According to Reuters, the company's new game plan is in response to an uncertain ethanol market outlook, the Trump administration's continued issuance of RFS ethanol blending "hardship waivers" and an almost 20 pct drop in revenues from ethanol sales in 2019.
As previously noted, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing 75,000 bpd or less and suffered "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance. Under the now vanquished administrator Greg Pruitt's direction, the EPA handed out 54 exemptions over two years and not a single waiver request for an exemption was denied.
(Source: Green Plains, Successful Farming, Feb., 2020)Contact: Green Plains, Jim Stark, VP-IR, (402) 884-8700, www.gpreinc.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Green Plains Inc., DDGs, Ethanol, RFS,
The study also suggests the local economy might be able to avoid fallout from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's plan to achieve carbon neutrality, in part, by managing the decline of California's Kern-centric oil industry and Kern's previously recognized geologic underground carbon storage capacity.
The LNL report -- Getting to Neutral: Options for Negative Carbon Emissions in California -- also notes the entire effort would cost less than $10 billion per year, or less than .05 pct of the state's economic output.
According to the report, 84 megatons per year of CO2 emissions can be rerouted by creating biofuels from biomass and that carbon associated with such activities could then be buried.
Another 25 megatons per year could be avoided by restoring woodlands, grasslands and wetlands, among other land-management practices.
Additional savings could be pulled right out of the air using energy-intensive technology.
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Bakersfield.com,3 Feb., 2020) Contact: Lawrence Livermore National Lab, www.llnl.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Getting to Neutral: Options for Negative Carbon Emissions in California, Lawrence Livermore National Lab ,
NWABF's project would utilize forestry waste woody biomass to produce biofuel which would qualify under an approved carbon-reducing pathway recognized by ASTM. NWAF is currently carrying out a previously announced feasibility study to determine the potential for a production facility in Washington state. If constructed the Washington state plant would supply Delta's operations Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles by mid-2020.
NWABF is developing second-generation, commercial scale, cellulosic renewable bio jet fuel refineries with the first project being developed in the Pacific Northwest. (Source: Delta, Green Car Congress, 1 Feb., 2020) Contact: Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels LLC, 602-753-8386 www.nwabiofuels.com;
US Advanced Bio-Fuels, Inc., (301) 644-1395, www.advancedbiofuelsusa.info
More Low-Carbon Energy News US Advanced Bio-Fuels, Inc., Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels, Aviation Biofuel,
The Montreal Express, which operates in the St. Lawrence Coordinated Service 2 between Europe and Canada, B20 test run is intended "gain experience and information on the properties of the fuel in real-world use" and bring the company closer to meeting its climate-protection goals and reducing specific CO2 emissions by 50 pct compared to the reference year 2008.
Hapag-Lloyd AG is the world's fifth largest container carrier in terms of vessel capacity. (Source: Hapag-lloyd, PR, Bunkerspot, Fe., 2020) Contact: Hapag-Lloyd, www.hapag-lloyd.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News B20, Biofuel Blend, Biodiesel ,
NBB VP of Federal Affairs, Kurt Kovarik noted NBB is "grateful to the USDA for following through on a pledge to support infrastructure projects that facilitate higher biofuel blends.
"American consumers are increasingly demanding access to clean, low-carbon, advanced biofuels, like biodiesel. We look forward to working with the USDA to strengthen the market for higher blends of biodiesel," Kovarik added. (Spource, NBB, NAFB, 1 Feb., 2020) Contact: NBB, Kaleb Little, Dir. Communications, Kurt Kovarik, VP Federal Affairs, (800) 841-5849, www.biodiesel.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News National Biodiesel Board,
The court ruled the EPA cannot "extend” exemptions to any small refineries whose earlier, temporary exemptions had lapsed" as was the case in the three over ruled exemptions.
Geoff Cooper, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA)noted: "The Court has affirmed our long-held position that EPA's recent practices and policies regarding small refinery exemption extensions were completely unlawful. And while the decision addresses three specific exemptions, the statutory interpretation issues resolved by the court apply much more broadly."
As previously noted, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing 75,000 bpd or less and suffered "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance. Under the now vanquished administrator Greg Pruitt's direction, the EPA handed out 54 exemptions over two years and not a single request for an exemption was denied.
(Source: Various Media, Agri-Pulse, 28 Jan., 2020) Contact: Renewable Fuels Association, Geoff Cooper, (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, RFS, "Hardship" Waiver, Ethanol Blend,
The expansion of sustainable aviation fuel constitutes a strategic lever for reducing net CO2 emissions from air transport over a full lifecycle by up to 80 pct before blend, according to the release.
