Domestic Fuel

A Maryland company has found a way to vaporize biodiesel into a natural gas substitute that can be turned into renewable electric power.

LPP Combustion, LLC announced it has installed the hardware on a demonstration unit in Columbia, MD to get some operational experience:

Generally, combustion of biodiesel in gas turbines requires extra refinement of the fuel due to impurities that can be harmful to gas turbine components. However, by vaporizing the biodiesel into nitrogen before introducing it to the gas turbine as LPP Gas™, the LPP Combustion hardware substantially reduces operational problems associates with conventional burning of biodiesel in gas turbines. Emissions from the C30 gas turbine, operating at full load on LPP Gas™ derived from biodiesel, are 5.6 ppmv NOx and 9 ppmv CO, at 15%O2, improving on the baseline natural gas emissions.

The fuel tested was a canola-based biodiesel provided to LPP Combustion, LLC by Northern Biodiesel, an Ontario, NY company. The C30 gas turbine was on loan from Harbec Plastics, an Ontario, NY based plastics manufacturer. Harbec Plastics intends to convert all 25 of its Capstone C30 gas turbines to operation on biofuels using the LPP Combustion technology, thereby eliminating the CO2 footprint from its plastics manufacturing.

The company has already successfully tested the same gas turbine using this technology on naphtha and on ethanol

More information is available at the company’s website, www.lppcombustion.com.

The Truman National Security Project has released its 2010 Fuel Scorecard and ethanol scores near the top of the list as viable fuel options for the future. Based on several factors that affect America’s security including instability of supplier country, opposition to American values, climate disruption, possibility of threat to supply chain, and cost spike volatility, ethanol scores as the second best fuel for our future.

The authors of the report write, “Across each of our national security metrics, oil ranks in a league of its own. It is high time American consumers and policymakers recalculate their routines, and begin to move America towards an energy posture that does not undermine our nation’s security. Ethanol—particularly second generation ethanol – electricity, and natural gas can all play roles in a more secure America.”

The Truman Project focuses, in part, on bringing attention to the security and climate problems that come from a dependence on fossil fuels – especially those purchased from countries that do not hold the same values as Americans. They note in the report that America purchases 50 percent of its oil from OPEC, who controls 70 percent of the world’s global oil reserves and 40 percent of daily oil supplies. Last week, OPEC celebrated its 50th anniversary.

The report notes that America’s energy supply is a weakness and a prime target for attack – an issue which has been known by oil countries for many years. At one time, Osama bin Laden was quoted as saying, “We bled [Russia] to the point of bankruptcy. So if we were able to do it to the Russians, we can now do it to the Americans, and the best way to do it is to go after their Achilles heel and attack oil.”

The report concludes that American power in the world would be severely compromised by sharp cuts to its fuel supply at home. “Therefore, smart decisions about fuel sources need to be made now to ensure the safest, strongest America over the long term. Our current reliance on oil—the worst performer in this report—is leaving our country more vulnerable to shock while shoring up the capacity of regimes intent on endangering America’s interests, values, and leadership in the world.”

While the report acknowledges that no current fuel source is perfect, we must “devote our national resources to power sources that will sustain America’s strength while causing the least harm.”

Foreign oil imports are up for the first time in 18 months according to the latest figures from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The U.S. imported 65 percent of its oil, or 388 million barrels in July 2010, sending nearly $29.6 billion or $663,231 per minute to foreign countries. This is the highest number of barrels of oil imported in one month since January 2009.

T. Boone Pickens responded to the increase in oil imports in his monthly update and stated,” President Obama has pledged to eliminate Middle East oil dependence in 10 years, but the latest oil imports statistics show we’re not making much progress.  In July we imported 388 million barrels of oil, which is the highest total since President Obama took office in January 2009.”

He continued, It’s not hard to see that spending approximately $30 billion on oil month after month is hurting the economy. In fact, oil imports continue to make up more than half of the United States’ growing trade deficit.”

Pickens has repeatedly called for a comprehensive energy plan where natural gas plays a starring role, and is urging Congress to put energy back on the front burner when they return to D.C. in September.

