Nova Biosource announced that its Illinois-based refinery has reached the million gallons milestone after 25 days of production. The plant is expected to reach 60 million gallons of ASTM standard biodiesel per year using three processing trains, although the milestone was reached with only one. Other Nova refineries in Wisconsin and Mississippi have a single train that produces 20 million gallons each. The company's global production is estimated between 180 and 220 million gallons of biodiesel per year.
Nova claims to use locally generated, low-cost feedstocks, including rendered animal fats and oils and recycled vegetable and animal-based greases which are not suitable for human consumption.
Photo by merfam. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.
Sure, you might be able to describe the difference between cellulosic ethanol made by Coskata and that made by Mascoma. Or, perhaps your biofuel knowledge is just right to explain how cellulosic ethanol and corn ethanol are different, and what each might mean to the environment. But trust me, the general public has a long way to go to understand what all these new fuel types are. Remember the posts about filling up with the wrong fuel?
Anyway, I'd just like to point out this letter to the editor that appeared in today's Washington Post. In a May 3 editorial called "The Greening of Montgomery," the WaPo mangled the difference between biodiesel and ethanol, suggesting that while switching Montgomery County's fleet of diesel cars to biofuels would be a good move, because of the problems with ethanol, care should be taken. A reader, Lynne Tucker of Bethesda, wrote in to clarify just which biofuel can go into what type of engine. What we can learn from this is that, as we educate ourselves the latest and greatest green car news, there's a lot we need to do to educate others.
OMG, Chelsea Sexton is so slumming with the biofuel folks! The staunch plug-in car supporter was in Santa Monica last week and participated in a eco-makeover courtesy of Elle Magazine and the publication's biodiesel-powered salon/bus. Ecorazzi's Anna Griffin was at the scene (that's her with the mic) and got the scoop on why one of the most prominent faces of today's EV movement - Sexton was a big part of Who Killed the Electric Car? and today works with Plug In America on electric vehicle issues (protesting Toyota, for example) - would deign enter the Elle Eco Spa Bus. The bus has got some eco-cred, that's why, and even though the bus doesn't feature a plug, it is raising money to plant trees around the U.S.
Elle is just one fashion icon that's interested in green transportation. Last year, for example, supermodel Laura Bailey helped launch ibuyeco, a green-themed insurance program. And Tyra Banks took her supermodel reality show on the biodiesel route last year, as well.
At the end of April, the biodiesel-powered Earthrace boat left Spain on its second attempt to set a record for round-the-world sailing using biofuel. The Atlantic crossing did present a few difficulties, with a toilet backing up, a small pool of biodiesel flooding the sleeping quarters and high waves making for slow going. Still, the boat should now be in Puerto Rico, according to the New Zealand Herald and had traveled 6651 km as of noon Monday. It's speed heading into San Juan was 43 km/hour and the average so far was 37 km/hour. Once the boat takes on more biodiesel in Puerto Rico, the next leg of the journey is 1857 km to Panama and then through the Panama Canal and on to the Pacific. So far, the team's target record is still very achievable.
We are not crazy: The image above is Greenpeace Argentina's way to protest against the country's efforts to produce soy-based biodiesel. The activist group took a Mercedes ML and a Porsche Cayenne and made them look like bulldozers to illustrate the idea that soy biodiesel destroys native forests and pollutes more than might be expected by most people. The two SUVs featured German flags, because not only these two cars belong to German brands, but because most of Argentina's soy product is exported to the Bundesrepublik.
The idea seems simple enough, in a time when all of the good ideas for reality TV have come and gone: take Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe and hip-hop star Ludacris and pitch them against each other in a show called Battleground Earth. The goal of the show is for each of them to go green and become more environmentally aware, while performing stunts and having the whole thing filmed.
The show won't air until this late summer, but the two performers are out and about filming episodes right now. Last week, the two and the crew were in Texas where they, among other events, needed to find ways to refuel their biodiesel tour buses. The stunt was to outsell the other at Keller's Drive-In. By selling a lot of greasy food to customers, the kitchen could make more grease, which could then be turned into the biofuel. Ludacris offered $20 to the person who could eat the most corn dogs. Looks like they've got the recycling angle down, but not the reduce part. Maybe next season.
Blue Sun Biodiesel recently moved its company headquarters to a new building, one that is LEED Platinum Certified and one of just 26 so-certified buildings in the world and the first one in Colorado. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmentalism Design. On average, LEED certified buildings reduce CO2 emissions by 35 percent. According to Mike Miller, Blue Sun's president and COO, "Blue Sun Biodiesel is working to reduce their carbon output at all stages through careful management of processes. It's important to be committed to the core principles of your business in every way. Blue Sun Biodiesel recognizes that everything we do, including the office in which we work, should say something about the quality of products we offer and our industry-leading principles." He's right, of course, and considering the fact that many biodiesel users choose the biofuel over petroleum-based diesel fuel, the certification of Blue Sun's headquarters could be both a marketing coup and a real reason to choose this particular brand over another. Read the full press release after the break.
The X-Prize foundation was established help spur developments in a variety of areas including space travel, medicine and genomics. We've had plenty of coverage here of the Automotive X-Prize where the target is to develop a production viable car that can achieve the equivalent of 100mpg. The foundation is now establishing what it calls the Energy and Environment Prize suite that includes the Automotive Prize. The suite will include a number of prize competitions that go beyond just transportation to include clean energy sources. A Biofuels X-Prize has already been created to inspire breakthroughs in next generation sustainable liquid fuels. The biofuels prize competition will officially launch later this year with a prize of at least $10 million. Other categories that will be attacked in the next couple of years include solar power, water, sustainable housing and carbon capture. In total the energy and environment prizes are will give away up to $100 million.