(Source: Safran Group, PR, NewsWire Today, 27 Jan., 2020)
Contact: Airbus, Matthieu Duvelleroy: +33 (0) 6 29 43 15 64 , matthieu.duvelleroy@airbus.com, www.airbus.com;
Air France, Morgane Le Gall, +33 (0) 6 14 30 44 52 , molegall@airfrance.fr;
Safran, Isabelle JAVARY, +33 (0) 1 40 60 82 20 , isabelle.javary@safrangroup.com, www.safrangroup.com;
SUEZ, Isabelle Herrier Naufle, +33 (0) 1 58 81 55 62 , isabelle.herrier.naufle@suez.com, www.suez.com;
Total, Media, +33 (0) 1 47 44 46 99 , presse@total.com.
More Low-Carbon Energy News Aviation Biofuel,
To that end, the company this spring will close its last coal-fired boiler and has replaced most of its coal-based production with biofuels. The company is also investigating the implementation of carbon capture systems to achieve a positive carbon footprint by 2040.
Fortum Oyi is also testing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in Oslo at its joint venture Fortum Oslo Varme. Both the Stockholm and Oslo projects are partnering with the Northern Lights initiative, which is studying carbon storage in the bedrock of the North Sea.
(Source: Stockholm Exergi, Recharge, 28 Jan., 2020) Contact: Stockholm Exergi, www.stockholmexergi.se; Fortum Oyi, www3.fortum.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS, Fortum, Carbon Negative, Carbon Emissions, Stockholm,
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit dated Jan. 24 came after a coalition of biofuel industry groups had challenged the 2016 exemptions for Holly Frontier's Woods Cross and Cheyenne refineries, as well as CVR Energy's Wynewood refinery.
The court ruled the EPA overstepped its authority and errored in granting the waivers because the refineries had not received exemptions in the previous year. The court said the RFS is worded in such a way that any exemption granted to a small refinery after 2010 must take the form of an "extension".
As previously noted, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing 75,000 bpd or less and suffered "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance. Under the now vanquished administrator Greg Pruitt's direction, the EPA handed out 54 exemptions over two years and not a single request for an exemption was denied. (Source
(Source: Successful Farming, Various Media, Reuters, 25 Jan., 2020)
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, Renewable Fuel Standard, "Hardship" Waiver,
Funded through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the three FOAs will be issued on behalf of the three transportation offices: Vehicle, Fuel Cells, and Bioenergy Technology Offices. Brief summaries of the FOAs follow:
The company's industrial site conversions will focus on re-developing these sites to produce renewable fuels and clean power, while also partnering with institutions with a track record of actively, and diligently remediating the environmental contamination of the sites, according to the company's website.
SG Preston's strategic goal is to develop 1.2 billion gallons of renewable biofuels to help major stakeholders in the transportation, aviation jet fuel and related industries meet their strategic goals, according to its website.
S.G. Preston earlier unveiled plans to buy the PES plant and to
...
(Source: SG Preston Website, Jan., 2020) Contact: SG Preston, Randy LeTang, CEO, (215) 278-6001, (215) 734-2401 – fax, www.sgpreston.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News SG Preston, Biofuel, Ethanol, Philadelphia Energy Solutions,
Previous analysis published by U.S. EPA, California Air Resources Board and Argonne National Laboratory have quantified the benefits of using biodiesel in place of fossil fuel because of its significant reduction in GHG emissions. With a quantified reduction in CO2 emissions between 50 and 86 pct lower than petroleum, biodiesel and renewable diesel are experiencing increased use under federal and state policies.
Download the U.S. Biofuel Production and Policy Implications for Land Use Changes in Malaysia and Indonesia study HERE. (Source: Purdue University,National Biodiesel Foundation, Jan., 2020} Contact: National Biodiesel Foundation, 573-635-3893,
573-635-7913 - fax, www.biodieselfoundation.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News National Biodiesel Foundation, Biodiesel,
Biobutanol can be used as a substitute of gasoline as a cleaner fuel. Europe and North America are two major markets for Biobutanol. Key players in the market that are producing Biobutanol includes: Arbor Biofuels, Butalco GmBH, Bioenergy International, Butamax advanced Biofuels LLC (DuPont/British Petroleum), Cobalt Biofuels, Gevo, GreenBiologics and others, according to the report.
Report details and PDF brochure is available HERE.
