Evie Sobczak is a freakin' rock star, and you want to know her. Why? Because what started out as Evie's 8th grade science fair project just won Intel's International Science and Engineering Fair. That's a big deal because, as Sobczak puts it, "It's, like, the biggest science fair ever!"
Evie's project is, in a nutshell, a chemical/catalyst-free process in which algae is processed into fuel-grade ethanol. In addition to collecting her algae stock from the type of blooms common in Florida (ensuring that no special processes or algae strains are required), Sobczak designed and engineered all of the equipment for her project herself, creating a totally chemical-free way to grow algae, extract the oil, and use it as biodiesel. Plus, her process produced as much as 20 percent more oil than current methods, which could make biofuels even cheaper (compared to gasoline) than they already are!
You can check out Evie's summary of her project, in her own words, below. Enjoy!
The staff of the California Air Resources Board (ARB) is holding a public meeting on 23 April in Sacramento to discuss regulatory concepts for establishing fuel requirements for alternative diesel fuels (ADF), including biodiesel, renewable diesel and other emerging diesel fuel substitutes.
ARB's goal is to conduct public meetings leading to the development of a regulatory proposal for consideration by the Board this fall. Staff anticipates the regulatory concepts would involve new alternative diesel fuel provisions, as well as amendments to the existing diesel fuel regulation to accommodate the new ADF requirements and to update outdated provisions. This effort is not directed at other existing transportation fuel programs, such as those for compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen,or electricity.
At the April meeting, ARB staff will discuss its biodiesel literature search, completed and on-going emissions research studies, as well as preliminary regulatory concepts for ADFs. ARB staff posted a white paper describing its initial regulatory concepts for an ADF regulation.
With the advent of the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), fuel suppliers will now look to expand their product slates to include more renewable and low carbon replacements for conventional gasoline and diesel. While more innovation may be anticipated in ensuing years of lower carbon and higher renewable fuel standards, there are already notable innovations today. Biodiesel, with its unique chemistry, has the potential to replace conventional petroleum diesel and can be considered an ADF. Likewise, other innovative diesel fuel replacements are entirely hydrocarbon based and may be used as blendstocks to produce commercial CARB petroleum diesel. The latter innovations include renewable diesel, gas to liquid (GTL) diesel and other synthetic diesels.
Some of these diesel fuel substitutes legally exist in commerce today and are controlled through industry consensus standards. Such fuels-related industry consensus standards seek mainly to address both vehicle performance and fuel production quality issues. By contrast, the multimedia impacts from the substitute diesel fuels are generally addressed by state or federal government agencies.
The ARB's current diesel fuel regulations are geared toward providing a pathway for certifying hydrocarbon-based variations on petroleum diesel formulations, but they are ill-suited to providing a market pathway for newer, innovative alternative diesel fuels that are now coming into California in limited quantities. Over the past several years, California Air Resources Board (CARB) staff has endeavored to solicit stakeholder input via meetings and public workshops regarding the need for new regulations to address this gap. Likewise, staff has conducted essential research to understand the air quality impacts of biodiesel and various other diesel fuel substitutes. Much of this information had previously been presented at prior workshops. Based on stakeholder information and conclusions drawn from research, staff has developed regulatory concepts described below for establishing certainty for innovative fuels providers by setting forth a reasonable, multi-option process for getting their fuels approved for sale by ARB.
-"Draft Regulation Concepts"
For purposes of this proposed rulemaking, ARB will consider B5 (5% biodiesel) blends a legal California diesel fuel with no emissions mitigation required. ARB is working with the University of California at Riverside to develop data to determine whether there are significant adverse air-related impacts from the use of B5 blends sufficient to warrant mitigation in the future.
Further, CARB staff suggests that it would be appropriate to allow the use of compliant hydrocarbon-based renewable diesel and synthetic diesels either as neat fuels, or as blendstocks in the production of conventional petroleum CARB diesel fuel. A CARB biodiesel/renewable diesel study showed that renewable and synthetic diesels have comparable or better emission characteristics as compared to conventional petroleum-based CARB diesel.
While over time, ARB staff intends to develop regulations to establish a list of CARB recognized ADFs, biodiesel will be the first fuel to be formally recognized. ARB staff is this proposing a conceptual outline for fuel quality, blending, labeling and record-keeping, as well as enforceability.
Among the changes, staff proposes to amend California code to include the "B20-ready" diesel specifications; to update the diesel certification program (including updated certification engine); and other minor updates and changes. Staff also proposes to amend the certification program to include specific health and toxicity tests that were previously only required when additives were used. Additionally, staff proposes to add a cap limit of 28% by mass, aromatic hydrocarbon content.