Pickens is just one of dozens of organizations that have called for more effective energy policy but he is only one of few that focuses so heavily on natural gas as a replacement for liquid transportation fuels. Depending on what energy expert you believe, the country has either enough to last for hundreds of years, or for less than 20 years, if it is used as a primary fuel in the transportation sector.

T. Boone Pickens is making a new pitch for natural gas to be the fuel of the future, especially in America’s big rigs. However, while declaring natural gas as the only replacement for petroleum diesel, the billionaire oilman seems to forget that biodiesel is already a great source to replace petroleum-based products… without having to convert any engines.

In the latest video from Pickens, he goes “back to the whiteboard” to make the case that out of the 21 million gallons of petroleum used each day in the U.S., 13 million gallons come from imports, and 5 million comes from the “bad guys” at OPEC. He says that 5 million is the real problem, as we are funding both sides of the war on terror with those purchases. Pickens proposes that if the 8 million 18-wheelers in this country were to run on natural gas, that would take care of 2.5 million gallons of OPEC oil each day, effectively cutting the oil cartel in half. He goes on to say that conversion could be done in just seven years.

But while Pickens makes a good case, pointing out how much cheaper natural gas would be than petroleum diesel (about one-fourth the cost) and how much cleaner burning it is, I think he steps in it a bit when saying that “natural gas is the only resource we have that’s going to replace diesel.” Biodiesel will run in any diesel engine, especially the big rigs, without having to change anything on the engines.

He does say that various biofuels, including biodiesel and ethanol, are also good for American cars. But I hope that not everyone takes his “only resource to replace diesel” comment too much to heart. Biodiesel is ready now.

A trend in Canada that shows natural gas moving from a niche fuel to the mainstream might be an indication of a more prevalent direction for that fuel worldwide.

This article from the Globe and Mail (thanks to @pickensplan on Twitter for the tip!) says environmental benefits, plentiful supplies and low costs are helping improve natural gas' prospects:

For natural gas to become a major player in powering vehicles, companies and governments need to commit big dollars to infrastructure and technology. In some parts of North America, that commitment is under way.

“The economic aspect is very important,” Mr. St-Germain said.

The article also points to Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the Port of Los Angeles as great examples of how natural gas is helping places all over the world go green. In addition, some companies are telling investors and analysts that this could be the year that is the tipping point for a favorable natural gas future.

Communications giant Verizon is adding about 500 Ford cargo vans that will burn compressed natural gas (CNG).

This Ford press release calls the work on the E-250 cargo vans an upfit that will help Verizon reduce its energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions:

“Verizon’s fleet team is constantly on the watch for new, lower-carbon technology,” [Ken McKenney, Sustainable Fleet-Technical Engineering Lead for Verizon] said. “CNG is a leading alternative fuel choice right now, so converting these cargo vans to run on the cleaner-burning fuel helps us cut CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. We will continue to find ways to increase the efficiency of our fleet.”

The vehicles are being converted to CNG by BAF, a wholly owned subsidiary of Clean Energy Fuels Corp.

Officials say that this is a move more company fleets could emulate.

Automaker General Motors is offering some natural-gas-powered vans, but they won’t be for the average driver.

USA Today reports GM will offer compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in versions of the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans for commercial fleets:

“We’re listening to our fleet customers and dealers about offering options that help them achieve their business objectives,” said Brian Small, general manager of GM’s fleet and commercial operations. “The industry commitment to expand the CNG and LPG infrastructure in key fleet markets was an enabler to allowing us to introduce these options now.”

Both CNG and LPG vans will carry GM’s limited new vehicle warranty including the 5-year/100,000 mile transferable GM powertrain limited warranty.

GM officials say this will make it easier for commercial customers to choose a CNG or LPG vehicle … and makes the auto giant the only manufacturer to offer the option with this level of support and availability.

As first reported by the Milwaukee Business Journal, AT&T began their campaign of being more fuel efficient by unveiling 42 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. The annoucement was made at Discovery World in Milwaukee yesterday.