(Source: Transparency Market Research, PR, 21 Jan., 2020) Contact: Transparency Market Research, 866-552-3453 - (US-Canada Toll Free), rohit@transparencymarketresearch.com, www. transparencymarketresearch.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biobutanol,
As the EU's second largest biodiesel producer, more than half of all palm oil and derivatives imported into Italy in 2018 was used for biodiesel production. (Source: Italian Competition and Market Authority, Biofuels Int'l., 20 Jan. 2020)
Contact: Eni S.p.A., www.eni.com/en_IT/home.page
More Low-Carbon Energy News Palm Oil, Eni, Biodiesel, Green Diesel,
The airline plans to reach its goal through a combination of internal initiatives, collaboration with industry partners, carbon offsets and optimized fuel management. Etihad is also committed to sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) biofuelsand is supporting the development of sustainable jet fuel made from municipal waste in Abu Dhabi. (Source: Etihad Airways, Biofuels Int'l. 16 Jan., 2020) Contact: Etihad Airways, Tony Douglas, CEO, Groupwww.etihad.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Etihad Airways, SAF Fuel, Carbon Emissions, Aviation Emissions,
Through the new contracts, GEVO is aiming to reduce and eliminate the fossil footprint caused by running its biofuels production facility in Luverne, Minnesota. (Source: GEVO, Bioenergy Insight, Jan., 2020) Contact: GEVO, Patrick Gruber, CEO, 303-858-8358, pgruber@gevo.com, www.gevo.com; Agri-Energy, 507-283-9297, www.agrienergy.us
More Low-Carbon Energy News GEVO, Renewable Natural Gas, RNG,
This Request for Information (RFI) solicits information on options for fuel ethanol and biodiesel infrastructure, innovation, products, technology, and data derived from all HBIIP processes and/or science that drive economic growth, promote health, and increase public benefit.
Through this RFI, USDA seeks input from the public, including but not limited to: retail fueling stations, convenience stores, hypermarket fueling stations, fleet facilities, and similar entities with capital investments; equipment providers, equipment installers, certification entities and other stakeholder/manufacturers (both upstream and down); fuel distribution centers, including terminals and depots; and those performing innovative research, and/or developing enabling platforms and applications in manufacturing, energy production, and agriculture.
Access USDA RFI details HERE. (Source: USDA, 16 Jan., 2020)
More Low-Carbon Energy News USDA, Biofuel, Biofuel Infrastructure,
According to Bloomberg, the company is in discussions with multiple industry players on a deal that could see a sale or joint venture for ADM's ethanol dry mills. (Source: ADM, Bloomberg, NewsDakota, 13 Jan., 2020)Contact: ADM, Juan Luciano, Pres., CEO, (312) 634-8100, Collin Benson, VP Bioactives, Jackie Anderson, ADM Media, (217) 424-5413, www.adm.com[
More Low-Carbon Energy News ADM, Archer Daniels Midland, EthanolBiofuel,
The $39.1 million project is in collaboration with the Norwegian research and innovation organization SINTEF and is also thought to involve a German partner with considerable experience in producing aviation-jet biofuels.
(Source: Biokraft AS, Fish Farmer, 14 Jan., 2020) Contact: Biokraft, Havard Wollan, CEO, +47 948 22 290, www.biokraft.no; SINTEF, www.sintef.no
More Low-Carbon Energy News SINTEF, Aviation Biofuel, Biofuel, Biodiesel,
In its Jan. 10 reply, the GAO accepted the request as being within the scope of its authority and assigned Mark E. Gaffigan, managing director of Natural Resources and Environment to begin the investigation shortly.
"Granting more than 80 small refinery exemption waivers isn't just something this administration can sweep under the rug," Finkenauer said in a statement announcing the GAO investigation.
As previously noted, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing 75,000 bpd or less and suffered "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance. Under the now vanquished administrator Greg Pruitt's direction, the EPA handed out 54 exemptions over two years and not a single request for an exemption was denied.
(Source: Office of US Rep. Abby Finkenaur, 10 Jan., 2020) Contact: Office of US Rep. Abby Finkenaur , https://finkenauer.house.gov/sites/finkenauer.house.gov; U.S. Government Accountability Office, (202) 512-3000,
contact@gao.gov, www.gao.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuel Standard, "Hardship" Waiver,
"That further work means continued technology innovation. We have to keep finding and inventing solutions to the myriad of individual problems posed by the dual challenge. These different efforts -- both within and outside of our own research labs -- are all essential to moving us forward. They include the important renewables work being done with wind, solar and geothermal by so many around the world; they also include research focused on carbon capture technology and biofuels -- and everything in between. On ExxonMobil’s end, we are proud of our portfolio of innovative emission-lowering projects that have led to more than 10,000 patents in the last decade. Since 2000, we've spent $16.5 billion on this kind of R&D.
