, domestic oil production reached the highest level in nearly a decade. Imports of foreign oil fell to the lowest level in 16 years. We’re producing more natural gas than at any time in our history. Since 2008, renewable energy generation from sources like wind, solar, and geothermal has nearly doubled. And the Obama Administration has supported the first nuclear power plant in thirty years.

Strengthening the domestic biofuels industry has been another critical component of this overall strategy. And today, U.S. biofuel production is at its highest level in history. In fact, average monthly production increased more than 40 percent between 2008 and 2011. That means more jobs – especially in rural America – and greater energy security.

At USDA, we continue to support cutting-edge efforts to reduce America’s reliance on fossil fuel. For example, earlier this month, USDA announced approval of a $5 million payment to Western Plains Energy, LLC to support the construction of a biogas anaerobic digester in Oakley, KS. The completed project will utilize waste energy resources from a local cattle feedlot to replace almost 90 percent of the fossil fuels currently used by Western Plains Energy. In Blairstown, Iowa, USDA funding will be used to construct a 55,000 square foot facility that will produce cellulosic ethanol by converting municipal solid waste and other industrial pulps into advanced biofuels, as well as using conventional renewable biofuel derived from seed corn waste.  When operational, the facility is expected to produce approximately 3.6 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year. Support for renewable energy projects such as these is an example of the many ways USDA is helping revitalize rural economies.

Last year, through the Rural Energy for America Program, USDA provided biomass project funding assistance for a total of 52 projects with just over $31 million in grant and loan note guarantees. This support helped to leverage a total of $154.5 million of biomass project development in 26 states which will help produce clean, renewable heat and power for farms and small businesses in rural America.

We’ve got to keep this momentum going. This week, the biofuels community filed a brief to intervene in an ongoing lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on how the EPA is setting goals for the implementation of the congressionally mandated Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS). These folks, largely from rural America, are standing up for a more secure energy future and a stronger economy – one that can create up to a million new jobs in the domestic biofuels and biobased industries.

While some may challenge the EPA on enforcement of the Renewable Fuels Standard, it is important to recognize that biofuels will be an increasingly important part of our nation’s energy portfolio in the years ahead. And when combined with other efforts to increase energy efficiency and promote advanced, clean energy technologies, we will move closer to achieving energy independence and build on the progress we’ve already made. In fact,we have already cut net oil imports by ten percent – or a million barrels a day – in the last year alone.

At the same time, we know that our economy will rely on oil for the foreseeable future. As we work to expand domestic oil production, we will also need to blend it with our domestically produced biofuels – whether cellulosic ethanol or drop in, biodiesel or aviation – and the sooner the better. After all, we can’t afford to wait on the issue of American energy security.

The Energy Behind Alternative Energy

Posted by Tanya Brown, Farm Service Agency, Public Affairs Specialist, on March 27, 2012 at 12:00 PM

The Biomass Crop Assistance Program, or BCAP, is still in its infancy, but its potential success has producers and businesses wanting more.

“We have people on a waiting list,” said Tim Wooldridge, Arkansas project manager with MFA Oil Biomass. MFA was selected by USDA to manage three of nine project areas in fiscal year 2011. Each project area was awarded federal funding to provide incentives to farmers to grow non-food crops that can be processed into biofuels. “Our initial target in the Arkansas project was 5,000 acres, which we surpassed in signing up 6,588 acres. We now have 1,500 acres on a waitlist. We could easily get another 6,000.”

Those 6,588 acres will be planted this spring with Miscanthus, a perennial grass that can be dried and compressed into fuel pellets. These pellets will work toward President Obama’s goal of increased energy independence by decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. The harvesting and processing of the grass will have an economic impact on communities by creating jobs.

This photo shows giant miscanthus (measuring seven feet tall). Photo courtesy of NRCS

“It has been a phenomenal success in Arkansas,” said Wooldridge. “I receive calls daily from farmers hoping that we expand.”

Scott Coye-Huhn, senior vice president of corporate development and chief legal officer of Aloterra Energy LLC, mirrors that sentiment. Aloterra Energy manages four project areas — three of which are through the MFA Oil Biomass partnership — in Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas and a portion of Pennsylvania.

Coye-Huhn said it took a lot of hard work and long hours to initially educate farmers about BCAP and how it will help the community. But once it took hold, producers jumped at the chance to participate.

“It has exceeded our expectations. We are surprised at the number of ideas and spin offs that [BCAP] has created. It is really exciting.”

Aloterra also has a waitlist, and together the two companies have hired more than 100 employees to plant Miscanthus on 18,000 acres in the four project areas. Aloterra and MFA Oil Biomass expect to grow each project area to 50,000 acres, which will produce 2.4 million tons of biomass per year.

“To put these initial 18,000 acres into oil and gas terms, they can produce a reserve of 10,000,000 barrels of liquid fuels.  At full maturity, these projects will be ten times larger and will have a real impact on our fuel supplies.”

According to Coye-Huhn, based on a third party projection, the BCAP project is expected to produce 3,600 new jobs in all four project areas, which will have a $200 million economic impact.

USDA is currently accepting applications for the next round of BCAP project areas. For more information, visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/bcap.