In March 2009, AT&T announced their plan to invest up to $565 million as part of a long-term strategy to deploy more than 15,000 alternative-fuel vehicles over the next 10 years. AT&T expects to spend an estimated $350 million to purchase about 8,000 CNG vehicles and approximately $215 million to begin replacing its passenger cars with alternative-fuel models.

“This deployment was made possible because of the work of We Energies and area communities to establish about a dozen CNG fueling stations in southeast Wisconsin, as well as strong support from state environmental leaders like Rep. Jon Richards who are encouraging the use of alternative fuel vehicles,” Scott VanderSanden, president of AT&T Wisconsin, said in the release.

AT&T’s investment represents the largest U.S. corporate commitment to CNG vehicles to date.

“When do we stop investing in OPEC and start investing in America?”

That’s the question that oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens asked at a House Ways and Means committee hearing Wednesday on “Energy Tax Incentives Driving the Green Job Economy.” Pickens told the panel that he’s for “anything that’s American” when it comes to energy -including wind, coal, solar, hydro, nuclear, geo-thermal, ethanol, propane, or natural gas.

The straight-talking Texan and chairman of BP Capital Management addressed those who discourage tax incentives for renewable energy on the basis of letting the free market work. “If you think OPEC is a free market, you’re a sap,” he said.

Pushing natural gas as an alternative, Pickens said that skeptics say there is no natural gas fueling infrastructure. “If you create the market, the private sector will build it,” he said. “Can you imagine what would have happened if we had told Henry Ford, forget about building the Model T, there’s no filling stations?”

Pickens strongly stressed the need for America to develop an energy plan now. “I’m running out of time, I’m 82 years old next month, and I’ve got to get an energy plan fixed for America because we cannot leave this to generations in the future,” noting his 13 children and grandchildren.

Pickens’ whole opening statement is well worth watching here on the Ways and Means Committee website.

The CEO of one of the world’s biggest petroleum companies says his company will soon produce more natural gas than oil and is investing more than ever in biofuels.

And this article from the Wall Street Journal says that Peter Voser of Royal Dutch Shell says he expects in the next 40 years, 40 percent of the world’s cars will be electric:

Mr. Voser sat down with The Wall Street Journal’s Alan Murray and Kimberley Strassel to talk about the future of climate-change legislation, the company’s push beyond oil, the prospects for electric vehicles and more…

MR. VOSER: We are focusing a lot on biofuels at this stage.
Read the rest of this post…

A group that trains technicians, fleet managers, law enforcement and first responders on how to handle today’s vehicles fueled by biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen, propane and other renewables has added another college to its list of training sites.

BlueRidgeNow.com reports that Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, Virginia is the latest member of the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC), the only nationwide alternative fuel vehicle and advanced technology vehicle training organization in the U.S.:

“Alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles, such as those powered by biodiesel, ethanol, natural gas, hydrogen, propane, fuel-cell, and hybrid electric systems, are a means for improving air quality and breaking America’s addiction to foreign oil,” said Al Ebron, NAFTC executive director. “NAFTC National Training Centers help promote the adoption of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles through a variety of automotive training programs for technicians, fleet managers, public safety and first responder organizations and the public.”

“Our faculty and staff have worked diligently to bring this leading automotive training to Blue Ridge Community College,” said Blue Ridge President Dr. Molly A. Parkhill. “During the next year, we will develop additional courses and programs in alternative fuels to prepare our students for jobs in this rapidly growing industry.”

The first class will be an Introduction to Alternative Fuel Vehicles, a short course geared for automotive technicians who want to expand their skills in alternative fuels. It begins January 19th.

A Nevada company is looking to turn natural gas and biogas, such as methane from garbage dumps, into a clean form of diesel.

Advanced Refining Concepts, LLC is building a 100,000-gallon-a-day plant 10 miles east of Reno in Northern Nevada that will use a proprietary pollution-free process, called ClearRefining™, that liquefies natural gas and other biogases into a product they call GDiesel™, comparable to No. 1 diesel fuel:

“Beginning construction of this facility is an important milestone for ARC, advancing our goal of making America energy independent by reducing this country’s need for foreign crude oil imports,” said Peter Gunnerman, co-founder of Advanced Refining Concepts. “We expect the GDiesel™ produced at our Peru Heights facility initially will be used for large fleet operators, power producers or as blend stock.”