Sapphire Energy has built the world's first large-scale farm to grow algae and produce crude oil. If all goes according to plan, commercial production of perhaps 10,000 barrels a day will begin in 2018. Algae have major potential, even the U.S. military is looking into algae as fuel source. Algae grow fast, do not need food, and build up oil in their cells after being exposed to sunlight and CO2. Algae is grown is salty ponds, so algae farms can be built on land where not much else will grow - thus the land is readily available and inexpensive. Into each pond go genetically engineered single-celled algae that mature in five days. The mature algae is then taken from the pond and put through a thermo-chemical "wet extraction" process that separates the oil.
Sapphire Energy has spent $60 million on 70 algae ponds that are each the size of a football field and a refinery for oil separation. The site sits on 2,200 acres of land in Columbus New Mexico. Oil refining began in the summer of 2012 and the first barrels of oil have aired hit the market.
Sapphire Energy's chief executive is Cynthia Warner. Ms. Warner's previous job - head of global refining at oil giant BP. To date Sapphire Energy has raised about $300 million to fund their operation.
So what is the problem; why is algae oil not a mainstream product? Simply put, it is expensive to make. Reports say it costs around $5,000 to produce 1 ton of algae. If there is 30% oil embedded in that ton, then that converts into around $50 per gallon of oil. And that is before extraction and conversion. Additionally, the energy needed to produce the oil from the algae costs more than the algae would put out.
Yes production costs are a problem. However, that does not mean that there is not potential in this new form of green oil production. Sapphire Energy plans for commercial production of 10,000 barrels of oil from algae a day beginning in 2018.
Source: money.cnn.com Andrew Meggison was born in the state of Maine and educated in Massachusetts. Andrew earned a Bachelor's Degree in Government and International Relations from Clark University and a Master's Degree in Political Science from Northeastern University. Being an Eagle Scout, Andrew has a passion for all things environmental. In his free time Andrew enjoys writing, exploring the great outdoors, a good film, and a creative cocktail. You can follow Andrew on Twitter @AndrewMeggison
The post Oil From Algae: The Goal 10,000 Barrels A Day By 2018 appeared first on Gas 2.
A non-profit dedicated to developing practices for sustainability in the U.S. biodiesel industry. The SBA focuses on the Environmental, Social and Economic sustainability issues facing biodiesel. Together with stakeholders nationwide the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance has pledged to develop guidelines and tools for the industry, and biodiesel users of today. The SBA believes the key to the sustainability of biodiesl in the U.S. is the local model. Local feedstocks, local production and localized distribution of sustainably produced fuels meets and community's energy needs, creates jobs, community involvement and energy security.
A non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting biodiesel in California. CBA was founded in 2006 by California biodiesel pioneers and industry leaders and represents the biodiesel industry in government relations in California and Washington, D.C. We believe that biodiesel can be a significant contributor to improving local air quality, reducing California’s dependence on foreign oil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
A worker owned cooperative based in San Francisco, California, is dedicated to providing communities with the highest quality ASTM certified biodiesel. Our goal is to increase access to sustainably produced biodiesel for transportation purposes. We do not use or sell any petroleum diesel. Instead we seek to provide the most economical, ecological, high quality biodiesel on the market today.
BDI - BioDiesel International provides solutions for the industrial utilisation of renewable resources.
The core-competences are technologies for the production of high-quality BioDiesel. from different types of feedstock; surpassing the strictest product standards; environmental friendly; with the best cost-value ratio.
It seems a biodiesel advocate has been arrested for siphoning 300 gallons of grease from a Burger King in Morgan Hill, CA. Among the charges is 'Illegal transportation of inedible kitchen grease'. This is a bit curious and clearly there are a lot of biodiesel advocates who are going around collecting used fryer oil from restaurants. Though: "He certainly had been to other places in the area," said Morgan Hill police Cmdr. David Swing. "Our guess is its a bio-diesel fuel thing..."
19310. (a) It is unlawful for any person or entity to engage in the transportation of inedible kitchen grease without being registered with the department and without being in possession of a valid registration certificate issued by the department.
19310.5. It is unlawful for any person who is not a registered transporter of inedible kitchen grease to transport that product from
any place within this state to any place outside the borders of this state.
19310.7. Any person registered as a transporter of inedible kitchen grease may deliver any inedible kitchen grease to a licensed renderer or collection center for processing or recycling into usable products. As used in this section, "usable products" includes, but is not limited to, biofuels, lubricants, and animal feed, provided the uses for animal feed are permitted by the rules and regulations adopted by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
...
There is a law waiting to be signed in California which would modify the requirements for the above license. In Help reduce WVO costs it is said the fee for the above license was increased from $175 to $400. This places the license beyond the reach of an individual collecting used cooking oil on their own. Waste derived biodiesel is a petition to Gov Schwarzenegger to sign the law.
