Domestic Fuel

Two biofuels promoters took part in the 4th annual New Holland/Michael Peterson Celebrity Tractor Race held Sunday at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville. Chuck Leavell (left) is probably best known as the versatile keyboardist for the Rolling Stones and Joe Jobe is CEO of the National Biodiesel Board.

Jobe noted that New Holland Boomer being used for the race was fueled with biodiesel and he was proud to be part of the event once again this year. “Not only does New Holland support and approve the use of biodiesel in their vehicles, but they also promote the use of biodiesel nationwide,” said Jobe. Leavell not only supports biodiesel but ethanol as well since he’s a Georgia tree farmer and very interested in cellulosic ethanol production. “There’s a lot of experiments going on with several companies trying to make liquid fuels out of wood chips, cellulosic material and as time goes on it will get easier and easier,” said Leavell.

Here’s a video of Joe Jobe racing in the biodiesel-fueled New Holland Boomer:

See photos from the event here in the 2009 CMA Music Festival Photo Album

Listen to or download Chuck Zimmerman’s interview with Joe Jobe and Chuck Leavell here:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (2.5MB)

Members of the biofuels industries, including those growing the feedstocks to make the green fuels of ethanol and biodiesel, made their way to Washington, D.C. this week to try to stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing rules that the biofuels folks will hurt their industry.

The biggest point of contention is the EPA’s Indirect Land Use proposal that could end up making American biodiesel ineligible to be part of the Renewable Fuels Standard… endangering the biodiesel industry and the very standard designed to lower the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. And while ethanol is getting a pass for now, those from that industry are worried how the Indirect Land Use provisions, which estimates the deforestation of rain forests in places such as South America based on how much in row crops U.S farmers grow, could eventually affect them.

Those testifying at the EPA hearing included Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen; Steve Ruh, chair of the National Corn Growers Association’s Ethanol Committee; the National Biodiesel Board’s Manning Feraci; the American Soybean Association’s Vice President Ray Gaesser, a soybean producer from Corning, Iowa; POET Vice President for science and technology Dr. Mark Stowers; and Brent Erickson, executive vice president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s Industrial and Environmental Section. About 60 people testified at this hearing.

You can hear more about it here: DFCast-6-12-09.mp3

You can also subscribe to the DomesticFuel Cast here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.1MB)

The Environmental Protection Agency’s public hearing on the proposed rule for the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) is now underway in Washington, DC.

The first testimony presented was from Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen, who expressed the ethanol industry’s major concerns about the agnecy’s attempt to measure greenhouse gas lifecycle analysis including international indirect land use changes. “There is so much uncertainty in trying to account for international impacts that it renders the regulatory process incapable of determining a specific number,” said Dinneen. “We have concerns about some assumptions EPA has made. We think they have greatly underestimated increases in yields, underestimated impact of distillers grains, underestimated or used very conservative assumptions with regard to bushels of grain per acre – all of which will have a significant impact on this analysis.”

Listen to Dinneen’s testimony here: epa-hearing-dinneen.mp3

Manning Feraci of the National Biodiesel Board presented testimony at the hearing on behalf of the biodiesel industry. “We recognize that statute requires EPA to consider significant indirect emissions when calculating a renewable fuels emission profile,” said Feraci. “This does not require the EPA to rely on faulty data and unrealistic scenarios that punish the U.S. biodiesel industry for wholly unrelated land use decisions in South America.”

Listen to Feraci’s testimony here: epa-hearing-feraci.mp3

The EPA hearing will continue all day today and then the agency will be holding a workshop on the RFS on Wednesday and Thursday.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (2.3MB)

The 19th Annual Ethanol Producers and Consumers (EPAC) Conference, Fuel, Food and the Future, will be held at the the Best Western Grantree Inn, Bozeman, Montana June 29 and 30, 2009. This educational conference will allow attendees to network with and learn from nationally recognized authorities, and participate in discussions of the emerging technologies in first generation Biofuels, also Biofuel Co-product research and use and the Future Biofuel feedstocks and opportunities.