The facility, which will employ 25 full-time workers, will consist of 10 fully automated ClearRefining™ units, each capable of producing up to 10,000 gallons of GDiesel™ per day. “The location we’ve selected just outside of Reno is ideal for this venture,” said Gunnerman. “The facility has convenient access to natural gas, existing fuel lines and is strategically located near rail and truck lines.”

The plant is scheduled for completion by January 2010.

An Iowa-based energy company is claiming that its one-of-a-kind technology is a solution America needs as the country looks to reduce greenhouse emissions and lower energy costs, while helping put people back to work.

American Power Group’s “dual fuel” blends diesel (which should have the ability to use biodiesel, right) and compressed natural gas or methane:

APG’s technology couldn’t come at a better time as customers look for ways to cope with rising fuel costs and search for solutions that will allow them to use federal stimulus monies aimed at cleaning up the environment and reduce dependency on foreign oil. The application, which perfectly blends conventional diesel fuel with compressed natural gas or bio-methane, delivers greener power to municipal vehicles, stationary generators and backup applications to name a few. While some companies are able to offer customers only a dedicated diesel fuel or natural gas fuel solution, APG’s technology is the first to allow an engine to run on both diesel and natural gas simultaneously. The technology is innovative, and it benefits are simply astounding. The dual fuel solution reduces the use of fuel by as much as 40 percent, increases the diesel fuel run time of generators by 300 percent and decreases emissions by over 40 percent. It also minimizes fuel storage space requirements by as much as 50 percent.

“Our technology is freeing up businesses to do what they know best while helping them to improve their bottom line,” said Rick Kremer, VP Sales & Marketing.

APG says one of its clients has been able to run off a generator burning the dual fuel for two week, where it would have lasted only 48 hours before. Plus, company officials claim it will work in existing engines. Check ‘em out for yourself here.

Nearly $300 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act… aka the “Stimulus Bill”… funds are being handed out by the U.S. Department of Energy to replace or change more than 9,000 vehicles so they will burn alternative fuels and/or make them more fuel efficient, as well as establish nearly 550 alternative refueling stations across the U.S..

Energy Secretary Steven Chu made the announcement today about the selection of 25 cost-share projects under the Clean Cities program:

“The Clean Cities program is helping give state and local governments the tools they need to build a greener transportation system that will create new jobs and help to put America on the path to a clean energy future,” said Secretary Chu. “Advancing the number of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles on the road will increase our energy security, decrease our dependence on oil, and reduce pollution across the country.”

The projects announced by Secretary Chu will support a combined total of more than 9,000 light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles and establish 542 refueling locations across the country. The vehicles and infrastructure being funded include the use of natural and renewable gas, propane, ethanol, biodiesel, electricity, and hybrid technologies. And with the cost share contributions from the recipients, every federal dollar spent will be matched by nearly two dollars from the project partners.

The move is expected to save 38 million gallons of petroleum per year.

Drivers now can take a popular tool on the road thanks to the staff at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The Mobile Alternative Fueling Station Locator (MAFSL) helps on-the-go drivers find the five closest biodiesel, electricity, E85 (ethanol), hydrogen, natural gas, and propane fueling sites using any mobile device with Internet access.

Before launching the device, NREL said that their Alternative Fueling Station Locator was among the top five applications used on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC) website. The station locator was developed by NREL which manages AFDC.

The mobile station locator works through well-known, easy to use applications such as Google Maps, which generates maps to fueling sites. In addition to the location, the locator will also give the user the contact information, including phone number and business hours for the station.

NREL says that it is taking some changes into consideration due to consumer feedback. In the past, private fueling stations were not included but they have been added. In addition, they are considering adding automatic location detetection using GPS installed in the device, a special applicaton for the iPhone and creating a similar application for truck stop electrification sites. In addition, the database will be updated continously.