"Moving into 2020, we need to stay focused on several key themes related to solving the dual challenge: scale, speed, collaboration and training the next generation of scientists, engineers and other problem solvers. Scale is everything in our efforts. Reducing carbon emissions to fight climate change as we simultaneously deliver more and more energy to a growing world is a big job. And it's not just one job. As I said earlier this year, 'Not only are the sizes we are talking about so big they are sometimes unfathomable, but we must deploy solutions globally AND across countless end uses. It's not one equation with one unknown, but multiple equations with multiple unknowns.'
"As we work to solve for these multiple unknowns, we are pursuing projects big and small. What they share in common is the strict requirement that they must lead to a scalable solution. Energy is gigantic, from the infrastructure that supports it to the markets that drive its supply and demand. Any solution we find in the lab, however brilliant, must be ready to immediately scale.
"And it needs to happen quickly. As we know, scientific discovery is an ongoing endeavor -- you can't put a deadline on invention. But we can accelerate innovation. First, we can follow the example of parallel processing from computer science. In our labs, we don't wait for the basic science to be definitively 'concluded' (if it even can be). We start the engineering while we're still doing the science and iterate between the two. That requires collaboration between different types of researchers and innovators – between our corporate lab and government and academic labs, for example -- and that's the other way we speed up scalable solutions: with partnerships. Partnerships are a force multiplier. They are absolutely key when it comes to solving the dual challenge. When I look back on the past year, I am proud of the scope and variety of partnerships we undertook as a company. To name just a few:
(Source: ExxonMobil, PR, , 31 Dec., 2019) Contact: ExxonMobil,
Dr. Vijay Swarup, VP Research and Development , www.linkedin.com › dr-vijay-swarup-120a95159, (972) 444-1107, www.exxonmobil.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change, ExxonMobil, Vijay Swarup ,
The Aldersyde refinery, which produces renewable naphtha and diesel from wood biomass, is presently operating at roughly 100 lph to be increased to 200 litres per hour. The company notes
it is working with the Alberta Government to secure amendments to its operating permit to allow additional waste feedstocks to be utilized.
(Source: Cielo, PR, Biofuels Int'l, 9 Jan., 2020)Contact: Cielo Waste Solutions Corp., Don Allan, Pres., CEO, (403) 348-2972 Ext. 101, donallan@cielows.com, www.cielows.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cielo Waste Solutions, Biofuel, Waste-to-Fuel, Landfill Waste,
Harvestone Group, and its affiliated companies, is a global commodity merchant focused in the biofuels sector. By designing innovative service offerings and investing in strategic infrastructure, the company help build bridges and cement alliances between producers and end users, ultimately driving the supply chain to operate more efficiently, according to the company's website.
(Source: Harvestone, Biofuel Int. 8 Jan, 2019) Contact: Harvestone Group, www.harvestonegroup.com: Corn LP, Brady Hess, 515-825-3933, www.cornlp.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Corn, Corn Ethanol, Ethanol, Harvestone Group,
GoodFuels is a leading supplier of bio-based bunker fuel for the shipping sector, notably a wood-derived HFO substitute it calls "bio-fuel oil" which, as previously reported, has been used by Boskalis, Norden, CMA CGM, Wartsila and Ikea.
(Source: GoodFuels, FinCo, Maritime Exec., 6 Jan., 2019) Contact: GoodFuels, Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO, +31 88 021 5100, info@goodfuels.com, www.goodfuels.com;
FinCo Fuel Nederland, Pieter Peeters, CEO, +31 88 021 5100,
www.fincofuel.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Bunker Fuel, FinCo Fuel, GoodFuels,
In its appeal, Suncor, which received waivers for what were previously two refineries in Commerce City, Colorado, argued the agency's action was "arbitrary, capricious, and not otherwise in accordance with law." The EPA reportedly rejected Suncor's petition because the refineries no longer meet EPA's definition of a small refinery, which produces 75,000 bpd or less. Suncor previously received waivers for what were two small refineries, one that produced nearly 33,000 bpd and another at nearly 67,000 in 2018. The refineries were among the original facilities to receive waivers in 2006.