Monday, June 29 at 1:00 p.m. speaker presentations begin with the session “Barley as a Fuel Feedstock”. Presenters will include Craig Shealy of Osage Bio Energy, Clifford Bradley, Montana Microbial Products, Butte, and Tom Blake, MSU Research Professor. This will be followed by Biofuel Projects, Opportunities & Challenges with William Hagy, Under Secretary for Rural Development, USDA, Washington DC; John Urbanchuk, Economist, LECG, Pennsylvania. Yellowstone National Park Ranger, Jim Evanoff will then speak to Fuel Performance, Park use of Biofuels and the Clean Cities Program.

Tuesday July 30, the conference includes sessions that build on research and development of the innovative use of distillers grains. Presentations will expand discussion of distillers grains for medical and food use that was presented at the 2008 conference as well as present additional research currently being done on the beneficial value of biofuels coproducts. A biodiesel fuel session will follow with presentations from Joe Jobe, Executive Director of the National Biodiesel Board, and Camelina for Biodiesel with Alice Pilgeram, MSU Researcher and Biofuel Impact and Update for Montana by Howard Haines, MT DEQ.

The final conference session includes presentations on Biomass Energy through Anaerobic Digester, Algae Biofuel, Conversion and Advanced harvest and Collection of Biomass and Advanced Integrated Biofuels with animal production.

Conference sponsors include Abengoa Bioenergy, CHS, Fagen, Inc. KATZEN International, National Biodiesel Board, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Montana Wheat & Barley committee and Prime Biosolutions.

For additional information and/or to register the 19th Annual EPAC Biofuel Conference, visit www.ethanolmt.org.

A spectacular fire over the weekend at the Minnesota Soybean Processors (MnSP) biodiesel plant in Brewster, Minnesota (no, that’s not a picture of the fire on the left… that’s from a NBB training video) has prompted the National Biodiesel Board to offer those in the industry and local fire officials of some tips on how to handle the rare fires at biodiesel production facilities.

This NBB press release says the board and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) have cooperated for more than a year to prepare and distribute safety training materials:

“With a flash point of 200 degrees, biodiesel is the safest fuel to handle, store and use,” said NBB CEO Joe Jobe. “MnSP is certified as a BQ-9000 producer, the industry’s voluntary quality control program, so they were very well prepared to handle any safety issue.”

“The Biodiesel Response Considerations training program provides the critical information First Responders and Haz Mat Response Teams need for a safe and competent response,” said Captain Steve Hergenreter of Fort Dodge, Iowa. “It includes information on the chemicals involved in production, along with information on the properties of biodiesel. Whether preplanning a facility or responding to one, understanding these chemical and physical properties ensures a response based on facts, science and circumstances.”

Along with training tools, such as a PowerPoint presentation, the NBB has a video available on its YouTube channel.

Just a point that needs to be made about the fire in Minnesota: while the nearby town of Brewster was evacuated, it was only a matter of precaution, and there were no serious injuries… thanks to good planning and training like this.

Biodiesel production in the United States has dropped sharply, and the green fuel’s biggest advocate warns of the dire consequences of that drop and urges implementation of federal environmental rules that would support biodiesel and other renewables.

The National Biodiesel Board says commercial biodiesel production in the U.S. in March 2009 fell to 30 million gallons… down from 49 million gallons just a year earlier and as low as 2006 levels. In this statement from NBB CEO Joe Jobe, he says that if the trend continues, industry production will only be half of the 700 million-gallon output in 2008… putting the country “at risk of going backwards in energy security” :

“A primary reason for this dramatic downturn is the absence of the federal Renewable Fuels Standard. The RFS would initially require the use of 500 million gallons of bio-massed based diesel, which would substantially stabilize the young biodiesel industry as it struggles to compete on an uneven playing field.