Is this law being used to improve public safety? That is, perhaps there is a danger to public safety when transporting this cooking grease? Or was the law enacted to protect the entrenched industry of "waste" oil recycling.
It's a fact that a lot of vegetable oil is being produced and used in cooking all around the world. So I'm curious what happens to that oil after it's used in cooking? It is possible for the oil to be cleaned and reused, however as a former employee in fast food I know from personal experience the cost of doing so and how that process can only be done so many times. It would be possible for a processing company to make other products out of the oil. For example it's known vegetable oil contains glycerin, and it's well known you can make diesel fuel out of "waste" oil.
"The tropical rainforest tree Copaifera langsdorffii is known as the diesel tree and kerosene tree....It produces a large amount of terpene hydrocarbons in its wood and leaves. One tree can produce 30 to 40 liters of hydrocarbons per year...."
A biodiesel production and delivery service in Northern California. They sell and deliver fuel, do fleet conversions, and sell related fueling equipment.
VW is getting ready to collaborate with Phoenix Motorcars to build EV's in Mexico. VW has operations in Mexico which among other things build the old-style VW Bug for sale in Latin America. The old-style Bug cannot be imported to the U.S. because of emissions standards. "The plant for the venture, called Pristine International, will be built in Puebla, Mexico. It is unclear what kind of vehicles these cars will be."
A few years ago I attended a ZAP shareholders meeting at which they discussed a plan for ZAP to work with VW of Mexico. They would import gliders (engineless cars) from Mexico (made by VW) and convert them to electric drive. The thinking was that with the "New Beetle" there would be a resurgence of nostalgia for the old Beetle, and an electric Beetle would add another level of saleability. Obviously Zap never consumated the agreement, however in Zap's used car sales division they've long had one or two Beetles which had NEV characteristics. (25 miles/hr max) Since the Beetle is a four-wheeler it has to meet DOT crash safety standards but by keeping it an NEV they could sell it without going through crash testing. ZAP since started selling the Xebra under the same business model.
It's unclear from the linked article just exactly what the agreement is. However Phoenix Motorcars has expertise with LI-ION batteries and therefore can bring to market a more appealing car. They also have to have been doing crash testing on the SUV they've designed.
"A genetics company and a biodiesel refiner have formed a joint venture to see if they can cut the cost of biodiesel." These two companies obviously hope to create more together than they might otherwise. "Targeted Growth has created a version of camelina, a distant relative of canola, with seeds that produce about 20 percent more oil than seeds from conventional plants."
This is an interesting take on genetic engineering and agribusiness. Genetic engineering of food crops is causing a lot of concern about what that can mean to our food. Essentially, is our food still safe and what are the unseen unexpected side effects that will no doubt arise from genetically engineering food? I say it that way because it seems always to be the case that new developments carry with them unforeseen side effects that are less than desirable.
Genetic engineering of non-food crops may be beneficial. It ought to improve efficiency of growing these crops just as it has improved efficiency of growing food crops. However it's been observed that genetic material from these engineered crops has a way of migrating from the intended plants to other nearby plants. The pollenation process happens regardless of laws or contracts because the plants don't know a thing about any legal the farmer has signed.
The article makes it clear that Targeted Growth is requiring participating farmers to sign a license agreement that they sell their crops to Green Earth Fuels. "These farmers, in turn, will sell their output to Green Earth. Green Earth has a 90 million-gallon-a-year plant in Houston and has plans to build similar plants in the Northeastern U.S. and California....By controlling the quality and supplies of its feedstocks, Sustainable Oil, ideally, will have a more predictable and lower cost of operation. Rising prices of soybean and other agricultural oils have been cutting into the profits of biodiesel refiners."
A producer of biodiesel derived from plants. They began with soy based feedstock but appear to be transitioning to non-food crops. "Targeted Growth has expanded its crop platform to include major dicot and monocot crops....Targeted Growth’s scientific program focuses on increasing yield in commercial crops through enhanced growth and cell cylce regulation. Additionally, the company has active programs for improving the suitability of select energy crops for use as fuels by improving sugar, starch and oil profiles as well as characteristics of cell wall formation. Initial tests in Arabidopsis were succesful both in the lab and in field trials. " They list Camelina, Canola, Corn, Sorghum and Soybean as feedstocks.
Green Earth Fuels abides by a vertically integrated business model representing end-to-end production of environmentally clean biodiesel.
We operate production and distribution sites that are independently located within petrochemical infrastructures in key U.S. coastal locations, allowing for more efficient integration of biofuels with existing diesel or petroleum blends, and avoiding the need for changes in petrochemical infrastructure and distribution systems.