BCAP, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), is an important element of our national energy strategy to address high fuel prices and reduce reliance on petroleum. To create jobs in rural communities, drive economic growth, and help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, USDA is aggressively pursuing investments in renewable energy, investing in or making payments to over 5,700 renewable energy and energy efficiency improvement projects. More than 130 biodiesel and ethanol projects funded by USDA are currently producing almost 3.7 billion gallons of biodiesel and ethanol annually, enough fuel – in equivalence to gasoline – to keep five million vehicles on the road every year. In addition, USDA provided financial assistance for blender fuel pumps so drivers can pump fuels with higher ethanol mix into their gas tanks. This year, these programs provided financial assistance to help support nearly 250 blender fuel pumps.

DuPont Hosts a Global Collaboratory on Energy

DuPont News, March 22, 2012

DuPont Hosts a Global Collaboratory on Energy

(left to right) Adam Shaw, Eduardo Wanick, Felipe Faria, José Goldemberg and Marcos Jank.

By 2035, global demand for energy will increase by almost 40%, and already more than 1.5 billion people worldwide are without access to electricity.  Defining a future energy path was the focus of a recent debate in Sao Paulo with DuPont and key global partners, moderated by BBC World News host Adam Shaw.

In 2010, almost 45% of Brazil’s energy needs were supplied from renewable sources, which is considerably higher than the 13% globally.  In the next decade, demand for energy is expected to increase by about 60% in Brazil. 

“I cannot think of a better place to discuss and debate the global challenge of securing our energy future,” said Tom Connelly, executive vice president and chief innovation officer for DuPont.  “We have to work right now to gain grid parity for solar and wind power, and to make biofuels fully competitive with oil-based fuels globally, as is already the case in Brazil.  We must transform these energy sources from the margins to the mainstream.”

DuPont set the stage in Sao Paulo, bringing together a panel of distinguished experts – all of whom believe that working together, we can address one of the most important challenges our generation faces – a world that can adequately meet its energy needs now and in the future.  Panelists included:

• Eduardo Wanick, president for DuPont Latin America
• Marcos Jank, CEO for the Brazilian Sugarcane Association
• José Goldemberg, professor emeritus of the Sao Paulo University and former secretary of the environment
• Felipe Faria, Governmental & Institutional Relations, Green Building Council Brazil

“The tremendous opportunities around biofuels, photovoltaic and wind energy in Brazil motivate us to collaborate with customers and partners to develop innovative and sustainable market-driven solutions that will address important challenges of the present and the future,” said Eduardo Wanick, president for DuPont Latin America.

DuPont also marked its sponsorship of the upcoming second series of the BBC World News program Horizons, presented by award-winning BBC business journalist and tonight’s host, Adam Shaw.  This series of Horizons continues the journey across the globe in search of the ideas and businesses that may succeed over the next decade in tackling the planet’s biggest challenges.  The new season of Horizons will air on BBC World News, in more than 200 countries and territories around the world beginning on April 7.

For information on the program, visit http://www.horizonsbusiness.com, Facebook.com/horizonsTVseries and on Twitter at @horizonsbiz and @adamshaw_biz

DuPont Wins 2012 Sustainable Biofuels Award

DuPont News, March 16, 2012

DuPont Wins 2012 Sustainable Biofuels Award for Feedstock Innovation

DuPont has won the 2012 Sustainable Biofuels Award in the Sustainable Feedstock Innovation Category for its Stover Harvest Collection Project.  This is a comprehensive research and scale-up project for DuPont Industrial Biosciences that significantly advances the cellulosic ethanol industry toward commercialization and furthers DuPont’s efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

DuPont received the award at the World Biofuels Markets 2012 Congress, Europe’s largest conference and exhibition focused on biofuels.  The awards are designed to recognize innovation in the development of sustainable and renewable fuels.

“It is an honor to receive this award,” said Jim Collins, president of DuPont Industrial Biosciences.  “We recognize that a reliable, sustainable source of biomass is critical to the success of advanced biofuels.  Our collaborative approach involving growers, researchers, environmental organizations and government ensures we’ll be able to meet the needs of the evolving market sustainably while creating new opportunities for rural America.”

The Stover Harvest Collection Project is a highly collaborative endeavor, involving experts in the field of agronomy from DuPont’s Pioneer Hi-Bred business and Iowa State University working in conjunction with custom harvest equipment manufacturers and more than 50 local farmers.  The project provides key knowledge on the sustainable collection, transport and storage of corn stover for conversion to biofuel.  Going into its third year, the project is expanding its reach in 2012 with a goal of involving up to 150 farmers and collecting biomass that will be used in its planned biorefinery in Nevada, Iowa.

“We had thousands of nominations from around the world and across the entire biofuels value chain,” said Claire Poole, event director for Green Power Conferences, the organizer of the awards and conference.  “The winning companies demonstrated a layer of achievement and promise above their peers that bodes well for themselves as well as the industry.”

McCain sees another Solyndra in Navy biofuels spending - The Hill's DEFCON Hill

The Navy’s push to develop biofuels to run its fleet of planes and warships could devolve into a “Solyndra situation” for the Pentagon, a top Republican senator said today.

During Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, ranking member John McCain (R-Ariz.) compared the now-bankrupt solar energy company, into which the White House sank $535 million in loan guarantees, to Navy-led efforts in alternative energy.

For more, click the link below:

McCain sees another Solyndra in Navy biofuels spending - The Hill's DEFCON Hill

Recent & Current Research - 2008 DOE Algal Biofuels Workshop

TE Modeling 2008 Presentation 2