“We are at risk of losing the only domestically produced homegrown fuel for diesel engines. In fact, biodiesel is the only commercially available advanced biofuel, as defined by the federal government, which is currently derived from any fat or plant oil. It is the most diverse fuel on the planet. At last count, 176 plants in the U.S. enabled production of almost 2 billion gallons of homegrown, renewable fuel per year, but many plants sit idle, and at least 20 have gone out of business. This costs jobs and increases America’s dependence on foreign oil at a time when President Obama is calling for economic investment in American renewable energy. Our industry stands ready and waiting to answer that call.

An Energy Information Administration (EIA) report blames the closing of European markets because of punitive tariffs put on American biodiesel by the Europeans earlier this year for part of the reduction in U.S. production.

Minnesota has upped its biodiesel requirement today from 2 percent to 5 percent, making the state the first in the nation to move to that high of blend of the green fuel.

The state is being recognized by the National Biodiesel Board for its efforts to keep valuable jobs in the U.S., decrease dependence on foreign oil and lessen environmental impacts:

“Increasing biodiesel in our diesel fuel allows us to take advantage of a renewable fuel made in Minnesota, which in addition to being environmentally responsible also adds to our state’s bottom line,” said Ed Hegland, a Minnesota soybean farmer and Chairman of the National Biodiesel Board. “I’m proud to live in a state that is leading energy innovations and taking part in valuable solutions like biodiesel.”

“This standard empowers the citizens of the state to support Minnesota’s economy and use less foreign oil,” said Joe Jobe, National Biodiesel Board CEO.

The NBB says the Minnesota was able to overcome some early concerns about its B2 requirement by making sure there was proper quality control.

Last winter, biodiesel was wrongly accused of causing some buses in Bloomington to not run. The NBB points out that biodiesel can perform well at 20 percent blends, even in the coldest of climates, so the new 5 percent requirement should not be an issue in the chilly Minnesota winters.

Minnesota joins Washington state, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, New Mexico and Massachusetts, which have also passed biodiesel requirements.

A report by the American Lung Association says that the air in America is pretty bad. But local associations of that parent organization believe that biodiesel is key to cleaning it up.

The State of the Air Report 2009 was shown during the American Lung Association of the District of Columbia’s recent (ALADC) news conference, as touted in this National Biodiesel Board press release:

“Give your support to any effort to advance technology that emit lower levels of pollution like biodiesel,” said [Professor of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the Howard University College of Medicine and Vice Chairman-Elect of ALADC Dr. Bailus Walker, Jr.]. He also showed attendees the Journal of Inhalation and Toxicology published issue on biodiesel that resulted from a summit the ALADC and the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest convened in 2006.

“With biodiesel, America can produce its own cleaner-burning diesel alternative that helps clean up the air with existing vehicles,” said Joe Jobe, National Biodiesel Board CEO. “Biodiesel is a natural solution to help achieve lung associations’ goals to reduce air pollution and safeguard our health. We are grateful for their support and applaud their vision for a cleaner future.”

The NBB points out that biodiesel reduces air toxins by 90 percent and significantly cuts down on the compounds linked to cancer. In addition, breathing the smoke from petroleum diesel exhaust can trigger an asthma attack, while biodiesel reduces that particulate matter triggering those attacks up to 40 percent.

A race circuit for young drivers to get their professional careers going… while running on a clean, renewable fuel, gets started this weekend. The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series kicks off at VIRginia International Raceway on April 25 & 26… the second year that VW has offered a new way of thinking about auto racing.