According to the company's website, since 2006, Suncor has been making a significant impact in Canada's emerging biofuels industry. Suncor is using revenues from oil sands development to invest in biofuels, particularly ethanol produced from corn. Ethanol is a cleaner burning, renewable resource. The ethanol production industry is expanding in Canada and the United States. New government regulations require that a percentage of ethanol be blended into fuels to reduce the environmental impacts of vehicle emissions. Suncor operates Canada's largest ethanol facility -- the St. Clair Ethanol Plant in the Sarnia-Lambton region of Ontario. (Source: Suncor Energy, DTN, 6 Jan., 2019) Contact: Suncor Energy USA, 303-793-8000, www.suncor.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Suncor Energy , RFS, "Hardship Waiver",
According to the DfT release, two of the projects are being funded under the government's £20 million Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition (F4C).
KEW Projects and Rika Biogas have been awarded a share of £6.5 million for the production of biofuel for trucks. The KEW project will also begin research on aviation biofuel.
Tow additional projects being funded under the £25 million Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Competition (ABDC) are in the final stages of development. This includes Nova Pangaea Technologies which will focus on the production of bio-ethanol from wood waste that can be blended with existing petrol used in road transport.
These latest investments build on the government's push to go further and faster to harness innovation, drive down emissions and improve air quality -- including through the ground-breaking Transport Decarbonisation Plan which will set out plans to end the UK's transport emissions by 2050, according to the DfT website. (Source: Gov. of UK, DfT Website, Jan., 2019)Contact: UK Department for Transport, www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport
More Low-Carbon Energy News Department for Transport, Biofuel,
Download the full Advanced Biofuel Payment Program
HERE (Source: USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA, 27 Dec., 2019) Contact: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Bette Brand, Admin., (202) 690-4730, 202-690-4737 - fax., www.rd.usda.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News USDA, RFS, Advanced Biofuel,
"IFB also urges USDA to move quickly on an infrastructure package to accommodate higher blend levels."
The Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) represents 75 pct of the state's farmers with membership of more than 386,291 and a voting membership of 79,159. Illinois is the nation's third-largest producer of ethanol with roughly 75 pct of it corn production being converted into ethanol.
(Source: Illinois Farm Bureau, 21 Dec., 2019) Contact: Illinois Farm Bureau , t Richard Guebert, Jr, Pres. www.ilfb.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, Biofuel, Ethanol Blend, USDA, US DOE, Renewable Volume Obligation ,
The Euglens's Yokohama facility has a production capacity of 125 kiloliters per year (33,000 gpy) of jet biofuel and ASTM certified biodiesel, increasing to 250,000 kiloliters (66,000 gpy) by 2025.
Euglena has partnered with aviation group ANA Holdings with the aim of fueling ANA commercial international flights as well as to offer bio jet fuel to other air carriers departing Japanese airports. ANA will support euglena to develop the airport infrastructure to supply aircraft. (Source: Euglena, Nikkei, 3 Nov., 2018) Contact: Euglena, Mitsuru Izumo, CEO, www.euglena.jp/en
More Low-Carbon Energy News Euglena.Microalgae, Al;gae Biodiesel, Jet Biofuel,
As outlined, RVOs will account for a portion of the 4 billion gallons of demand for biofuels eliminated over the past three years due to the rampant misappropriation of small refinery "financial hardship" sexemptions (SREs). Rather than determine relief using an actual three-year average of exempted gallons, the agency has instead used much lower values recommended by the DOE The former would have increased the amount of biofuels in the transportation sector by approximately 1.35 billion gpy, while the latter will increase it by just 770 million gpy.
National Farmers Union (NFU), a strong proponent of biofuels and the RFS, reports it was disappointed with EPA's proposal when it was first released and urged the agency to account for all 4 billion gallons worth of demand in the final rule. In a statement, NFU Vice President of Public Policy and Communications Rob Larew restated the organization's mounting frustration with the administration's destructive approach to biofuels policy.
The NFU NFU represents more then 200,000 family farmers, fishers and ranchers across the country, with formally organized divisions in 33 states.
(Source: National Farmers Union, Aberdeen News, 20 Dec., 2019) Contact: National Farmers Union, Roger Johnson, Pres., (202) 554-1600, www.nfu.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, EPA, National Farmers Union,
The new contract provides a trading and hedging instrument for commercial firms in the transportation fuels space participating in California's LCFS program. It is complemented by an LCFS options contract, also listing on January 24.
The new LCFS futures and options contracts allow firms to hedge their forward production and meet compliance obligations utilizing physical delivery of credits via the LCFS Reporting Tool and Credit Bank & Transfer System (LRT-CBTS) at expiration of the futures contract.