The DTE Energy company, which provides natural gas and electric services to Michigan customers, is going to start using biodiesel in its fleet of 800 diesel trucks and service vehicles (things like bucket trucks and light-duty vehicles). DTE will present a ceremony on Tuesday to mark the shift to the biofuel, but didn't announce the percentage of biodiesel it will be using. DTE did say that Michigan-based biodiesel supplier RKA Petroleum will provide the fuel and that the switch is the "environmental equivalent of taking about 120 of those vehicles out of service." Since "environmental equivalent" can mean a lot of things, we can't just calculate the biofuel percentage. What we do know is that even if you're providing energy to a lot of people, greening up your own supply isn't a bad idea.
The single most expensive environmental initiative put forward by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Conservative) was a biofuels initiative that is now seeing significant new opposition. The CDN$2.2 billion (about a $1 trillion at current exchange rates) was intended to provide incentives for biofuel development north of the border. However, recent spikes in food prices and criticism of using food crops to make transportation fuel has caused some who previously supported the plan to switch sides.
Opposition International Development critic (Liberal) Keith Martin went as far as calling for a moratorium on biofuel subsidies until the problems are better understood. NDP members of parliament also opposed the plan while the Bloc Quebecouis officially supports it. However, Bloc environment critic Bernard Bigras is opposed to the use of corn ethanol. Conservative Environment Minister John Baird is arguing in favor of the legislation and says that $500 million of the total is set aside for research into next-generation biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol. The legislation looks likely to pass regardless of the new opposition, although an amendment to the bill calls for a review of the environmental and economic impact of the 5 percent ethanol target one year after the law passes.
Photo by Kopper. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.
Missouri has its fair share of complicated biodiesel relationships. On the one hand, there is the side that's against the biofuel. On the other, hand we have the state's push for a biodiesel mandate of five percent. As part of that push, fifty "agricultural economists, truck drivers and petroleum specialists" (as described by KOMU) spoke about the state's B5 mandate yesterday. While some see the environmental and economic benefits of using B5, others who spoke at Holt's Summit said the mandate was unfair. One complaint is that the biofuel only gets blended in if biodiesel is cheaper than standard petroleum diesel. One reason to pay special attention to the Missouri case is that it would match the highest biodiesel mandate in the country, if implemented.
California's NorthStar Moving Corporation has just converted all of its trucks to run on biodiesel fuel. All of the fuel used by the moving and storage company will now be veggie-based. Additionally, their fleet of vehicles has also been fitted with battery-powered rear lift gates as opposed to hydraulic, meaning that the engine does not need to idle for extended periods.
NorthStar reportedly has tried greening other aspects of their operation. All of their boxes and stationery are made from recycled material and are reused when possible. The company claims that skylights and windows are used for natural lighting when possible and their warehouses are well-insulated. We applaud these efforts, of course, especially the use of biodiesel. With diesel prices as high as they are, we wonder what impact biodiesel may have on the market, considering that cost is often a driving factor when it comes to our energy needs.
A fleet of biodiesel buses, 300 people, and Sean Penn will leave from the Coachella Festival in California today on Penn's Dirty Hands Caravan to New Orleans. The tour is not scheduled to arrive in New Orleans until May 4 and will stop at cities along the way for the activists on board the biodiesel buses to volunteer in various communities. In exchange for their service, caravan participants will have their food, water, transportation and campground accommodations paid for. Penn and other organizers aren't telling the activists what sort of work they need to do in the communities where they'll stop; they're just asking that the people do something. The idea, Penn said in a statement, is to "empower young people to stand up for what they believe in, with its longevity based on inspired individuality and pride." Not a bad way to spend the week. In case any AutoblogGreen readers are getting their hands dirty, reports and pictures would be appreciated.
The activity going here at VIRginia International Raceway this weekend definitely does not qualify as hyper-miling. In fact it is anything but. The thirty young racers competing in the Volkswagen Jetta TDI cup are hustling their cars around this beautiful 3.27 mile long circuit as fast as they can. But they are still doing it in a relatively thrifty manner. The racing Jettas are putting out 170hp which is enough to average over 87mph here. While most race cars get mileage in the single digits and the national fleet average is 20.2mpg the racers are averaging 25mpg running on regular pump ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. That's good enough to go the entire race weekend without filling up. Starting with the next race at Mosport on May 17-18 the cars will start using B5 biodiesel which is what the production Volkswagen's are certified for. The cars are also running with the same exhaust after-treatment system as the production fifty state legal models. That means every car has a lean NOx trap and diesel particulate filter installed.
If at first you don't succeed, why not try again with a bit of your own fat in the engine? The biodiesel-powered Earthrace boat is ready to set off on its second around-the-world attempt today, according to Motor Boats Monthly. The badass trimaran departs from Spain's Sagunto at 1 pm today (local time) and will try to circle the globe in record time. The current record is 75 days and was set by the British boat Cable & Wireless in 1998, Stuff.co.nz reports.
In addition, Stuff.co.nz says that skipper Pete Bethune said he is fully aware of the recent spate of bad news regarding biofuels and said, "We spend almost as much time highlighting the negative aspects of biofuels." The team's first crack at sailing around the world on biodiesel ended in defeat almost exactly a year ago (April 30) following a number of setbacks and one deadly accident. Here's hoping the new attempt sees better luck.
Nova Biosource announced that its Illinois-based refinery has reached the million gallons milestone after 25 days of production. The plant is expected to reach 60 million gallons of ASTM standard biodiesel per year using three processing trains, although the milestone was reached with only one. Other Nova refineries in Wisconsin and Mississippi have a single train that produces 20 million gallons each. The company's global production is estimated between 180 and 220 million gallons of biodiesel per year.
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