The series, sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, sets up the young drivers in identical factory-prepared clean diesel Jetta TDIs running on a 5 percent blend of biodiesel. That way you know it’s their driving skills and not some mechanical advantage one engine has over the other. This press release from the National Biodiesel Board points out it is the only clean diesel racing series in the United States, and Volkswagen is the only auto manufacturer participating in motorsports full time with diesel powered cars:

Houston-based HYPERFUELS is also the official fuel sponsor of the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI race season, powering the series with its high performance Syndiesel® B5. That’s a blend of 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent synthetic diesel fuel. This biodiesel blend provides a winning combination of benefits, offering the highest cetane rating of any diesel fuel on the market today and 20 percent more BTUs than conventional diesel. It has the added benefits of increased lubricity and reduced emissions from the domestically produced, renewable biodiesel component.

Clark Campbell, Motorsport Manager for Volkswagen of America, Inc. said, “The addition of Syndiesel® B5 in the Jetta TDI Cup race cars further demonstrates the feasibility of biodiesel as an alternative fuel source for American consumers, and supports the clean and green racing of the Jetta TDI Cup series. Volkswagen also supports the use of up to B5 biodiesel blends in all of its TDI clean diesel powered vehicles available at local Volkswagen dealerships today.”

By the way, Jess Hewitt, President of HYPERFUELS, is also the Chairman of the National Biodiesel Board’s marketing committee.

Happy Earth Day, everybody!!

“Biodiesel makes sense on Earth Day and every day.” Those words from our friend Joe Jobe, CEO at the National Biodiesel Board, sum up how the green fuel plays an important part in our lives… not just on days like this when we recognize eco-friendly actions, but every day. Burning the 700 million gallons of biodiesel produced in this country last year is the equivalent of taking nearly one million vehicles off the road… truly a friendly fuel to our beloved Earth.

That’s why the NBB is recognizing some of the cities around the country that are using biodiesel to make a difference:

“Denver has a strong environmental and sustainability program, so we are always looking to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Carlos Guerra, Denver Public Works Facility Manager. “You add that to the escalation of oil costs and biodiesel seemed like the only responsible thing to do.”

Albuquerque – All of Albuquerque’s approximately 750 diesel vehicles began using biodiesel blends in 2004. About 45 percent of the city’s fleet boasts alternative fuel, including biodiesel.
Read the rest of this post…

State senators in Iowa have passed a standard that would require all diesel fuel sold in the state contain 5 percent biodiesel. The measure still needs to clear the State House and gain the governor’s signature to become law. If it does, the Hawkeye State would become the eighth state in the nation to have a biodiesel requirement, joining Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, New Mexico and Massachusetts, which all have biodiesel mandates.

The news was welcomed by the National Biodiesel Board:

“Iowa has been a leader in the helping to establish biodiesel as a reliable and renewable energy alternative,” said Joe Jobe, National Biodiesel Board CEO. “Biodiesel gives all Iowans an opportunity to use a renewable fuel made for, grown by, refined by, and distributed by Iowans. This is empowering the citizens of the state to choose to use less foreign oil.”

Officials say Iowa’s biodiesel requirement will drive demand for 45 million gallons of the green fuel in the state, as well as generating jobs in the local production of the feedstock, primarily soybeans in Iowa, and the biodiesel.

A new certification for commercial labs will help ensure the most reputable biodiesel quality program will be verifying the green fuel.

This press release from the National Biodiesel Board says the National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission (NBAC) has created the BQ-9000 Lab Program:

“Reliable lab results are a major factor in guaranteeing fuel quality,” Rod Lawrence, Manager of Quality Control for Magellan Midstream Partners L.P. “This rigorous program will offer biodiesel customers the confidence that the lab used to test the renewable fuel is using best practices and has met standards for excellence synonymous with the BQ-9000 program.”

* test result reporting
* equipment calibration and maintenance
* quality control
* proficiency testing

The BQ-9000 program combines the ASTM standard for biodiesel, ASTM D6751, and a quality systems program that includes storage, sampling, testing, blending, shipping, distribution, and fuel management practices.

In March, the European Commission imposed tariffs of 26 euros ($34.51) to 41 euros ($54.42) per 100 kg (220 lbs) on American biodiesel, virtually shutting the Yankee green fuel out of the European market.