California's LCFS program aims to increase the use of biofuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. By offering credits for cleaner fuels, the state is diversifying the fuel pool and reducing petroleum dependency through a market-based mechanism. (Source: Nodal Exchange, PR, Yahoo Finance, 19 Dec., 2019)
Contact: Nodal Exchange, Paul Cusenza, Chairman and CEO, Nicole Ricard, Public Relations, (703) 962-9816, ricard@nodalexchange.com , www.nodalexchange.com; IncubEx ,
(312) 464-9801 (Chicago) , www.theincubex.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Low Carbon Fuel, Alternative Fuel, Biofuel,
Under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) oil refiners are required to blend some 15 billion gpy of corn-based ethanol into their gasoline, but small facilities can be exempted if compliance would hurt them financially.
The October proposal was intended to placate corn growers and compensate the biofuel industry for the administration's expanded use of refinery exemptions, but which the industry has largely panned as insufficient, according to Reuters. The EPA's October plan would raise the biofuels volumes that some refineries must blend in 2020 based on DOE recommendations for volumes that should be exempted.
As previously noted, "hardship waivers" were intended for refineries producing 75,000 bpd or less and suffered "disproportionate economic hardship" from the costs of RFS compliance. The waiver frees the refineries from an obligation to provide the EPA with biofuels credits proving compliance. (Source: Reuters, Various Media, 19 Dec., 2019)
For details see our Oct. 21 report as follows -- Proposed Volumes for 2020 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2021. The Trump administration EPA has issued the attached supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking seeking additional comment on the recently proposed rule to establish the cellulosic biofuel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel volumes for 2020 and the biomass-based diesel volume for 2021 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.
The notice does not change the proposed volumes for 2020 and 2021. Instead, it proposes and seeks comment on adjustments to the way that annual renewable fuel percentages are calculated. Annual renewable fuel percentage standards are used to calculate the number of gallons each obligated party is required to blend into their fuel or to otherwise obtain renewable identification numbers (RINs) to demonstrate compliance.
Specifically, the agency is seeking comment on projecting the volume of gasoline and diesel that will be exempt in 2020 due to small refinery exemptions based on a three-year average of the relief recommended by the BOE, including where DOE had recommended partial exemptions. The agency intends to grant partial exemptions in appropriate circumstances when adjudicating 2020 exemption petitions. The agency proposes to use this value to adjust the way it calculates renewable fuel percentages. The proposed adjustments would help ensure that the industry blends the final volumes of renewable fuel into the nation's fuel supply and that, in practice, the required volumes are not effectively reduced by future hardship exemptions for small refineries. Consistent with the statute, the supplemental notice seeks to balance the goal of the RFS of maximizing the use of renewables while following the law and sound process to provide relief to small refineries that demonstrate the need.
Download the Renewable Fuel Standard Program -- Proposed Volumes for 2020 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2021 HERE. Contact: EPA Renewable Fuel Standard, 800-385-6164, www.epa.gov/fuels-registration-reporting-and-compliance-help/forms/fuels-program-helpdesk
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, "Hardship" Waiver, Ethanol.Ethanol Blend, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Red Trail Energy,
A collaboration between the UK and Brazil has shown that waste sugar cane and wheat straw from agricultural processes can be made directly into valuable chemicals with an increase in value of 5000-fold.
The new breakthrough demonstrates that biofuels and high-value chemicals, such as chemicals used by the food industry and precursors for human therapeutic drugs, can be produced directly from waste biomass in a single 'one-pot' process. This added value offers the potential to make the economics of biofuel production from plant-based sources more viable. The new process has the potential to add value to the process of making biofuels from plants, particularly from sugarcane and wheat straw which are abundantly found in Brazil and the UK respectively.
The work is part of a UK-Brazil five-year program grant being funded by the Biotech & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and FAPESP in Brazil. The UK has awarded more than £2 million to the University of Manchester, The University of Warwick and UCL for the project. (Source: University of Manchester, PR, Dec., 2019)
Contact: Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Dr. Neil Dixon, www.mib.ac.uk; University of Manchester, www.manchester.ac.uk; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, www.bbsrc.ukri.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biomass, Biofuel,
Palm oil palm is part of the company's sustainability plan to largely use use jet biofuels to reduce carbon emission, according to the company release. To that end, the company has reportedly
signed forward purchase agreements for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) totaling roughly $6 billion.