Their production is crop-based but from non-food feedstocks grown on marginal lands. Camelina.
'Real' alternative fuels must be pushed quickly: "ISSUE: Higher gasoline prices OUR VIEW: Americans ready for alternative to simply driving less With gas prices heading for $4 a gallon, will consumers make changes in their habits or bite the bullet and pay more and more? Opinion Research Corp. survey results suggest there are changes: Nearly six in 10 people claim their driving behavior has changed because of rising gas prices."
U.S. energy official: Sino-U.S. biofuel agreement in the works: "China and the United States are drafting a biofuel agreement that will likely be signed in December, a visiting U.S. senior energy official said here on Friday. It will focus on sharing knowledge and technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "We have not concluded a biofuel agreement yet ... we have a biofuel agreement draft circulating between the United States and China and we expect progress in the coming weeks," said Alexander Karsner, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "
Beijing promotes "clean energy" in heating season to improve air quality: "A total of 1,105 small coal-fired boilers had been converted to natural gas by Thursday, when Beijing started its annual heating season, marking the completion of a nine-year campaign in China's capital to have all 14mw boilers use clean energy. "Starting from 1998, we have earmarked 2.5 billion yuan (about 328.95 million U.S. dollars) and upgraded about 16,000 14mw boilers," said Du Shaozhong, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Environmental Protection. "
Geismar site for new Tyson biodiesel plant: "The new biodiesel plant in Louisiana backed by Tyson Foods will be built in Geismar, where a package of state and Ascension Parish-tax incentives were lowered to beat a competing offer in Texas for the $126 million project.... Dynamic Fuels, a joint-venture between Tyson and Oklahoma-based Syntroleum Corp., chose Lion Copolymer's Geismer plant for its access to rail and barge transportation. But the most important attraction was a hydrogen line connected to the property. "They have a unique method of processing (bio-diesel) that uses hydrogen," said Kelsey Short, director of agriculture, forestry and food industries for Louisiana Economic Development."
Tyson to build $126M biofuels plant: "Tyson Foods is expected to announce today that it will build a $126 million biodiesel plant in Louisiana, producing fuel from chicken fat. The meat processing company is expanding its presence in the state to include the biodiesel operation, said Don Pierson, assistant secretary of Louisiana Economic Development, but Tyson wouldn't allow him to announce the site for the plant yet. "It's a good news story," Pierson said. "I can confirm that it is a Louisiana project but Tyson asked me to hold off on the specific location. I can release it (Wednesday)." "
Biodiesel crisis deepens: "Australia's largest biodiesel plant says it can no longer afford to produce the alternative fuel. Natural Fuels Limited, which has a $90 million dollar facility in Darwin, says the price of the main ingredient, palm oil, has doubled in the past 18 months. "
No more German biodiesel plants likely to be built: "A new round of tax increases planned on German biofuels means no more biodiesel plants are likely to be built in the country, the chairman of German oilseeds industry association UFOP said on Tuesday. Many biodiesel producers are likely to find themselves in "severe financial trouble" if Germany's government goes ahead with plans to further increase biofuels taxes on January 1, UFOP chairman Klaus Kliem said. At a time when the European Union wants to increase biofuel use to stop global warming, Germany in late 2006 started taxing biodiesel as the government said it could not afford to lose the large tax revenue from fossil diesel. A second round of tax increases on biodiesel is on the statute book and scheduled to be imposed in January 2008. The government so far has refused calls to reconsider this."
Biodiesel and other biofuels offer us a possible route out of the mess with the global peak oil situation which in turn is causing the high oil prices. But for this to work the business operations making the biofuels must themselves be stable.
Financing, rising costs led Chelsea biodiesel plant to bankruptcy is about a production plant in Chelsea Oklahoma which has gone out of business. "Green Country Biodiesel LLC filed for liquidation in Tulsa bankruptcy court last week. It listed debts of almost $255,000 and assets of about $127,000." The story is told as a simple business matter, with the biggest creditor being Cargill.
Construction Halted at NPP Biodiesel Plant in Evansville "Higher commodity prices for their crops is one of the reasons why many farmers decide to get involved with the biofuels business. But ironically, that same scenario is starting to back-fire for investors of the North Prairie Productions biodiesel plant being constructed in Evansville. This week, investors were sent a letter from the NPP Board of Directors informing them that construction of the $42 million facility has been 'temporarily suspended' because of the cost of soybean byproducts." (same plant, different publication) Construction Halted On Large Biofuel Plant
'In it for the long haul' is the story of a Biodiesel production and (or) distribution company in "Barron County" which nearly went out of business, but was instead sold. The new owner is in it for the long haul and plans to run it on a more sound basis.