Today, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) turned in formal written comments to the EC’s decision to impose those provisional antidumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) on U.S. biodiesel entering Europe, citing procedural and factual shortcomings in Europe’s decision:

“The comments we have filed highlight that arbitrary procedural conclusions and inaccurate market assumptions were used by the EC as the basis for imposing provisional duties on U.S. biodiesel,” stated Manning Feraci, NBB’s Vice President for Federal Affairs. “The rationale used to impose AD and CVD duties – which clearly benefit the interests of European biodiesel producers – runs afoul of the EU’s WTO commitments.”

The NBB’s comments plainly illustrate that the European industry has not been harmed by U.S. competition, a fundamental fact that must be proven before duties can be finalized later this year. The comments filed by the NBB also note the faulty procedural assumptions that are utilized in the EC’s ruling, specifically relating to the arbitrary decision to change the definition of the product under investigation. In addition, the provisional ruling also appears to omit key information from significant EU biodiesel producers that would be detrimental to the European Biodiesel Board’s (EBB) claims in the investigations. Strikingly, the EU producers that are alleging harm in the complaints have increased their market share by 5.8% and posted a 5.7% profit, which is quite healthy by industry standards.

Feraci adds that he hopes the EC will recognize the value of the NBB’s comments and meet its WTO obligations.

Just in case you need more evidence of the clean-burning nature of biodiesel, a new study once again confirms the fuel’s green nature.

A six-month demonstration by California-based fleet States Logistics’ saw carbon dioxide reduction of 72.9 tons compared to straight petroleum diesel. This National Biodisel Board press release says the company will be able to use the information to market to customers, and eventually, may use it to sell carbon offsets on the voluntary markets:

“We were really pleased to see the quantified reduction of CO2 and other pollutants,” said Ryan Donovan, VP of Operations and Business Development of States Logistics. “This is something that we can take to our customers, like Clif Bar & Company, and they can show their customers. We all benefit from having this information available to show the efforts being made to reduce carbon footprint throughout the supply chain.”

“This information is valuable to any fleet using biodiesel,” said Tom Verry, Director of Outreach and Development for NBB. “We picture eventually offering this as a value-add report for BioTrucker Fuel Card holders.”

The NBB released the results of the test during the recent Mid America Trucking Show (MATS)… the largest U.S. based trucking show, attracting nearly 60,000 truckers to Louisville, Ky. every year.

The organization also used the event to release the results of an online survey of owner-operators, independent and company drivers. NBB found: only 8 percent were not familiar with biodiesel; 75.8 percent have a positive impression of biodiesel; 57 percent have at least tried biodiesel and 94 percent would use biodiesel in the future; supporting American farmers tops the list of reasons for using biodiesel with 59 percent choosing this and 40 percent choosing energy independence.

The National Biodiesel Board has joined the online conversation on Twitter.

Today several of us have joined Twitter, to help answer your questions and discuss anything you feel like talking about in the biodiesel world. Whether you want to know if there is a biodiesel pump in your town, or have technical questions, or want to talk about anything biodiesel at all, we want to hear from you! If we don’t find you first, you can follow these National Biodiesel Board representatives on Twitter by clicking on the user name:

Biodiesel_Voice, Jenna Higgins/Director of Communications
Biodiesel_Media, Jessica Robinson/Senior Communications Specialist
Biodiesel_DC, Michael Frohlich/Wash D.C. Dir. of Comm. (federal updates)
Biodiesel_Tech, Jordan Thaeler/Technical Projects Manager
Biodiesel_Earth, Don Scott/Director of Sustainability
Biodiesel_Info, Bev Thessen/Information Coordinator

Hey Joe Jobe. I don’t see you on the list!

If you or your company needs some help figuring this whole Twitter thing out then contact me anytime. You can follow Domestic Fuel on Twitter too.