(Source: AirAsia Group, PR, New Strait Times, 19 Dec., 2019) Contact: AirAsia,Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Founder & CEO, www.airasia.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News AirAsia Group, Palm Oil, Biofuel, Aviation Biofuel ,
The team used corn stover-derived molecules as the starting point for a range of potential fuel candidates. From here, the researchers relied on predictive models to determine which molecules would be best to blend with and improve traditional diesel. With the goal of developing drop-in biofuels that work with existing infrastructure. The intention is to blend the 4-butoxyheptane molecule into diesel fuel at a mixture of 20 - 30 pct Initial results suggest the potential to improve ignition quality, reduce sooting and improve fuel economy of the base diesel at these blend levels.
NREL is working with Yale University, Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory as part of the US DOE Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) initiative which is funded by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Bioenergy Technologies.
Performance-Advantaged Ether Diesel Bioblendstock Production by a Priori Design, the initiative's research paper was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (Source: NREL,PR, Dec., 2019) Contact: NREL,
Derek Vardon, Senior Research Engineer, (303) 384-7763, Derek.Vardon@nrel.gov, www.nrel.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
The sustainable aviation fuel to be sold to Delta is expected to be produced upon completion of an expansion to Gevo's existing advanced biofuel production facility in Luverne, Minn. and is expected to be available for use by Delta between 2022-2023.
(Source: GEVO, Yahoo Finance, 17 Dec., 2019)Contact: GEVO, Patrick Gruber, CEO, 303-858-8358, pgruber@gevo.com, www.gevo.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News GEVO, Delta, Aviation Biofuel, Jet Biofuel,
C-Green's OxyPower HTC process uses an innovative application of hydrothermal carbonisation, which converts complex organic compounds into sterile odourless biofuel. The pilot plant processes 16,000 tpy of bio-waste into fuels which is used in the mill and for heat in the town of Heinola, which has around 20,000 inhabitants.
Stora Enso develops and produces solutions based on wood and biomass for a range of industries and applications worldwide, leading in the bioeconomy and supporting our customers in meeting demand for renewable eco-friendly products, according to the company website. (Source: Stora Enso, Biofuels 13 Dec., 2019) Contact: C-Green Technologies, Erik Oden, CEO , +46 8 93 50 40, www.c-green.se; Stora Enso, Jari Suominen, +43-664-6183907, jari.suominen@stroaenso.com, www.storaenso.com
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This year, SUNY Cobleskill received $1.6 million in grant funding from the two government agencies to build and demonstrate a fully automated, portable rotary gasifier system that will produce 60 kilowatts of ppd from roughly 2 tpd of feedstock at a military base in the US.
Caribou Biofuels will work with SUNY Cobleskill, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Scaled Power and the Joint Bioenergy Institute to to develop the mobile biomass processing system. (Source: SUNY, Caribou Biofuels, Biofuels, 13 Dec., 2019) Contact: SUNY Cobleskill, Prof.David Waage, 518-255-5312, waagedj@cobleskill.edu, www.cobleskill.edu
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Chrysalix Technologies BioFlex process uses waste wood and agricultural by-products as well as sustainably grown biomass to produce bioplastics, biofuels, biomaterials and greener chemicals.
The process separates the different naturally occurring chemical components of wood, which are lignin, cellulose, and hemicelluloses. Once isolated individually, these components can then be used for a variety of applications such as as bio-chemicals, precursors for plastics or as new materials themselves
, according to the company website.
(Source: Chrysalix Technologies, Imperial College London, PR, 12 Dec., 2019) Contact: Imperial College London, www.imperial.ac.uk; Chrysalix Technologies, Twitter: @ChrysalixTech, info@chrysalixtechnologies.com, www.chrysalixtechnologies.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Imperial College London, , Biorefining,
The company is also noted it is considering increasing its biofuels output by 50 pct as it eyes what will be a new market in the shipping sector.
SK Chemicals can produce 500,000 kilolitres per year of biodiesel and biofuel oil, primarily from palm fatty acid distillate. (Source: SK Chemicals, Nasdaq, Reuters, 12 Dec., 2019) Contact: SK Chemicals, 02-2008-2008, 02-2008-2009 - fax., www.skchemicals.com
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1. The development of biobased products will vary widely by region on a worldwide basis, and national policy will continue to be a driver of emerging industries,
2. Conversion of waste streams to value added products is a trend that will continue,
3. The US will continue to be a leader in the use of biofuels, on a percentage basis,
4. The relatively recent communication of the environmental impact of spent plastic has caused a public awareness that now pushes the development of sustainable replacements,
5. The use and value of lignin will emerge this decade.
For additional detail, please request full text from ehorn@biorenewabledc.org at the Biorenewable Deployment Consortium.
Since 2006 , BDC has become a highly respected 501(c)(3) organization and has worked to bring together like-minded companies to share ideas and partner to deploy bio-processes that can be economic in the long run without government subsidy, by investigating new processes, being a resource, brokering partnerships, and holding two forums a year for its members, where leading edge information from various bio-companies is shared and tours are made of bio-facilities. BDC recognizes the need for low cost feedstock, cost effective measures such as integration of processes, high value products, and good management to achieve the economics needed for success. (Source: Biorenewable Deployment Consortium, PR, 9 Dec., 2019) Contact: Biorenewable Deployment Consortium , Eric Horn, Exec. Dir., ehorn@biorenewabledc.org, www.biorenewabledc.org
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Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. is a Swiss-Italian international shipping line operating in all major ports of the world. It is the world's second-largest shipping line in terms of container vessel capacity.
(Source: Mediterranean Shipping Company , Seatrade, 9 Dec., 2019) Contact: Mediterranean Shipping Company, Bud Darr, exec. VP, Policy & Government Affairs , +41227038888, info@msc.com, www.msc.com
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An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released last year found that many scenarios capable of reducing the threat of climate change relied heavily on bioenergy, predicting that energy from biomass could make up 26 pct of primary energy in 2050 -- up from 10 pct in 2020 -- and predicting that solar and wind combined would likely only account for 22 pct. Those scenarios often relied on significant use of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), which involves growing trees across a large area of land to produce wood pellets burned for energy, then capturing and sequestering the carbon emissions. In its analysis, though, the IPCC found significant challenges associated with a high reliance on bioenergy, noting in particular that the vast areas of land required to produce biomass for energy would compete with food production and other human needs.
The Global Change Biology assessment examine a flurry of recent reports that suggest even more problems with large-scale bioenergy projects reliant on large tracts of land, and also show that more cost-effective alternatives will be available in the coming decades. Pulling from these recent studies, the authors establish three reasons why large-scale bioenergy must and can peak and decline in the next 30 years:
The assessment comes at a time when the bioenergy industry is ramping up worldwide, with the EU in the lead. Bioenergy currently accounts for 10 pct of the world's energy, and 50 pct of our renewable energy. In the EU, bioenergy accounts for two-thirds of all renewable energy (nearly half from wood). Two-thirds of the EU's "20 pct Renewable Energy by 2020" target depends on bioenergy. And the bloc is also about to greenlight the conversion of five large coal plants to bioenergy plants that burn imported wood pellets from overseas forests.
Land-intensive electrical power projects in particular are picking up steam as governments and industry leaders seek to transform disused coal factories into new profit centers. Between 2006 and 2015, the production of wood pellets for biomass energy use quadrupled to 26 million tons. Worldwide, demand for globally traded wood pellets destined for use in phased-out coal plants or new dedicated bioenergy plants is expected to rise 250 pct by 2027.
The study lays out a bioenergy trajectory that policymakers can use to encourage sustainable bioenergy while also opening the door for new technologies to replace land-intensive bioenergy in the very near future. These recommendations include improved accounting of the actual carbon emissions associated with the use of biomass, favoring biomass from waste, residues or land management practices that enhance carbon storage, and providing incentives for energy storage, direct air capture technologies, and low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuels. Above all, the authors argue that bioenergy projects should be avoided if they involve natural forests, such as converting natural forests to bioenergy plantations, or use land best suited for food crops. And the authors caution that claims that bioenergy projects are a zero-carbon form of energy should be met with skepticism.
The Packard Foundation through 2020, will have awarded nearly $1 billion in grants to reduce carbon emissions, one of the its greatest program commitments in its 55-year history.
(Source: David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Dec., 2019) Contact: David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Walt Reid, Director Conservation and Science Program, Report Author, 650-948-7658, www.packard.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Bioenergy, CO2, CCS, Biofuels, Carbon Emissions,
To that end, the company plans to double the production of high-quality biofuels derived from vegetable oils (HVO) to 600,000 tpy in 2030, half of which will be derived from waste transformation before 2025. Repsol will also integrate renewable energy into refining operations, which will incorporate production of green hydrogen as well as the use of renewable energy to fuel industrial processes.
Repsol was the first company in the industry to support the Kyoto Protocol, and it is now intensifying its decarbonization ambitions with the aim of being a net- zero emissions company by 2050.
In addition, the company has pledged to work so that all the associations and initiatives in which it participates are in alignment with the targets derived from the Paris Agreement. (Source: Repsol, PR, RE Mag., 3 Dec., 2019) Contact: Repsol SA,
Josu Jon Imaz, CEO, (+34) 91 7538100 / 91 7538000, sacportal@repsol.com, www.repsol.com
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